Date: 2015-03-21
From: Lance Creek 

To: Bull Gap
Miles today: 8.0

Early rise. TJ and Will left before the sun came up. I left about 745 and Sunny left a bit after me. Glorious Day!! It was so nice out and I had such a good pace. I was ready for blood mountian!! Sunny caught up with me at the bottom of the mountian. We took a water break and started the assent. Blood Mountian is the highest peak in GA on the AT. Oh boy what a climb!! But so worth it. We reached the summit at 1030am. Absolutely Amazing!! The pictures just can't do it justice. The view was spectacular. Sunny and I ate snacks on a giant rock looking out over the valley. So awe inspiring. I cant believe I am able to experience something so amazing. I signed the trail register, which I forgot to do everywhere else. We headed down the other side of the mountian to go to Neels Gap and the hostel there. On the way down we were following some day hikers who thought they knew where they we going but didnt. Ended up having to back track up sheer rock sheets with these heavy packs to get back on the correct trail. So annoying. But we experienced some more trail magic!! Some teens from Birchwood Ministries was hiking up giving apples to thru-hikers! It was much needed pick me up. They prayed with us for strength for our journey. I'm not a religious person at all but it was so touching that they did this. It brought tears to my eyes. We made it to Neels Gap, such a steep down hill. I showered, did laundry, and did a pack shake down. I only sent home about 4-5 pounds of stuff. Plus I didn't have to buy food because I still had a ton. So my pack was a bit lighter but not much. But I'm used to it now that it doesn't bother me. Its amazing how fast your body will adjust to things. I also realised that I brought too much food in the beginnIng. Its hard to determine how much your going to need until you get out there. But I think I got a good system down now. The girl that helped with the pack shake down tried to show some other ways to pack my pack...I did ask for her help. But nothing she did worked. I showed her my way and it was perfect. It did cost me 20 bucks to send some stuff home, good grief. I decided not to stay at the hostel. Will stayed at the hostel that night but I pushed on to a campsite a mile up the trail where I found Sunny, TJ and Too Loud (very aptly named)When I got there I guy was chatting with the group. He worked at Neels Gap but he said something I really liked.. when asked about the weather hiking he said "there's 100 percent chance of weather and 100 percent chance of hiking" So true!! I wish I got his name. He's doing the PCT this year. Beautiful weather that we were able to dry out more of our stuff. We built a camofire.. the first of I hope many!!! A few other people we had seen at some of our other stops came by the fire. Alex and Gazelle, it was nice to socialize.We ended up not being the only people there. A bunch more showed up later but it wasn't too bad. Until about 730 when a group of kids and thier dad's showed up. They were full of energy, running and screaming. It was a while before they funny settled down. It was another earplug night. Early start tomorrow too...11 miles to cover.