DOCTOR PHOTON IS BACK!
Today is my 36th “zero mile” day since the Unfortunate Blister Incident at Indian Grave Gap. An historic marker is being installed.
Considering my holiday weekend outlook…
- my family is out of town for a few days,
- the 4th of July is on a Tuesday (meaning few people will be at work on Monday), and
- I solved my truck’s idle issue by replacing the fuel pump,
…this seems like the perfect time to sneak out and get in another 30 miles on the AT!
This afternoon, I left work a few hours early (sorry, boss!) and made the drive over to North Carolina in my now highly reliable supertruck. My destination is Deep Gap on the AT. A few miles east of Murphy, NC, gravel Forest Service road 71 twists, turns, spins and climbs it’s way through mountain valleys and around ridges until it ends at the appropriately named Deep Gap. I knew rain was in the forecast (rain… always rain), so I set up a huge plastic tarp near my truck, under which I pitched my tent. Tomorrow I get shuttled back around to Indian Grave Gap. I’ll begin my hike from where I was extracted last time. I am mentally preparing myself for traumatic flashbacks. Stay strong.
Doctor Photon