Date: 2018-03-18
From: Mountain Crossings Hostel

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

On Saturday night, I had my first experience with "Trail Magic" (strangers helping hikers, usually with food or water) on Saturday night, and then had it in droves this week. I¢m sitting at the picnic tables enjoying a peaceful view, when all of the sudden a massive group of locals shows up and starts putting down trays of food everywhere. I start talking to one of them because I offered to get out of the way of their picnic - he laughed and said ¢this is your picnic, son¢ and proceeded to tell me that the local church groups all even have a schedule for when they show up to feed the hikers. I came back later and was greeted with a plate, quickly remembered I was in the south so couldn¢t/wouldn¢t eat any of the hot food (burger and baconed beans not vege, coleslaw and egg salad not Ryan), but then got to the section of hiker foods they were just giving away/pushing - I took 5 food bars, then they gave me a look and said ¢please do stock up, we¢ve got more of everything¢, so I ended up with about 10+ bars (keep in mind I would need to eat 15-20 bars per day to keep up calories, and these things cost $2-3 a pop). That is all to say they were very generous with the food they brought. So, I have my food, turn around, and realize that none of the thru-hikers are really sticking around to mingle. I thought that was rather rude, so I made a point of sitting down in a group of locals and started talking to an older woman. Suddenly, I had 4 locals listening to me raptly, and I wasn¢t even really telling any interesting parts of my story - just that I grew up in Atlanta and life in SF and work in tech now. They told me all about Hiawassee and the part across the NC border where a lot of them live. They were all just so nice and genuine people, I¢m 100% convinced if I had told any of them I was coming through Hiawassee they would have offered me a ride from the trail and invited me into their homes. We had a very pleasant conversation and they basically told me at the end ¢you should come back to the south! We don¢t need all our smartest kids moving west¢. I excused myself and one man made a point of saying ¢thank you so much for sitting and talking with us¢. ¢Of course, it¢s the least I could do¢.So, as far as the trail on Sunday.  Pretty easy first day solo.  Things are definitely thinning out after Neel Gap - people slowing down, spring breakers going home, less day hike opportunity/interest later in the trail. I did over 10 miles, but then came into camp completely wiped. I was a bit shell-shocked honestly, until I sat down at the campfire and starting hearing the other stories.  For perspective, my only real injury has been 1 small blister that formed from wearing the wrong socks one day, and it has now turned into a callous after nursing.  Everything beyond that is just a bit ache-y, nothing specific.  Knowing that now, let me tell you what injuries the other hikers I have met have already endured within the first 30-70 miles:Blister "over my entire heels"Shin splints so bad to knock someone of the trail for 3-4 days, if not permanentlyFractured heel2 fractured heelsTwisted ankleAn unknown injury that forced a rescue extraction for 3 folks very near where I had camped the night before. Weather has gotten brutal - more on that in later entries.The trail provides (e.g. trail angels and trail magic above), but it is also brutal.  It's ripping through bodies and gear.  All of these things I had heard, but it's a very different thing to realize someone you know and has been hiking with has one of these injuries.  I have been safe from major injury so far, but it's all really only one step away - every step you take with this much weight could be the one that slips and takes you down.  Especially with the weather, it has been very technical hiking work, and I have been very careful.