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Days 5-9
Day 5: Neel Gap to Low Gap
This was a long and dry day. Water was scarce and it was roughly 7 miles before we got to a water source.
Trail Magic
I had my first interactions with a phenomenon called, Trail Magic on this day. A gentleman was sitting at a Gap giving out chicken and pasta salad, drinks, fruit, and candy to hikers passing through.
It was a nice boost for a long day.
What a Pain in the Knee
Sadly, I started to feel pain in my left knee that day, which caused me much distress. The pain would only occur when walking downhill, which in the mountains is frequently and for long periods.
Near the end of the day, I was hobbling downwards, using my trekking poles like crutches. A lady was fast approaching, so I stepped aside mentioning that my knee was giving me trouble and so I would get out of her way. She asked where it was hurting and I explained where and she told me what it was and what to do to help the pain.
I took her advice. I was able to get downhill and have continued to follow her advice and my knee is getting steadily better.
IT Band!
It turns out the pain was caused by irritation in the IT band.
In my mind, this conjured images of a bunch of eyeglass-wearing neckbeards banging on keyboards, but in reality this is a muscle in the thigh that was responsible for making my knee say, “OW!” when walking downhill.
Day 6: Low Gap to Rocky Mountain
A storm was fast approaching in a few days. Several hikers were getting off trail to wait it out.
Neither I nor my current hiking companion, Mitchell, wanted to break in town so soon after the resupply at Neel Gap, so we pressed on, hiking more miles than we initially were.
Then There Were Three
We stopped at the Blue Mountiain Shelter for a lunch and to decide our next move. We decided to keep going and hammer out a few more miles at least.
We were joined by a Veteran who worked on Submarines for a couple of decades named Mark.
Summit Camping
We made it to the top of Rocky Mountain after a steep and seemingly endless climb and located a nice campsite at the summit where we settled in for the night.
It was neat to look out at night and see the lights from the towns and communities in the surrounding area from atop this peak. Sadly, I couldn’t get a good picture. They just looked like spots of yellow in a sea of black through the camera, but in person, it was interesting to see.
Day 7: Rocky Mountain to Tray Mountain Shelter
This was my shortest day yet, we only went about 4 miles further. I needed a short day, though, as the last two days we had covered around 22 miles and my knee was becoming increasingly sore, as well as my Achilles Tendon on my right foot.
We encountered more trail magic on this day!
Day 8: Tray Mountain Shelter to Dick’s Creek Gap
Rain Gear
This day was foggy and raining.
It was a good opportunity to test out my rain poncho.
I chose a poncho because I read it was more breathable than a rain jacket and pants. This was very concerning, as I felt like I was walking on a portable sauna, and by the time I took it off, I was drenched in sweat. I felt like I would have been dryer in the rain.
Different Approaches
I reached Deep Gap shelter and refilled water while waiting for my companions to determine our next move. I knew we wanted to get to Hiawassee soon, and I felt good enough to keep going.
A group we stayed with the night prior, back at Tray Mountain Shelter, arrived and I got to know them a bit. They were a group of four and were continually working together, even hiking in a formation of sorts.
Our little trio is different, as we will hike separately and meet at a designated spot on the trail. Personally, I feel less pressure hiking alone and prefer this method.
Pressing On
After everyone joined up, two of us decided we would press on to get closer to the Gap. A shuttle would arrive at 10am the following morning to give us a ride to town and we didn’t want to rush in the storm and rain which was scheduled to finally hit in the morning.
We made it down to the Gap and camped out a short walk from the road.
Day 9: Hiawassee, GA
The Foretold Storm
The storm that people had taken 3 days off trail for finally hit around 8am and only lasted about 30 minutes. Due to our plan to get closer, we were able to sleep through the storm and pack up once it was over.
0 day
This was my first 0 day. (0 trail miles hiked) We took a much-needed break and gathered our strength. It’s also the first town I’ve been in since this adventure started.
The cost of a hostel was equivalent to the cost of splitting a hotel room at the Holiday Inn so we went with the latter.
It will be a 40-mile journey to the next resupply point, so we bought enough supplies to make the trip. Honestly, because we went to the store hungry, we probably went overboard and bought enough to make the trip twice.
We decided to take the shuttle out of town at 1pm tomorrow, where we will continue our journey.
Experiences
Explanation
I want to make this about more than just a journal entry of where I traveled in a day. This trip has been about far more than walking so I want to try and break some of that down as I continue this blog.
Camping
Shelters
There is a Shelter roughly every 8 miles on the Trail.
So far, the structures have been a 3-sided wooden structure. Most also include a privy and a bear hang cables/bear box for our food.
I have been traveling from shelter to shelter on most days because it is nice to not have to find a tree to hang my bear bag in and to have a privy nearby.
No Shelter For Me!
I have no intention of sleeping in the shelters, and not just because of the mice!
Several years ago, I threw out my bed and plopped a hammock stand in my room. I’ve slept in the hammock ever since. (I also love couch sleeping, but I digress)
It was an easy choice to bring a hammock along for this trip. Complete with a 30-degree underquilt, top quilt, a bug net, and rain fly. It’s a little bit heavier than a tent setup, but the sleep is unparalleled!
The tent campers might take the shelters to break from sleeping on the ground like animals, but I’ll continue to gently rock in my cocoon of warmth every night.
Community
Different Vocations
I’ve talked to numerous people out here from various walks of life(most of us are recently unemployed as we had to resign to make this trip): food service manager, a few IT, veterans, police, nurses, an attorney, personal trainer, minister, plumber, media and entertainment manager, detail painter for historic buildings, trucker, etc.
Different Motivations
Those people all have their own motivations for being here: to interact with people outside their normal circle, new experiences, to fulfill the desire of a passed loved one, a bucket list item, one person said they’ve been married for decades and always did what their spouse wanted and this is their soloventure, transitional period in life, escaping the rut of normal life, etc.
Different Locations
There are people from various places I’ve met: Florida(seriously, I’ve met more Floridians than I have Georgians), Canada, Germany, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Tennessee, North Dakota, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, etc.
Same Destination
Despite where we come from, our vocation, and our motivations for being here. We have all decided to make sacrifices and take time out of our lives to pursue a singular goal. Something about that has created a sense of togetherness in this adventure.
The Trail has brought together all these people whose worlds would otherwise never collide and has formed a bond and understanding between us as we collectively push our way north.
I find this to be quite special and not something easily replicated in normal life.
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