Day 7. Mi 60.5. Mi 66.6. Wednesday April 27. Sassafras GapDicks Creek Gap / Hiawassee 6.1 High points: Kelly Knob 4275’, Powell Mtn 3850’, Dicks Creek Gap 2660’; Hiawassee Inn!Up about 7:15, left camp about 9:10. Kelly Knob was very long & pretty hard, 900’ – worse than Tray. Thanks to the sun, a number of great views, lost of gaps & hills, but not bad. So great not to be so cold, though we did wear the gloves some of the morning, & I kept the fleece on over Katie’s purple top until the last hour of the hike into Dick’s Gap. Got there about 1:30. Got the stuff hanging on our packs stowed within, & then I stuck my thumb out for a ride the 3.5 miles to Blueberry Patch hostel. Several cars passed with no luck. Another hiker (yound guy with T shirt “Philmont Staff” came. Stood right in front of me with his thumb out. We kept trying for a ride a little longer and started off walking. I was a bit pissed. After 15 min or so a Subaru honked, stopped a bit ahead in a driveway, and inside was the hiker. Woman driver said she loves to pick up hikers to learn their stories. Took us to Blueberry Patch were we met owner Gary Poteat, saw the nice (but crowded with hikers) hostel – and decided to come into town. Woman had said to call her within 15 min if we did not need a ride. She needed to take some ice cream about a mile to her home before she could take the time to make the 8 mi drive into town.She returned and took us, and a pair of young Aussies from Melbourne (who had passed us on the trail) into town – dropping us right at the door of the Hiawassee Inn. Ron – one of the 2 owners – couldn’t have been more helpful. Blisters?? Need some clothes while yours are washing?? (John borrowed some sweat pants he said were really comfortable). “Here’s the washer” ($3 to wash and dry a load). “Would you like some coffee”. And plied me with chit chat while I drank a big mug in their kitchen – with some pound cake. Sent me “home” with another “cup to go”. Has a 85 yr old mother in Greenville who has discovered the Red Hats & apparently most happily living it up playing euchre & doing stuff with them. Showered, sorted out our drop box, went to supper with a guy who has 1 day more to day to hike & plans to slackpack the 16 (?) miles from Dick’s Gap to Unicoi tomorrow, and with Crutch. Crutch, a hiker originally from Vermont who now owns the Main Street Station in Grand Junction, drove the 4 of us the .75 mi to Daniels Restaurant where they AYCE. Good food, nice conversation.After we got back to the motel we sorted out the food we didn’t want to take & repacked the packs. Crutch had offered a Rolling Rock (which JET didn’t want – and he did want to watch a favorite TV show), so I took our extra food & enjoyed 20-30 minutesconversations & beer. Back at the room tried to catch this log up, read about Tour de Georgia, & watched Alias with Johnny. Turned off light at 10:43 am.

i've always been crazy about eating in diners late at night. i love being one of two people in our age group sitting in sticky booths in greasy dives in the middle of nowhere staring out through half fogged windows watching cars pass on the interstate. pushing a small pile spilled sugar around with my fingertip as the boy across from me sips coffee from the chipped mug as the waitress with the mustache talks about how she's "really going to leave him this time" to an overweight cook. the entire experience is just amazing. the orange, tungsten lighting the smell of coffee the sound of grease popping. there are always truckers. always. and they always smell like cigarettes and they're always wearing dirty shirts and trucker hats and they haven't had a chance to shave in a few days.. but they talk sweet to the waitress and take their coffee black. we all know i have a strange affinity for street lights and empty parking lots and the neon glow of the diner's sign reflected puddles in potholes peppered around the parking lots.. just really makes my heart skip a beat. being in the middle of nowhere, pouring into empty car seats at 3 a.m. catching a glance as the stars as we pull onto the interstate with the taste of burnt toast and hot chocolate in my mouth.. it's always amazing. always.