Date: 2014-04-12
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was a day of decent mileage and great views, best so far. Ella and I broke camp around 8:30 and about a mile or two we hit our first nice view. Being that around forty people stayed at the shelter, we wanted to get out quick and beat the the rush to the next campground. In recent years, the Forest Service made it mandatory to have a bear canister in the area between Lance Creek Campgrounds and Kneels Gap due to recent bear activity over the past few years. This puts hikers in a conundrum- do a 8.5 mile hike to Lance Creek Campgrounds and then next day do a 6 or so mile hike to Kneels Gap or do a 15 mile hike straight through but in doing so have to cross Georgia's highest mountain-Blood Mountain which has a serious climb up it. Most shelters have a bear bag system which is a pulley system that you attach your food bag to and pull the bag into the air so bears can't climb the tree and eat the food or if the bear bag system isn't there, you tie your bag to some rope find a sturdy branch and hang it from there. Since we weren't carrying a bear canister, we stopped at Lance Creek. It's still early in the trip so I didn't want to push big yet, my legs are feeling pretty good and I can do it but I'm sticking to my mantra of 'Slow and Steady for the first week or two.    After many stops for views and saying hello to many day hikers on the trail today, we made it to Lance Creek which was pretty sweet spot, creek to the south and woods to the north but nice views with 5 designated camping pads and a firepit. Ella and I got 2 of the pads and Homemade and Short Leash were there before us and had one as well. After setting up the tent, I went down to the creek to soak my feet and do a quick shower and some laundry-really didn't work too well as I still stink but taking a real shower tomorrow and maybe laundry. I talked to Homemade for a bit and had a really nice convo with her about the the trail the people on it, her and her husband are really great people and I'm so glad I was able to meet then and call with them for 3 days now. Most of the people from Hawk Shelter made it here today Old Fart,Namase Delaware,Shelly, PocketFire...Max and another guy are a new addition from Gooch, I'll explain the origins of these trail names in later post. Met this another guy and I'll edit in his name later who was real chill and is doing a section hike of Georgia, he's from Atlanta and got a job offer so he couldn't do the thru hike but without a doubt he could do it, talked to him about beers and birds and a whole bunch in between, he's done after Neels Gap, another awesome person I've met on the trail already.   So tomorrow's plan is to go into Kneels Gap, resupply on food and hang out there for a bit. There's a place called Mountain Crossings there which is like a REI or Eastern Mountain Sport and they are known for doing a 'shakedown' where they go through your bag and go over what you need and what you don't need, most if the employees are former thru hikers and they know the deal and some people start off with way too much stuff so they mail stuff home from this place. I think I'm pretty good, my pack is around 30 pounds full and I love my backpack, thinking about naming her like I did my car,haven't thought of one yet but I know there's some stuff I need to send home. Not sure if I'm staying in Neels Gap and splitting a cabin with other people for only 15$ per person or hiking a mile out and camping, see how I feel.    Day 3 done and I'm feeling good, no blisters of hotspots on the feet, knees aren't creaking and my legs are feeling solid. Only issue I have is my stomach rumbling a lot but I think it's getting used to only water and not it's daily intake of beer like back home so I should get over that.Everyday I keep saying 'Slow and Steady' and 'Take it one day at a time', I think I'm finally starting to believe it. P.S- I apologize if there's excessive grammatical and sleeping errors, I'm writing this in my tent at night and sending it when I get some service, I'll edit it when I get to a real computer.