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Best Big Breakfast (Day 4)
Waking up at Hostel Above the Clouds was glorious. Having a bed was spectacular and I didn’t want to leave it. After rising and getting my bag in order, I headed down to the main hostel building where Lucky had breakfast waiting. Eggs, sausage, potatoes, onions, and toast with fresh coffee to wash it down was a welcome break from oatmeal mixed with carnation.
At breakfast we said goodbye to all the other hikers at the hostel, including Wormwood who was starting a very fast attempt on the trail to finish his triple crown. As of writing this he’s well past us and moving good. Chatting in the common room with other hikers is one of the best parts of hostel life. So many people each with their own story of what they’ve come from in life and what they hope to head towards. I don’t think I’ll ever hear the same story twice and I love how open people are to talk about life. Out here many of the normal barriers drop and we find ourselves united in a common goal.
Once we got going that morning it didn’t take long at all to pass Caitlin going SOBO from Neel Gap to make up some lost mileage. She was absolutely cooking.
Pants SilverCrotch
While hiking Riley (who I started with from Amicalola) got his trail name! On Day 3 Riley very dramatically ripped his Frog Toggs while taking down his tent. A loud *rip* caught the attention of 4 other hikers going about their morning business. All Riley had to say about it was “I just ripped my pants”. In the evening of day 4 I helped him out, tailoring his rain pants to the fashion of the kids these days.
Introducing Pants SilverCrotch! To be honest we forgot who truly bestowed it, it was very cold and windy huddled around the fire near Jarrard’s Gap that night.
Short Shorts
Hi I’m Short Shorts, but you can call me Shorts for Short
On Day 4 I also received my trail name! Let me set the scene. When we arrived at Hostel Above the Clouds on Day 3 I was already very excited to do laundry and get clean! I forgot that I would need to wear something while all my clothes were in the washer. Enter hostel loaner clothes to the rescue!
Riley knew I would need them and handed me a set off the stack of clothes. While most everybody ended up in pajama pants and oversized shirts, I found myself in a pair of very short pink shorts and tight T-shirt.
Cheese named me during the hike on day 4. The minute she said it I knew I liked it and was gonna stick with it.
Hi I’m Short Shorts but you can call me Shorts for short.
First Cold Night
Near the middle of the day we met Walking Man from ’97, who was great to chat with, full of trail wisdom and encouragement. We made it to Jarrard’s Gap around the time that our first rain storm hit. We weathered the first band of rain sweeping up the gap under a tarp before setting up camp a slight distance back from the gap (due to the bear canister section that starts there). We got fast wind plus some more rain and small hail. I’m glad we had shelter up!
We did our first bear hang, courtesy of Mac who is very experienced with them. Textbook.
At the end of the day we decided that since we’ve been travelling as a group we might as well call it what it is, a Tramily. Pants, Shorts, Mac, Cheese, Jenn, and Caitlin.
I Smelled My First Clean Person (Day 5)
We woke up extremely cold. Very hard to leave my quilt. I was also starting to feel the effects of having all time be social time, leaving no alone time for myself outside of my morning quiet time. Grateful for my friends, but I need to work on a better strategy for giving myself time to ponder and just be.
We pushed up and over blood mountain in the morning. On the way up we passed the first day hiker we had in a few days. Before they even came within 20 feet of me I could already smell their laundry detergent. They were walking a dog and pants said he could smell the dog had been shampooed recently. I was hoping to gain this power ever since I learned it was a thing. We have officially graduated to hiker trash.
Frosted Trees on Blood Mountain
Coming down from Blood Mountain brought us into Neel Gap, the wonderland of shakedowns, pizza, and exorbitant markups. I hit my first resupply, ate a whole pizza, and watched ill equipped hikers get their life savings stolen from them to buy new gear and hopefully keep going. I’ve very happy to say I left Neel Gap with the same pack weight I started with.
Neel Gap View
First Resupply
While at Neel Gap I met Trent, the first other engineer I’ve met on trail. Mac and I were trying to figure out how to use one of the gas can transfer valves and Trent made fun of me for not using the ideal gas law to figure out flow. Deserved it.
Sabbath (Day 6)
As a Christian, one of my primary concerns about attempting a thru hike was being away from Church during the hike. Even with a lot of effort, it isn’t always possible to hit a town at the right time to make it happen. So, figuring out how to handle a Sunday when I can’t make it was a big deal to me.
Pants and I listened to sermons, did our quiet time, and walked ahead of the group to sing some before rejoining them. It was very refreshing and helpful, even if not ideal.
Most of the hike was pleasant and fun. We caught up to Caitlin at the Low Gap shelter which was super fun! The evening began a daily ritual which we call Stretchy Time. I have a pretty established stretching routine for my lower body (from my running days) and everybody started joining me for it! It’s super casual, just a reminder for everybody to take care of the legs at the end of the day.
It’s Raining Mice in Vegas (Day 7)
In the morning I had a crappy attitude. No real excuse for it, my legs felt fine and the weather was good. Pants got me set straight when we started trading lines from Alan Jackson’s Chattahoochee after passing the national forest sign.
We pulled up to Blue Mountain Shelter in the early afternoon and ran into Trent taking a lunch break. “There’s mice raining from the ceiling in there because of this big ‘ol rat snake” he said. We saw the snake moving around in the rafters and watched as it fit itself inside the wall. Mice were scurrying all over the platform, presumably after having leaped out of the rafters. Trent goes by Anaconda now.
Naturally we elected to stay inside the shelter with the snake. I wasn’t sure about it but I definitely wasn’t about to miss whatever went down that night.
Sunset from Blue Mountain
We met a guy named Vegas at the shelter as well. Big talker, super fun guy. He thru hiked a few years back and was gearing up for the PCT this year. He got Bad Bat on the phone, since he did miles with her when they thru hiked. That was super cool, since her YouTube video was one of the things I watched before hitting the trail!
He made it his goal to try to give out as many trail names as possible that night. Caitlyn became Jammies, due to her matching patterned base layers. Jenn however, managed to stump him. Not sure when she’ll find what fits her, but so far she’s dodged names left and right.
Good luck on the PCT Vegas!
Thanks for reading!
I continue to be surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation and good friends. Thanks for tagging along!
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