Date: 2007-05-13
From: Neels Gap, Mountain Crossing Hostel

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

Leaving Neels Gap is hard, as there's music in the store (I have no MP3 player with me), real food (Ramen and tuna doesn't cut it for town food!), and beautiful women! There are definitely some girls on the Trail, most of whom are quite attractive; but, the sheer number of men easily outnumbers them... by a LONG shot! All the same, leaving Neels Gap is nice, as I am on a backpacking trip, so off I go!I plan to do but 6.2-miles today to Whitley Gap Shelter, to test out my knee and new knee brace! I feel quite refreshed for doing such a short day yesterday. I figure what caused the stress was mainly carrying too much weight; but, possibly attempting to do more miles two-days ago than my legs were ready for. That is why I plan to hike short today, to avoid early injuries. I'll get to the big-miles days, but only after I whip myself into hiking shape!Overall, the Trail is relatively "easy" out of Neels Gap, save for the descent from the beautiful Cowrock Mountain to Tesnatee Gap. Regarding Cowrock, this is the first vista where the mountains really appear to be "front-and-center". Most of the vistas South of here are looking in a Southerly direction, showing where the mountains dwindle down to foothills and then piedmont. But here, standing on the rock slab/cliff, the mountains are... I don't how to put it... bigger?At Tesnatee, I receive some Trail Magic in the form of water! A gentleman is awaiting his wife and her friends (including a canine companion!), and fills my Nalgene with water he has in his car. He asks how far behind me they are, and I don't know how to tactfully say that they appeared to be hiking really slowly! I defintely wouldn't mean it as a putdown, so I just tell him that I saw them within 20-minutes of leaving Neels Gap, and I hadn't seen them since (which is true!).Next is the steep climb up Wildcat Mountain, which provides beautiful views back to Cowrock. Atop here, I see a sign for Whitley Gap Shelter, which, apparently, is 1.2-miles OFF Trail! There is no way in hell I'm going to walk 1.2-miles to the Shelter, then 1.2-miles back to the Trail! That is 2.4-miles that DON'T get me any closer to Katahdin! Low Gap Shelter is only 4.4-miles North, Wingfoot says; so, off I go, hoping against hope that the terrain up ahead is forgiving to my tender knee (which is feeling great today!).I climb down to Hogpen Gap, only to realize that the highway here is the same as the one at Tesnatee... I'm told that it's quicker to walk up the highway for .2-miles or so, rather than the .9-miles from Tesnatee, up Wildcat, then back down to Hogpen! God, I love the Appalachian Trail! Across the highway I go, and right into the Mark Trail Wilderness Area. Immediately, I'm reminded of that nature comic strip in my newspaper back home, called Mark Trail! Is there a connection? I haven't the foggiest idea; but, I love this smooth, relatively level terrain! The walk to Low Gap Shelter is going to be quite enjoyable!I arrive, and find Sargeant Major here. I met him the day my knee first acted up, at Woody Gap, and immediately liked him. He's 64-years old, and has just retired from the military, and has decided to thru-hike the A.T. He's using all of his old military gear, rucksack and all! Most modern-day hikers think this guy is a nut, he tells me, but he's been hiking with this gear while in the military for years! He's done well over 200-miles with it, he says; so, why shouldn't he use it now? He's having the time of his life, and is making pretty good time, too, anticipating to reach Katahdin by early October, he says. His only complaint with how he's hiking, he tells me, is that he started with enough food to carry him all the way to the Nantahala Outdoor Center! Holy shit! He didn't realize how frequently one can get into town to replenish their food supply, so here he is lugging all of this food around! Poor guy! Well, he always had a smile on his face, so he obviously has a good outlook on life!I head to the shelter, to check out its condition. The bugs are the most voracious I've seen them, which is funny, since I mailed my deet home! I check up on other hikers, mainly checking to see what kind of time Sagbutt is making, and scribble a quick note. I then pitch my tent, cook my dinner, and climb, exhausted, into my tent. Tomorrow, I want to hike 14.9-miles to Tray Mountain Shelter.