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It’s so hard to wrap my head around the idea I’ve been out on this trail for 12 days! Time is so weird out here and cell service is almost weirder. I lose track of the days quickly. Each day has side quests and peaks and valleys (literally, so much up and down). When it’s all done, tent is pitched, and dinner is made, I’m usually around a fire hearing incredible stories or quick to fall asleep in my tent. I force myself to quickly journal at least a quick summary of the day. Tonight, I actually have service where I’ve chosen to sleep (second time in 12 days!) so it’s time to share some more of my adventure!
Day 4 – Gooch Mountain Shelter (15.8) to Woody Gap (20.5)
The rain was supposed to start slow and a bit late in the morning but I woke up around 5:30 am to rain smashing off my tent. It was too early to get moving anyway so I just hoped it would slow down, at least enough to get to the privy without floating away!
The second it slowed down I grabbed my headlight, set it to red, and unzipped the door. Someone made it to the privy before me and everyone else from the shelter and tents must have had the same need. Soon enough there was a line of red lights waiting for the privy.
A totally awesome feature of my Durston X-Mid 1 tent is the removable inner. I was able to pack everything in my bag, including the inside of my tent, totally under the rain fly. I’d deal with that wet thing later! I headed out, geared up for rain, to Woody Gap where I’d be brought to my first hostel stay!
I walked through my first rainy and foggy morning and ended up running into two folks from the Gooch Mountain Shelter – Tagless and (soon-to-be) Chef.
Through my years of research I know the AT is a wet trail. It’s inevitable that you’ll be walking through rain. It’s even part of the famous motivational saying: No pain, no rain, no Maine. I have my own version of this. I grew up with my dad who loves to fish and very little stops him from fishing when he’s set his mind to it. I remember saying many times, “but dad, it’s raining,” and his response was always “fish don’t care, they’re already wet!”
That phrase is so ingrained in me I’ve been known to say it in response to many things that involve no fish and not even rain. So now, it’s my AT saying. It’s engraved on my RoadID, I write it in all the shelter logs, and it keeps me going – especially when it is raining!
I hiked into Woody Gap around 10am and figured I’d have a long wait – the other hikers wouldn’t be picked up until 1pm. I texted Above the Clouds just so they knew I was there and within 5 minutes Skully pulled up and rescued me from the cold rain!
A quick drive to Suches, GA and I was met by Bounce who excitedly showed me around, explained laundry, how to buy things from the little pantry, where to hang out, and brought me out to Bounce House where I’d spend the night. WOW! This entire building was hand painted – floor to ceiling – by a previous thru hiker.
I immediately jumped in the shower, put on my clean sleep clothes, and tossed everything else in the wash!
Lucky set me up when I mentioned I’m vegan and a crew went to Two Wheels of Suches for lunch. I was starving and thought I’d devour my veggie wrap and onion rings but had to bring half home – hiker hunger will kick in at some point, right?
I spent the rest of the day and night holed up at the dining room table. Partly because it was where I got wifi and partly because I was forcing myself to socialize. I was so excited to see Turtle, the guy from New Jersey I’d camped next to at Hawk Mountain.
We were all chatting for hours and ended up talking about the Coyote howling we’d heard a couple nights before. I excitedly pulled out my phone to show some scratches I saw in the dirt and Roots was quick to point out they were, in fact, simply a message scratched with trekking poles. I still don’t see it but I quickly became Master Tracker, or Tracker for short. Or Tracks for short-short. Yay, trail name!
Lucky made a huge batch of chili and Service-with-a-Smile made 30+ grilled cheeses and we all hid together from the nasty storm. I fear Above the Clouds was too good to me and I may never meet that hospitality again.
Sure enough, a huge thunder and lightning storm came through at the wee hours and I was beyond thankful to be in a building with 4 walls, a ceiling, and a roof. Thank you Lucky, Bounce, and Skelly!
Day 4 Summary:
- Total miles: 4.7
- First night at a hostel
- First food off trail
- First hike in the rain
Day 5 – Woody Gap (20.5) to Campsite behind Neels Gap (~31.5)
In the morning, Lucky made a huge breakfast for everyone and even shared his secret good bread with me for toast. My pack was finally dry after sitting by the space heater all night. I packed up, got a little emotional saying goodbye, and we went back to Woody Gap to pick up where we left off.
