[at-l] Trip Report - A bit late and unfortunately LONG

[Dennis Gass]

My son and I had a fantastic time walking a section of trail we have
done many times before.  We started out planning a weeklong trip to
Grayson Highlands.  Since he wasn't feeling 100% we scaled it back to 5
days around Hot Springs, and when it came right down to the day before
heading out he wanted to scale it back even further to a 3 day/2 night
trip somewhere on the AT in Georgia a bit closer to home.

We headed North out of Neals Gap and walked until we found a great
camping spot with fantastic views.  Along the way we reminisced about
previous trips we had taken and even sat for lunch on the same log we
had lunch on a few years ago with a friend that has now moved away and
we don't get to see.  We found the spot for the night at Rock Spring Gap
a couple hundred yards short of the blue blaze for the spring.  Looking
south we had a beautiful view and didn't detect much civilization sans a
radio tower way off in the distance that we had to strain to see.
Looking north it looked like wilderness.  We set up camp and it reminded
me that it had been too long since I had been backpacking.  When I went
frequently everything came easily and quickly without thought.  I just
felt clumsy getting things unpacked and the tent set up.  My son was
done well before me.  We set our one person tents up with the doors
facing each other about 20 feet apart with a small fire ring between us
and 8 or 10 feet toward the side.  

I wanted to fill the water containers while we had good light and headed
up to the blue blaze.  A trail went left and down the hill.  Just a few
steps and the trail disappeared into a bed of brown leaves that looked
undisturbed since they fell months ago.  No blue blazes within site so I
turned around to head back up to the AT.  When I did I noticed a damp
spot to my left and hoped that the spring hadn't dried up.  I stirred
the leaves off of the damp spot and there was a tiny little pool of
water full of little floating pieces of leaves and other debris.  I
worked my way up the hill until I found where it emerged from the
mountain and using my hands started clearing the leaves so I could find
a spot to dip water from.  It was cold and I was quite surprised when I
picked up a handful of leaves and something wiggled out of my hand.  My
first thought was snake, but a closer examination found several tiny
salamanders in the stream and one that was a little longer, maybe 4
inches long.  I tried to encourage him to move down to the next puddle
of water but I guess he knew his survival depended upon staying in the
pool right next to the opening the water came out of and no amount of
prodding or encouraging would get him to move.  He did move over to the
side and quit stirring up the sediment so I got the tasty water and
treated it with my Aqua Mira.  My plans were to get his picture in the
morning when I refilled the water so I didn't get the camera.

I headed back to our little camp and relaxed on a rock outcropping
looking south.  It wasn't shaped exactly like a recliner, but it was
close enough for me to kick back and enjoy a late lunch.  My son and I
split a wedge of hoop cheddar and some summer sausage with crackers.  It
was good sitting there looking out over the mountainside chatting with
my son.  It was a good day.  It was chilly, but not windy and cold.  The
sun hitting our faces felt good.  It was a day where a thin fleece top
felt good.

After a bit I decided to play around with my new Gossamer Gear ensolite
pad and Big Agnes pad.  Blowing up the Big Agnes took a while.  It was
rectangular 6 feet long, 20 inches wide and 2.5 inches of beautiful
thick comfort.  The ensolite pad went on top perfectly and I noticed the
sun was shining in through my open tent door perfectly.  It was nap
time!  That's the most comfortable I have been backpacking since I found
a thick patch of dead grass to pitch my tent in about 10 years ago.  Now
I can be that comfortable every night and actually sleep without having
to twist and turn all night to avoid the pain in my hip and shoulders.

