May 8: NOC to Sassafras Gap Shelter

Well our re-supply box came in today’s mail. After a two and a half day break we were back to the trail. Just before we headed out "Phexen", the young man we met our first night out, caught up to us. He did a quick re-supply in the store and we headed up the mountain toward Fontana Dam, NC. NOC sits at 1,750' so there is a large climb up to the ridges, up to 4,330' at the first shelter. One of the bad
things about sitting is the weather has been beautiful for the past few days. Now they say there is a threat of thunder storms in the afternoons.
As we start up the trail the temperature hovers near 80 degrees. Steep is the one word that best describes the trail today. We huff and puff up hill in the heat. We are treated to the first real Flame Azalea bloom. There were eight or so bushes in full bloom in pink and orange filling the air with their sweet smell. Hiking for about an hour CC did a 180 and blew past me saying something like "Oh No!" I moved up the trail a few feet to see a four foot long Black Snake sunning it's self. I got a good picture and moved it off the trail with a trekking pole. We averaged about 1.5 miles an hour up this mammoth climb of seven miles. The only other situation during the climb was an ambling raccoon headed somewhere up hill. It seemed unusual to see this nocturnal fellow out in broad daylight. He did however see us and quicken his pace up and away from us.
We arrived at Sassafras Gap Shelter by 4:15PM, not a bad time for seven miles of trail with 2,500'+ of elevation gain. The weather was starting to turn as we neared the shelter. The temp had dropped from 80 to 55 degrees and the wind had really whipped up. We managed to get supper done and everything ready for bed before the thunder storm hit. We were snug in the shelter with our tent giving us shelter from the wind and rain.
Tomorrow we will try to do a 14.2 mile day so we will be in position to make Fontana Dam on Saturday to get our next re-supply box.

Patrick, Deborah Mooney aka OD & CC
All Who Wander Are Not Lost

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