I hiked most of the day with Context and we trauma dumped and laughed and asked all the plants and animals who they were. The trail is a different place than most and it’s easy to feel like best friends very quickly.
Both Context and I planned on going to Woods Hole Shelter that day. It wasn’t a long hike and it left us in the “must have a bear canister” zone but we both had them. As we went we started feeling better and better about the day. We ran into Tagless and Chef and were fully motivated to tackle Blood Mountain. It is the biggest mountain in Georgia, which is hard, but also ends at Neel’s Gap and the Mountain Crossings store.
Up the wildly rocky climb we went, motivated and excited. The top of Blood Mountain has a super old, stone shelter, that looks incredibly haunted. Funny enough, you come across the privy first going North Bound or NOBO. *a wild privy appears*
We made it up and heard that the Mountain Crossings store closes at 5 so we started running down! Tagless has almost a foot and a half on me, his hips are around my armpit height, and he was setting pace. I was basically pole vaulting down. It was so much fun!
Getting to Neel’s Crossing was such an incredible feeling! It’s the first big stop, the trail goes right under the store, and it has the shoe tree! Some wild percent of people decide right here that they don’t want to do this anymore, toss their shoes in the tree, and go back to normal life. If I’d come across this tree one day 1, I hate to think it, but my own shoes might have been up there. But seeing it on day 5, no way!
Mountain Crossings is also home of the Pack Whisperers who will give you a “shakedown.” I didn’t qualify for a free one but I imagine they just tear everything from your pack and question why you’d ever need X, Y, or Z and then point you to what you should have instead. I’m actually sure they’re much nicer than that but I can be a little sensitive.
We found out they actually stay open later during the “bubble” season – when lots of hikers are coming through. So we didn’t need to pole vault down Blood Mountain but im still happy we sped through it. I shopped hungry, ate two walking tamales with extra mustard, and we moved on to find a camp site.
The fog rolled in quick that night and it was one of the coldest yet. I broke out my hand warmers that were a gift from my amazing coworkers, put on all one million layers I hadn’t needed yet, and went to sleep comfy.
Day 4 Summary:
- Total miles: 11
- Starting elevation: 3164 feet
- Highest elevation: 4442 feet
- Ending elevation: 3442 feet
- Shoes in the tree: 0
Day 6 – Campsite behind Neel’s Gap (~31.5) to Low Gap Shelter (43)
We all woke up ready to go. Context and I laughed at the other guys taking about an hour and a half to hang their food bags the night before. We were thankful for our bear cans that double as a comfy seat. Once we were packed up it was time to go!
I’m always a sucker for a view and while taking break looking at the mountains Kelly came by! Kelly is a trail ambassador and was waking and picking up trash. She dropped a hint that that the next gap might slow us down, which went way over my head. She also maintains the Low Gap Shelter which is where we were headed!
Another hiker spilled the beans that there was trail magic ahead and we took off, fueled by excitement! King Tut and his crew were set up with an awesome selection of yummy and incredibly useful stuff for us hikers. I had double carrots and hummus, a diet coke, and a big pack of nuts and dried fruit! I also replenished my allergy medicine.
Off we went, filled with yummy stuff and the happiness that comes with strangers being so kind. This was the very first trail magic I came across, so it’s extra special!
It was going to be another cold day and the group of 5 were discussing doing 15.5 miles the next day. I committed to my first night in the shelter instead of wrestling my tent. A guy came down into the shelter area and I recognized him from Above the Clouds. His name is Iceman and he hiked from the Florida Keys and is doing the international AT into Canada! He mentioned the idea of the US Perimeter Trail and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he does it!
We had dinner around the picnic table and all turned in early, extra bundled up. I wasn’t fully committed to doing 15.5 miles the next day, it felt like a lot. But I fell asleep thinking “it’s really just 5 miles and then 5 miles and then 5 miles, right?”
Day 6 Summary:
- Total miles: 11.5
- First trail magic
- First trail ambassador
- First time sleeping in a shelter
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