Wake up in the city and go back to work
Alex taking in the view at Tray Mtn on a clear day
Waking up with clean clothes, clean bodies, well rested and well fed is a luxury only allowed to those who sleep a night in the city. The dog friendly cabin we found had a wonderful host who took us back to the trailhead at Unicoi Gap. Although our biggest mile day yet, we planned to hike the 13 miles to Deep Gap Shelter that day. Not to mention the multiple climbs we had to go through to get there. We knew rain was forecast from the afternoon into the evening, so we only took a few short breaks to filter the water and have lunch.
The rise of Kelly Knob
A crowded Deep Gap shelter
Our efforts to reach the shelter before it rained were unsuccessful. About 2 miles from the shelter we found ourselves at the base of a large climb when it started to rain on us. The climb was exhausting. I sat on every rock or log I passed, wanting to get back up and finish the climb to Kelly Knob. That climb wasn’t the biggest elevation gain we’d ever faced, but after hiking 11 miles with very few breaks, it sure seemed like it. When we finally arrived at Deep Gap Shelter, many familiar faces welcomed us! After removing our wet clothes and changing into dry ones, filling our stomachs with Knor teriyaki with Starkist chicken packet, the days’ troubles melted away. Not even thunder, lightning, or loud snoring could have kept us awake.
Hiking in the rain
On the morning of the 8th we woke up in a crowded two-story shelter, surrounded by the many friends we had already made along the way. We had just taken a ‘Nearby’ day, so our plan was to go 8.5 miles to the next shelter. Everyone else had plans to walk about 4 miles to a shuttle location for their upcoming day in the city. When the shuttle picked us up, everyone was packed into the van and the shuttle driver tried to convince us to get on. He tried to convince us to come in by letting us know that a free pizza party for hikers was going on at a local store. Although the temptation was great, we knew it was best to keep walking. The weather that night was estimated to be in the single digits with rain in the morning and snow in the afternoon.
The cold comes quickly 
Our plan was to walk quickly and reach the shelter before the snow fell. The drop in temperatures was a strong motivator. As we hiked, I got a text to the friend who planned to watch Turkenna as we hiked through Great Smokey NP and bring her back to us at the end of that section. She gave us the unfortunate news that she would not be able to fulfill that commitment, leaving us scrambling to find alternative arrangements for her. By the end of the day, we had texted at least a handful of friends and they all said they couldn’t do it for various reasons. It’ll have to be something we figure out later because we lost the signal before we got to camp.
Get to the camp
Our efforts to get there before it rained were in vain. It started to rain in the last two kilometers. The moment we arrived at the Plumochard shelter we changed into dry clothes and placed our sleeping pad on the top floor of the three-story shelter. We spent most of the afternoon with the few brave hikers who also decided to pass up the stay in the city. Cody and I ate one of the dehydrated meals I prepared before hitting the trail. The Mediterranean dish of sweet potato, chickpeas and couscous was a win! Due to the frigid temperatures, we snuggled under our quilt with Turkenna quite early that night.
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