Day 1 May 16 Springer Mtn to Hawk Mtn Shelter
May 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
It was a rather spur of the moment decision to take on the AT this weekend. Weather looked favorable and I had at least a week to kill. I hired The Further Shuttle to pick me up from Deep Gap Campground in North Carolina. I wanted to hike into North Carolina and Deep Gap Camp was the first shelter on the AT going north beyond the state border.
Temps were comfortable and the trail was like a clear runway for the first 3 miles. I couldn't help but briefly think I was in for a cake walk hike. Surprisingly, I ran into a few other hikers heading southbound, those being day hikers. Those hikers, being inquisitive to my intentions...how long and how far you going?
I'd been clued in on what to expect on the trail by Mary, the shuttle driver. I'd been expecting hordes of hikers but she assured me the surge of hikers going northward had already passed some time ago. She was absolutely correct. The trails were mostly vacant!
The trail was well shaded, highlighting a rich green landscape under a high canopy. The trail, with little if any rocks or roots in this section. but later in future days, were rich in abundance going further north. For now the challenge could be considered moderate. Temps remained in the upper 60's all day long. What a dream!
When I arrived at the shelter, some 7.5 miles in, I met Gaven and Garrett, 2 H.S. grads from the Atlanta area. Both had been accepted to GA universities in the Fall, but for now they were planning on taking on the first 100 miles of the AT. They had 30 days to kill, so this was it! They'd already set up their sleep systems in the shelter which housed up to 10 hikers. These shelters are all free of charge. Hikers can claim a spot in the shelter, first come first serve. Can't beat the price eh?
A bit later, Melissa and Taylor showed up at the shelter. They were a mother-daughter team from the Tampa area. They cooked their dinners and shared opening remarks of the trail with me and the 2 boys. Taylor is a Bulldog from UG. So far, I'm the only out-of-stater.
Next to arrive on the scene was a solo hiker who set up a tent beyond the shelter. Her working name was Carol, a nurse from Atlanta. She is a solo-hiker with intentions of knocking out the first 100 miles of the AT. Wildflower, her trail name, had trained hard for this trip as a cross fitter. As a nurse, I know she has the stamina and determination to achieve her goal. Carol sat at the picnic table with us and carried on several conversations at one time, bounding around from one subject to next like she probably does with patients during her workdays.
We all talked past dusk sharing small details about our personal lives but at the same time, forming some bonds. Good stuff.Read more
Day 2 May 17 Hawk Mtn to Gooch Mtn Shelter
May 17 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
First morning, waking on the AT is rather special. It's like a new life starting! You still feel rather fresh and I have no problem with body odors...yet. I brought a change of clothes, two pair of Under Armour underwear as well as UA leggings. That doesn't include night wear, shorts and a t-shirt, with socks.
I packed 8 dinner meals along with 8 oatmeal packs for breakfast. I generally eat a cliff bar for lunch. Surprisingly, when hiking, I don't have much appetite, which is fine for I don't have to pack a pantry full of goods to be get by.
One thing I noticed is that I burned close to 3500 calories the first day but my calorie intake was more like 1000. I was burning through electrolytes like crazy, taking note there, remembering I had a case of dehydration a few years back on the PCT because I wasn't packing electrolytes. The Oregon heat near Mt Hood really took a toll on me. I had to take a zero day at Timberline Lodge, where I had some of the most amazing pork chops ever!
I tend to prepare slower than most other hikers. I'm not as deliberate as I used to be. Please note I didn't say "slow". The first hiker to leave camp was Trilby, a 17 year old thru hiker from Dallas, She'd graduated HS just the week before and her dad had dropped her off at Spring Mtn earlier the day. before. She'd rolled into the shelter, set up her sleep system, cooked up a meal, filtered fresh water, bathed and brushed her teeth in like 3 minutes! Maybe I'm exaggerating, but shit, she was fast. While she cooked up a breakfast, I found out she'd been accepted to Stanford in the Fall. She had 3 months to kill and was determined to hike the the AT in that time unless....she found no joy! That in itself, I found rather profound for a 17 year old. One thing I dug about her was she had similar music tastes plus when I asked her if she had a clue what she was anticipating as a major at Stanford. She said Political Science with a minor in Psychology. There is hope in this country! Anywho, she left camp like she was shot out of a cannon. Her intention was to hike some 20 odd miles. She left camp with a trail of smoke behind her. Girl was moving!
I'd barely slept all night, infatuated with the adrenaline, being on the trail, thinking of my next stop and listening to the rolling thunder in the distance. It was pouring rain somewhere! Of course, there was some mice mingling in the shelter most of the night...but mice don't bother me. I've heard stories of mice running across a sleeping hiker forehead or a mouse dropping from the ceiling, landing on a hikers head. That's got to be rare.
