7:30am- We have just passed over the Eastern Continental Divide, I didn't know there was one. Then, again, anybody thats doing what I'm doing, probably would never be accused of having any sense anyway. (elev. 2,964ft.) Thats about 11,000 less than the other Divide that we will be crossing, during the summer, I hope! We are taking a break after the hike up to the top, I am hoping that it goes down, now. I am looking over the vista and I see a Golf Course winding around the mountain, down below us. I am not a golfer, but if I was I would like to play here. It is like on a stair-case, really imaginative lay-out. I can see houses(large houses) spread out through the woods. This must be a rich-mans neighborhood. Not wealthy like Port Royal, but very well to-do folks. Its still pretty chilly, and Toxaway is the next town, I am guessing, I keep seeing signs, so many miles to Toxaway. It could be a lake or something, I just don't know.
I have to find a place to build a fire and cook this back-strap I acquired this morning. Our camp last night was in a spot near the road and I was worrying about getting out of there before daylight. Everywhere I looked I seen stands for the local hunters, and I don't think its hunting season, they might have a spring Gobbler season here too. About 4:00am me and Skil's were awakened by the screeching of brakes, oh hell! Now what? We were real quiet and soon I heard a car take off. So, it must not have been us, that caused the ruckus. Just before day-light i went for my usual Skillet walk and down by the road lay a spike, freshly killed, explains the brakes! Still warm. I drug him off the road and cut the back-strap out of him. It was getting pretty light, so I didn't get both. But, I would like to see the face of the first person who comes this way to remove this deer. Probably wonder what kind of bear carries a knife. I have 5lbs. of meat and I need to cook it somewhere, soon. No idea how far the next store is. I am in the boon-docks, for real.
10:45am- Me and Skil's are just entering Sapphire, NC. and doesn't appear to be much of anything. I am beat, this is one hard-core road for hiking on. All of it goes uphill, there is no shoulder, and it curves all over the place. Damn good place to get mowed over, by one of these moon-shiners. Toxaway turned out to be an entrance for a fishing camp on Lake Toxaway. My poor old feet hurt really bad and I can just imagine how the little boy must feel. I am going in the woods here and cook this meat, no salt, or any kind of spices, but solid protein.
2:00pm- We just spent an hour and thirty minutes climbing some of the most grueling terrain we have encountered so far. That was wicked 4 or 5 miles. From Lake Sapphire up to Holly Forrest, with hair-pin turns on a 15 degree slope. That beach in Ca. where me and Skil's pitched our tent for a month is sure sounding good now. Its at least a half a year away, I ready to be there right now. I ate some venison, which wasn't bad, if I say so myself, or maybe I am just starving. Gotta eat better. I'll be looking for a campsite early today. I am wondering, if I crossed the Divide , shouldn't I be headed down hill?
Strange place, these Smoky Mountains, when I do get a chance to go down hill, I walk from perfectly clear weather into a fog. No damn wonder nobody can find Bigfoot. I expect him at every turn, I need some directions out of here.
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