Days 6-8: Whitley Gap Shelter to Unicoi Gap and a Stay in Hiawassee

After the excitement of all the wildlife sightings, I decided I would stay at shelters for a while, because I felt more comfortable being around people at night. My options the next day were to travel about five miles to Low Gap Shelter or another seven miles to Blue Mountain Shelter (total of 12). I wanted to keep my options open so I just set out walking.

Whitley Gap Shelter to Low Gap Shelter

I met a fellow traveler who was from Pittsburgh very early on, and we walked together for a bit down into Hogpen Gap (the site of “the bear and hog incident” the night before). He was doing bigger miles than me and had already hiked several that morning before we met. The hiking that day was pleasant, with some straightaways and gradual rises and drops. The weather was beautiful. I got to Low Gap Shelter early in the afternoon and stopped for lunch. My friend from that morning was already there and so were Sox and Martini. A stream ran right next to the shelter, and I soaked my bare feet. I was tired. I wanted to push on, but my body wanted to rest, so I listened. Sox and Martini were staying at the shelter too, so we just hung out and talked to different people as they stopped in for a break or to set up camp for the night. I set up my tyvek ground sheet in a spot in the sun by the stream, and closed my eyes while listening to the sound of the water. It was peaceful.

My resting spot. Babbling stream sound not pictured.

One of the benefits of talking to other hikers throughout the day was that I learned that there was a free shuttle that picked up hikers from two upcoming spots at specific times and took them into the nearby town of Hiawassee. This information helped me plan for the next day. I had booked a hotel stay in town and had about 9.7 miles to get to Unicoi Gap. I was looking forward to experiencing my first town stay and a zero day, which is when you don’t do any hiking (except around town). I split a Mountain House meal with Sox for dinner and we sat by the fire for a short time. I settled in for a restless night, and after the second night of sharing the shelter with Sox, he gave me the nickname “TT” for tossing and turning all night. Sorry Sox!

Low Gap Shelter to Unicoi Gap

Because I’m slow getting out of camp in the mornings, and slow at hiking, I got an early start so I would have plenty of time to get to Unicoi Gap in time to catch the late afternoon shuttle. It was a good thing, too, because I was struggling, even with the motivation of town and a zero day. Even with relatively easy terrain. I was just, tired. Martini passed me a few miles in and I told him I was gassed, even with the pleasant hike. I decided I would try music, which surprisingly, I hadn’t listened to while hiking so far. I popped in an ear bud and put my “AT Vibes” Spotify playlist on shuffle. It was the distraction and pick me up I needed. Even though I was too tired to hike, I wasn’t too tired to put on a show for myself while I hiked. Trekking poles are the perfect prop for this. You can use them as a microphone, air guitar, or my personal favorite, as a cane like dancers used in the olden days. I was cracking myself up and slowly making progress. It helped a little to have Dave Grohl screeching at me while I huffed and puffed up the ascents. 50-something songs later, and I arrived at Unicoi Gap, with an hour to spare. 50 songs doesn’t last as long as you’d think during an all day hike. I’m taking song suggestions in the comments to add to my playlist.

The large Appalachian Trail marker at Unicoi Gap.

Hiawassee, GA: A Beautiful Intro to Trail Town Hospitality

The shuttle arrived early and a woman who had stopped at the shelter the day before got off. She was from Austin and doing a section hike into North Carolina to meet her sister. I asked her if this was the shuttle into Hiawassee and she confirmed that it was. I was too late, but she had gone into town for the free cookout they put on for hikers every Monday. I wished her well and got my gear and myself loaded onto the shuttle. My appetite must be selectively scarce because by this time, I was dreaming of all the town food I couldn’t wait to gorge on. I chatted with my shuttle driver Forrest for a bit, and when no other hikers arrived, he took me to my hotel, and provided some helpful info for getting around town and getting back to trail in a couple days. 

My stay in Hiawassee was amazing. The hotel was really nice, and I once again felt new with a shower and clean clothes. I Door Dashed pizza for the night, and stayed up too late watching “Bones.” The next morning I saw Sox in the lobby. He had so much energy, he was headed to the hotel fitness center to do some miles on the treadmill. He is wild! 

The day went by too fast, which I found out is often true of zero days. After visiting the local outfitters Trailful and getting some sleep and nutrition advice which included picking up a foam pad and some quick energy snacks, I ran into Sox and Martini at the local grocery to resupply. Because it was still hard to fuel my hikes, I opted to just pick up a couple days worth of food, and I planned to come back into town to resupply for the next stretch. By my planning, it could take another 6-7 days to reach the next town, and food is heavy. This ended up being a good choice. I had a salad and fruit at the grocery for lunch, then headed to the town library to write out some blogs. The library was quiet and peaceful, and I found the writing came much easier on the computer than it does on my phone. By that time it was evening, so I headed back to the hotel and warmed up the leftover pizza for dinner. I enjoyed my last night in a bed for a while.

One of several murals around the town of Hiawassee.

I enjoyed walking around town. So picturesque!

The next morning I had a big breakfast at the hotel and touched base with Martini. We would catch the late morning shuttle back to the trail. I also saw some hikers I knew from earlier in the trail and was excited to say hi. I bought a sandwich to pack out with me, and with that, me, Sox, Martini, and their friend Lee, headed back to Unicoi Gap to keep going. Forrest was our shuttle driver again, and when he dropped us off, I saw three other hikers I knew from my first few days. I know I barely know these people, but there’s something so uplifting about seeing familiar faces on the trail over and over again. 

Thank you Hiawassee for your hospitality!

Happy Trails!