Everyone left camp prior to my exit, I caught Melissa and Taylor, the mother and daughter team for a picture before they cut out. We hooked onto the AT together, taking on a vertical climb immediately. I was pacing myself and let the girls take the lead. Pretty soon they were out of sight and I was back to solo hiking.
My plan was to hike roughly 8 miles to the Gooch Mountain Shelter where I would meet Gaven and Garrett along with Carol "Wildflower". I figured I'd be the last hiker to hit the shelter later that afternoon.
About 1.5 miles in, I rounded a corner on a switchback and noticed an older fella in a tent, just rather nonchalantly relaxing the morning away. I greeted and introduced myself while "Turtle" introduced himself as well. We both gave indication of where we were heading that day. When he said, Gooch Mountain, he said it was a coincidence for that was where he said he was heading as well. I figured I'd roll into the shelter around 5:30 and when I surveyed what Turtle would have to pack up, considering his age to be 10 years my senior, I was already doubting his intentions. Turtle was a real treat! He offered me chocolate Oreos, as many as I like but I wasn't going to take the man's food plus I've been turning away from sugar for the last couple months...but I did accept 3 cookies from him, said my goodbyes and heading up the path. After devouring those 3 cookies, I thought...Damn, those are good! So I turned around and headed back that 100 yards or so, back to Turtle. "got any more Oreos?" Turtle smiled and said "Sure, take as many as you like". Feeling guilty for taking a man's Oreos, I asked how he was gonna get to Gooch Mtn and he said he might have some trouble because he'd turned his ankle the day before. I asked him if he needed any ibuprofen for his ankle and he lit up like a light bulb. So, I gave Turtle 3 Advils and he gave me 5 more Oreos. Pretty fair trade if you ask me. I left Turtle there and I never saw him again although other NB hikers that I came across later had said he was still in that same place.
The trail climbed some 4K feet that day. I stopped several times to snap pics of flowers and the trail itself. I walked thru some fern forests as the elevation upticked. It was much warmer than the previous day. My pack seemed heavier and for the first time, my shoulders were feeling a little ache from the pack straps. The trail was a thing of beauty though. People call it the Green Tunnel, traveling through thick rhododandrum forests. and some don't care for the fact that you can travel long distances without catching a view, allowing for your eye muscles to stretch out. That's no bother to me.
I hooked up with a guy named Todd, from FL about 3 hours after catching Turtle the second time. There was a waterfall that I stopped at, removing my pack to just chill next to the falls before heading onwards. I ran into Todd after I exited the Falls and we passed each other twice before we took a break together about an hour later. He said he had a couple weeks to kill, not sure where he was headed. We talked about nothing for a few minutes, then I mentioned I'd be hiking the Camino in September. Todd beamed with joy at that news, revealing he and his wife had pilgrimed on the Portuguese Coastal route, the same as my intentions. Todd was all about that wonderful hike. After I hydrated, I slapped my pack on and headed down the trail thinking I'd see Todd again but nope, that was it.
The shelter was tough to find. Matter of fact, I thought I'd passed it but couldn't understand how that could have happened. 3 hikers passed me and I asked them if they knew where the shelter was, and the one guy said he was certain I had already passed it. I reassessed my position and determined if I had indeed passed it, I was just going to head up the trail until I came across a camp site regardless if it had a shelter or not. It wasn't 1/4 later that I came across the shelter!
Gaven and Garrett were already there and set up the their sleep systems in the shelter. I set up my own when I arrived before setting up my dinner. It was almost 5:30 when Carol rolled in. She was fit with anger, anger at herself, for she had left the Hawk Mountain shelter earlier that day long before Gaven, Garrett or myself but she had turned southbound instead of northbound. She'd gone 1.9 miles out of her way, then when she realized her error, she had to make up that same difference...so almost 4 miles out of her way!
We settled down that night after I taught the boys how to play Crazy 8 to kill some time.
All in all, a pretty good day!Read more
Day 3 Gooch Mtn to Lance Creek Camp
May 18 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We broke camp at an early hour, perhaps 9AM. Carol aka Wildflower decided to hike together. We're a pretty good team. She loves to talk and shows great concern for others, those that we have met in our travels. It's her nurse quality, caring for others. Meanwhile, I'm a faithful listener with positive feedback.
What she lacks in a built in compass, Carol makes up for it with every ample medical supply one could need on the trail. I provide the compass and positive feedback. We talk about family and friends. We talk about accomplishments and goals and the little failures and challenges that life throws at us. There are rewards in life that go unnoticed until you have a willing listener.
We travel close to 9 miles and with hardly any elevation change. A welcome relief but we're aware the next day will be a hearty challenge heading up Blood Mountain.
