April 4 (Day 18) - Wayah Bald (Byrne Memorial Tower) to Burningtown Gap

While the prior evening was mild, this morning was anything but.  We awoke to between a quarter and a half inch of ice on everything.  Since Packrat chose to sleep on top of the tower, both he and his gear were soaked and covered with ice.  We spent quite a bit of time breaking camp (and trying to save Packrat from hypothermia).

We began hiking and met El Gato at the Wayah Bald Shelter.  He hadn't planned on moving from his hammock, but we convinced him to hike to the next gap and catch a ride back into Franklin.  As we were hiking, we could hear trees creaking, cracking, and falling all around us.  Chunks of ice and small branches fell on us, as we moved along the trail.

At one point, two trees actually fell perfectly between Hammy and I.  Needless to say, we were a bit shaken by it.  This near-death experience strengthened our resolve to get out of the woods and into the warmth of town.

Unfortunately, Burningtown Gap is the most inaccessible gap on this section of the trail, and it cost us $70 and over an hour of waiting to escape the cold, ice, and falling trees.  (One taxi service actually quoted us a price of $115.  Given the temperature and being completely drenched, we nearly accepted.)

Once in Franklin, we again stayed at the Sapphire Inn.  I spent the night cleaning and mending gear, washing laundry, and soaking in a hot bath with epsom salts.