UNICOI GAP > TREY MTN SHELTER

Day 7 – 5.7 miles – We discussed staying another day in Hiawassee to avoid impending weather but ultimately decided that we needs to make up miles for the nero and zero we took the previous 2 days. We should have stayed.. Moneychanger dropped us off at Unicoi gap around 10am Saturday morning. The weather was cloudy and cool, perfect hiking weather. The target of the day was Trey Mountain shelter just beyond the summit of Trey Mountain a 4,430-ft behemoth. We weren’t hiking an hour before the rain started. Opting to forego my rain gear could have literally cost me my life in hindsight. We pushed on through high winds and torrents of rain to summit Trey Mountain in a mere few hours. Keeping moving was the only thing keeping me going. I was cold and wet. Two things that are manageable if separate but exponentially worse if experienced together. By the time I reached the shelter around 2pm I was exhausted as well. We stripped out of wet clothes, set up our pads and quilts in the shelter, ate, and then I cocooned myself in my quilt for quite while trying to warm my core and hands. After I warmed up and started moving around and snapped this pic of the shelter looking like a homeless encampment.