We took a break when we reached Preaching Rock, an enormous slab of granite near the summit of Big Cedar Mountain, that invites hikers to relax in the sun while overlooking the expanses of Blood Mountain Reserve. I took the moment to remove my pack and lay flat on the sun-heated granite. The warmth brought fresh oxygen to the tender muscles in my back. A perfect therapy.
When it was time to move on, I flung my pack onto my back but I didn't realize the bear canister that was tamped down on the top of my backpack had broken loose. Before I could move to catch the canister, it bounced on the granite like a super ball, heading directly toward the cliff. It bounced once then twice before it bounced a third time, catching a sharp ledge in the granite which shifted its direction to the right. It rolled then, hitting another ledge that shifted its direction again toward the cliff edge, gone forever. But then again, the canister caught another ledge, popped up again and hit a tree, rolling a few more yards before laying up against a tree about 40 yards away from where I stood.
I started after it, but Garrett jumped first before I could. He retrieved my canister, including all my food supplies and most of my toiletries and medical equipment. It really could have been a tragic loss. Good kid!
We set up camp at Lance Creek Camp. Set up my tent and cooked a lasagna dinner. It was a brilliant day with all the adventure we could want.
Gaven, Garrett and Conner, our newest travel companion are all camping out in individual tents.
A beautiful night.Read more
Day 4 May 19 Lance Creek Camp to Neel Gap
May 19 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We broke camp at Lance Creek early, tackling the uphill climb to Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, before descending to Neel Gap where Carol‘s husband, Terry waited to take her to their mountain cabin for a cleaning up. We reeked of the trail, and thoughts of a shower, clean bed, and fresh laundry were a calling.
Leaving the Lance Creek tent site, surrounded by dense Rhododendrum thickets, hardwoods and pines, we kept a solid pace up a 1700' climb. I had some pack issues -the arch had collapsed, causing my pack to lie flat against my back (ugh) with little airflow relief. Sweaty, uncomfortable, yuck.. but manageable.
The climb leads to Blood Mtn 4459'. From its bluff looking eastward, lies Brasstown Bald, George’s highest peak at 4784'. On a clear day like this, the panoramic views stretch far and wide, the Chattahoochee Oconee Nat Forest lay like a verde rug below. In the far distant fog, it's the Blue Ridge Mtns. The view, such a contrast to the lonely wooded green tunnels behind us.
The descent on the north side was sketchy. Giant granite slabs replaced dirt and stone trails. It's tricky afoot, even when slightly damp. We managed it well, we thought, but missed a turn, ending up on a rough, boulder laden trail where we grunted, crawling down in places. Then, trail abruptly ended! Sooo, back up we went, more grunts, scrambling back up-over the same rocks we had climbed down. It took a few but we finally regained the AT. Phew!
We reached Neel Gap by mid afternoon and stopped at infamous Mountain Crossings Gear Store /Hostel, where out of the blue, I craved an orange bottled pop! WTH! I hadn’t had a pop in ages!
Terry picked up Carol and me, offering a ride to Blairsville, a bustling little town that caters to hikers. I stayed at Seasons Inn, an indy motel. The proprietors, Colleen and Chris treated me wonderfully, like royalty. Slow season, you see. I was their only guest! I celebrated civilization here! Shower, shave, Wedge salad, Shrimp/Scallops, Milk (real food yes!)...the works. No TV for me though. Spare me! Must say, Blairsville is a treat with lovely peeps!Read more
Day 5 May 20 Neel Gap to Whitley Gap Shelter
May 20 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
From Blairsville, I hiked solo in the afternoon, reaching Whitley Gap Shelter before dark. What looked like a short 7-mile benign trail with a 500' gain on the map was fool's gold.
After a healthy breakfast at Hole in the Wall and buying overpriced Advil in town, Brett—a driver I'd coincidentally met hiking the day before—dropped me at Neel Gap. I hit the trail by 1 PM.
I hiked through green tunnels, took a break at Levelland Mountain, and caught another view at Wolf Laurel Top. The trail was empty, though I knew Carol was a few hours ahead of me. By mile 5, I was down to my last liter of water. Cowrock Mountain tested my ascent, and the descent punished my ankles.
At mile 6.5, where the trail intersects GA348 near Wildcat Mountain, I found a 2-gallon jug of spring water left by a trail angel in the high grass. I filled my canisters and started the brutal 700' climb up Wildcat. Along the switchbacks, I met Tran, a Mandarin speaker with limited English. He kindly showed me a phone picture of a gushing spring further up.
I reached the shelter cutoff by 6:30 PM. The final 1.2 miles felt like the longest stretch ever. Under rolling, thundering clouds, I rolled into the full shelter an hour later. Luckily, Wildflower had saved me a spot for my roll. A good day!Read more
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