Date: 2003-03-04
From: hawk mountain shelter

To: old gooch mountain shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

day 3"old gooch mountain shelter?" you say. yes, old gooch mountain shelter. it's still in operation, but i don't think it's in the books. it's a fairly small shelter (8 sleeper), but still in good condition. it's located about 2 miles north of gooch mountain shelter. there's a reliable water source maybe 200 yards from the shelter, but no privy i don't think.so i wake up at hawk mountain shelter. poptart, the whites, and a few others are already off and i'm left here with just a few other stragglers. i end up being the last to leave, but i figure it's okay. i haven't gotten into the rythem of things yet. hell, it's only my third day on the trail. so i have myself a nice oatmeal breakfast and head on out with plans to make it just to gooch mountain shelter. i make it down just a couple of miles and pass the first couple of people, make it down the gap and start hearing voices coming from the mountain that i'm about to climb. i look up and see the switchbacks just littered with all of last night's hikers at various stages of summiting. soon enough i'm catching up to most everybody and i start realizing, hey, maybe i'm not so bad at this.i make it to the top and realize that i've pretty much caught up to everybody, except some of the early risers. i proceed a littler further and see a tall, thin figure carrying a giant stick just on the horizon. this figure is that of joanne's other friend who'd later be known as "wicked wizard." i catch up to the wizard and we make our way down to the next gap where i have a nice hot lunch and a nap of course. i wake up to everybody making it down to the gap. i'm pretty refreshed, so i decide to head out. i make it to some stream a few miles later and re-up on some water. while in the process, this guy comes practically bouncing through, and we start shooting it. this guy's "java," because of his strong like for coffee. java's from va, if i remember correctly and he's my second introduction to "going light." his pack weighs at 28 lbs, and i'm amazed.java too has smoked everyone that stayed with me at the last shelter, only he's come from a few miles south of there. so he's really cookin'. java doesn't know where he's going tonight. he's just gonna go till he can't go no more. we say goodbye and soon enough wicked wizard comes through. from there we walk together till we get to the side trail leading to the shelter. there we find java just coming from the shelter and he tells us that he's heard that there's another shelter just a couple north of there called old gooch mountain shelter, but he's not sure if it's been torn down yet or not. we're pondering the question when a group of older gentleman roll up who are just out for the day. i met them at the gap where i took a nap. they come out here as a group every now and then, so we ask them if they know the word. they tell us that that other shelter is definitely there, so i decide to roll with java, and wicked wizard decides to stay. he has to wait for joanne and chris.java and i head out at a really nice clip. i'm really proud of myself cause i'm moving really well and have been all day. hell, i'm even giving lightweight java a nice work-out. we make it to the shelter in no time, get situated, and start collecting wood for a fire. i go down to get some water and to bathe (my first all natural bath, and believe me, it was collld). we have dinner and get the fire going after using a good quantity of java's tp. java offers me a cup of...what else, but java, to go with my cigarette. i accept thankfully and he shows me how his neat little msr coffee filter works. it's already dark at this point and we notice a light coming towards us from the right maybe a good 3-400 yards down the side trail leading to the shelter. well, i'm positively on the defensive. hell, i'm new to the game and i'm just not aware that people night hike. i'm thinking at this point that it's against the atc rules or something. so i grab my poles and get ready to fend for my life. who should happen to approach, but a guy that's gonna make this one of the most interesting nights on the trail for me.who could i possibly be speaking about? who else but "super mario!" that's right folks, super mario. a mega sobo. mario is a a south bounder (and mega as in maine-georgia versus us who are game, georgia-maine) that'll be finishing up his journey just as we start ours. it was awesome. here was this guy who's about to finish the next day, putting in one of his smallest mileage days that he's put in, while here we are about to undertake everything that he's already walked. all 2160+ miles. it was great. we shot-the-crap all night. we drilled him on just about everything. he told us about great views and great hostels and towns to visit and a million and one other things. i think we didn't get to sleep till maybe 12 at night. and the next morning, there's mario with his headlamp getting ready before dawn has even awaken. it was great.