Day 7: Sassafrass Shelter to Yellow Creek Gap

OMG!!!!  Such a long, long night!!  Between the mice playing the mariachi above and behind our heads to So It Goes loudest sleeping pad in the world, we got almost no sleep last night.  We decided that once the bird alarm sounds, we are outta here!!!  So It Goes had the same idea.  We parted ways, sure to not run into him again, and Gasp!!! started up a hill!!  We got to the top and sat down to our favorite breakfast of strawberry oatmeal.  So good!!

Miles to go

Breakfast spot

 Steady hill rolls for the rest of the morning and then we stopped at Steoyah Gap for lunch.  I was feeling pretty great about my new boots that I dropped my old faithfuls in the bin.  I was a bit sad, but so glad I didn't have all the extra weight!!

Sad to see them go!

After lunch with Little Bear and the rest of the boy scouts, we headed up a brutal 5000' climb.  Apparently it was called Jacob's Ladder.  Straight up is what is was!! Wow!!  It was the hardest hill of the trip so far and it was awful!!!

Break time!

Thankfully, Brown Fork Shelter was just over the top and had water and a place to sit and recover.  Once Tootsie was there and rested up, the Boy scouts showed up along with Michka (whom spent the night on the top section of Sassafrass with all the mice!!)  They all said they were calling it a day and Tootsie and I decide to push on.  Not the best of choices due to the fact that thunderstorms have been happening every afternoon. But the skies looked good, it was early and we thought we could push the next 6 miles to the Cable Gap Shelter.  WRONG!!!!!!  About half hour in it started to sputter.  So we put our pack covers on.  Then, it started to RAIN.  I mean really rain.  I was ahead of Tootsie and stopped to put on my rain coat.

It only got worse from here

 I stood there waiting for her under the trees, completely soaked from head to toe.  Thunder and lightning were right on top of us and the trail had turned into a river.  Once she caught up, we decided we had to get to Fontana that night due to our boots being completely soaked and her feet issues.

Fontana

So we found a gap and parking lot and called up a local lodger,    Creekside Paradise.  Jeff and Cynthia are the owners and are amazing.  The home and property are awesome.  We got some food, showered and are now drying out.  Lets hope for healing feet and dryer weather!!!!!

Music (mental) play list: Van Halen Dead or Alive and The Bee Gees Jive Talking (only I changed it to ridge walking because that's what I was doing at the time)