Blue Mt Shelter-Cheese Factory Site 6.6 miles
Elev. gain
Blue Mt. Shelter: 3,800'- Unicoi Gap: 2, 949' - Rocky Mt. Summit: 4,017
Indian Grave Gap: 3, 113 - Cheese Factory Site: 3,600'
This the beginning of our 4th day had brought us 21.3 miles through the wilderness and we had 19 miles to go. We would intersect our food stash @ 2.2 miles away in Unicoi Gap. We started to wish we had left more water and fresh clothes in the stash.
 |
| Ready to leave Blue Mt Shelter morn of day 4 |
 |
| Marsha With pack cover on |
The trail to Unicoi was rocky and downhill. I picked up a stick to help me with it, and replaced it with other sticks as better ones showed up along the way-I found that its better to use a stick when you need it then drop it when you dont! So using whats avaialable is the way I do it! Marsha n JT got to the stash first and already had it down by the time I got there. We took it to the road and sat on a log near the parking area on HWY. 75.
 |
| Resting with our STASH in Unicoi Gap |
It was fun going thru the stash, kinda like Christmas!! Marsha wished then she had left a Snickers bar and a coke in the stash and she entertained the idea of hitching a ride to the BP station we knew was not far away... just to do so...
BUT we quickly talked her back to reality!! We divied up the food and the water...now we had GOOD water and Bad Water. Bad water being the water we had collected from streams and dirty springs. So we could have used MORE water and filled ALL our bottles with GOOD water..(note to self for next trip)
Some road workers pulled in to have their lunch break as we headed off and up Rocky Mt. Unicoi is at 2,949' and Rocky is gonna take us to 4,017' so you know what that means right? OMgoodness-
What a tough climb-we gained 1,068 ft on this climb and it felt like more! We passed some pinicers on their way down and they filled Emmas water bottle with Ice Cold Water they had left over. WE were jealous! We had a rest before reaching the summit on rocks, and then continued on filling our empty bottles at a stream crossing.
 |
| taking a breather climbing Rocky Mt. |
 |
| The Beast looks like he has had it Climb up Rocky Mt. 4,017 ft |
 |
| Lean on Me, climbing Rocky Mt. |
 |
| Marsha Rocky Mt. Summit |
Finally at the summit of Rocky Mt. we stopped for lunch on logs, but then opted to sit in the grass instead. It clouded up and we feared rain..
 |
| me summit of Rocky Mt. |
JT
 |
| JT n Marsha |
EMMA
emma
Finally with Rocky Mt behind us we hiked the 1.4 miles to Indian Grave Gap at 3,113 ft.
 |
| Me in Indian Grave Gap |
 |
| Resting Indian Grave Gap Pack on... |
Everyone was tired and hot and we had .9 of a mile to go before camp. We walked along the laurel thicket and finally came to the old cheese factory site. All I saw was an old piece of rusty tin left from the roofing I guess.
We had to leave the trail on a blue blazed trail to get to the campsite which had water at it. We crossed over the Tray Mt.Rd.again and right alongside it was the campsitesThere was a great spring too
 |
| JT resting when we first arrived at the Cheese Factory Site |
At first we set up at one site but lots of no see-ums were around so we moved... over 100 ft to another spot. Jt got bent becuase he had already gathered his wood for the fire we would have later! We were all tired and grouchy- After getting things moved the
Sisters and I headed to the spring for a bath!
Our tents were set up next to each other on the grass and close to Tray Mt. Rd. We sat on our sleep pads by the fire till way after dark..Marsha and JT had begun sharing a tent and we heard giggling coming from their tent long after we retired..once again it was about bodily functions!!
 |
| You mean this white blaze? |
DAY 5