I woke up about an hour before sunset and chatted with my son some more.
I don't remember what we were talking about, but for the first time in
my life I knew what it was like to laugh so hard you actually about pee
in your pants uncontrollably.  I was laughing too hard to speak when my
son was able to get out the words "I'm about to pee myself".  Since he
was trapped in his sleeping bag and I was standing, I headed up the
trail to walk away and give us both time to quit laughing to hard.
Without a change of clothes we would have both been grumpy if I hadn't!
;)

I was excited to try out some new cooking methods for dinner.  My son
and I decided to split a Lipton's Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo with a
packet of shrimp added to it.  I have cooked this on camping trips where
I could simmer it, but never backpacking.  I had divided the Lipton's
packet into two Ziploc freezer bags at home the night before with plans
to add boiling water to it, slip it into my pot and new pot cozy.  I had
made both of us a snug fitting pot cozy out of some excess ensolite pad
I trimmed off at home.  I followed the directions for adding the water
and figured fifteen or twenty minutes would be the same as simmering for
10.  I used an Esbit to boil my son's water, then lit another tab to
boil mine.  It didn't quite come to a rolling boil, but it got hot
enough.  We sealed up the Ziplocs, closed the tops on our pots and
cozy's and waited in anticipation.  While waiting I noticed the heavy
black coating on the bottom of my pot.  It wouldn't bother me much if my
pot didn't nest inside my cup and I knew it would keep the inside of the
cup dirty.  Hmmm...I love the ease of use of the esbit tab but alcohol
burns a lot cleaner.  I think I will stick to the alcohol stove for
future use..at least as long as I use this pot and cup combo.  

Enough time finally passed where our fettuccine was fully hydrated and
it was time to eat.  I grabbed my spoon to start dipping out delicious
noodles but it resembled broccoli cheese soup rather than fettuccine
alfredo.  My son was sitting inside his tent wondering what to do with
the mess I had given him for dinner while I was standing outside holding
my Ziploc bag.  I decided that just holding the bag up to my mouth and
drinking it would work, and it actually tasted just like a good broccoli
cheese soup.  Once again, I don't remember exactly what remark my son
made to me while I was drinking my yellow water with floating green
broccoli florets, but I do remember the feeling the warm concoction made
as it came blasting out my nose when I started laughing uncontrollably
again.  You can probably guess...Yes, I had to walk up the trail again
to keep both of us from peeing in our pants.  I decided to drink my
dinner before I walked back into camp where I could then scoop out my
noodles.  It didn't look the best, but it actually tasted good.  Mental
note...next time adjust the water since I am not simmering it!  Mental
note...make my son cook his own meals next time.  Mental
note...reminding my son about his first ever freeze dried meal of
crunchy spaghetti 8 years ago always gets him to quit giving me crap
about my cooking.

We built a small campfire, partly because the temperature dropped and it
felt good...partly because looking at a campfire makes you good no
matter what the temperature is.  We looked at stars we don't get to see
from home North of Atlanta, and then noticed that the valley was full of
lights.  What looked like wilderness in the day was actually Dahlonega
to the south and Blairsville to the North.  We could easily make out
both cities at night.

The next morning my son's stomach bug wasn't getting any better and with
a limited amount of toilet paper he thought it might be a good idea to
head back home.  He wanted to know if that would bother me, but could we
come back when he has his next break from college.  Of course I was
happy to head back from this trip, and happy he still liked backpacking
with Dad.  He headed up to Cow Rock Mountain to get a look at one of the
views we remembered from our hike of the Georgia AT about 5 years
earlier.  Some more esbit tabs, the pot cozy and freezer bag worked
perfectly with the instant oatmeal and a nice warm breakfast.  We packed
up and headed back towards Neals Gap.

We actually did this trip in mid December.  Sorry for the delay in
posting but I have been both just plain delinquent, and then recently
preoccupied with getting my son back into college and then my Mom.
She's in her mid 70's and started having a series of "warning strokes"
or TIA in early January right after I helped my son move back into his
dorm.  She had slurred speech for a couple of days, but no apparent
damage beyond at this time.  It was a wake up call for me at age 43.  In
the past three weeks I have gone from 230 pounds to 209 pounds...with a
goal of 180.  No fried foods and lots of exercise.

Thanks to everyone that helped me refine the cold weather gear.  While
we had warmer weather than we might have had in a winter month, it was
cool enough to know that it works, and it works well.  Thanks Mara,
'Toe, Jan and anyone else I am forgetting to mention.  Jan, I didn't
forget that I promised you photos, and you will have them via email
soon.