Friday, April 13, 2012
On the third day out, our backpacks finally got their own trail names: with a full load for the first time, plus five days of food, they became “Shock” and “Awe.”
The Training Wheels Come Off, or How We Celebrated Friday the 13th on the Trail
Lumpy from Mountain Crossings (or “MtXings” according to the license on the van) gave us a ride back to Neel Gap. We started just after a number of folks who had spent the night at the Hiker Hostel, as X said she would not have the complete thru hiker experience unless she mailed something home from Mountain Crossings (in this case, an autographed copy of Just Passin Through by owner Winton Porter). With that chore out of the way, we played leap frog with numerous thru hikers who we had outpaced the last two days while we were “slack packing,” but who, now on more equal footing, were more conditioned to the trail than we…
Most of these folks were heading for Low Gap Shelter, which was 11.5 miles away and had a good water source. We wanted to do more, at least until Wildcat Mountain’s 500 feet elevation gain threw us for a loop. We had a post lunch letdown for the third day in a row, but got our second wind after taking on water at Low Gap Shelter. We wound up sharing a wonderful campsite at the top of an old stage road, just short of our original goal. We hope to re-coop tonight to do it again tomorrow.
-N
Another amazingly beautiful spring day very much like Days 1 & 2. But even with cool temps in the 40’s at the start of the day, as we climbed out of Neel Gap we quickly shed our outer layers.
The first half of the day’s hike was pretty strenuous with treks down into, and steep climbs out of, Gaps (Bull, Swaim, Tesnatee, Hogpen & Low). The views from Wolf Laurel and Cowrock Mountains were spectacular. During the middle of the afternoon The Trail looked a bit over-used and it seemed the only vegetation on either side of the path was poison ivy. But by the end of the day’s hike, the trail followed the remnants of an old stagecoach road, with some amazing rock work culverts. (N guesses the road dates to the 1800’s.) The more level walking surface was deeply appreciated!
Late in the afternoon we trekked down into the final gap of the day (Low Gap) where the water was good and the shelter seemed to be filling up for the night. Our intention is to use our tent, even if there looks like room at a shelter. After passing pleasantries with several hikers, we went about the business of filtering water and filling our bottles. After the water break at Low Gap we pressed on another mile and a half, and found a dandy place to pitch our tent for the night. We share the site with Gunther, another thru-hiker. We met several other thru-hikers today besides Gunther: Metric, Honeybunny & Duckie, Chris and his friend Other Dude, who’s out here section-hiking.
We’re nestled down snuggly for the night, and are very comfy in our tent. As it’s well past hiker midnight (that is, sun down plus an hour), it’s time to rest & recover these tired bones for tomorrow.
-X
From: Neel Gap/ U.S. 19 (GA)
To: A Half Mile North of Poplar Stamp Gap (GA)
Today's Miles: 13.40
Total Miles to Date: 45.10
[If you look up the phrase “hike your own hike” in the dictionary, you will find this group photo…]
Lofty, cool, and breezy, the historic Walasi-Yi Interpretive Center (“Wa La See Yee”) was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Construction on the stone building began in 1934 and finished in 1937, the same year the Appalachian Trail was completed. The center served as a dining hall and an inn until the mid-sixties. After nearly being torn down in the 1970s, some locals worked to preserve the old building. Finally, in 1983 Walasi-Yi was reborn as “Mountain Crossings,” the outdoor retailer and Appalachian Trail gift store still going strong today. The A.T. itself passes through the building, marking the only covered portion of the trail’s 2,100+ miles.
[Are they standing on the petrified cow paddy that gives the peak its name???]
34° 43′ 31.2″ N 83° 50′ 36.1″ W
