Date: 2005-10-29
From: Neels Gap, GA

To: Woody Gap, GA
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: 0

10.6 miles todayWalasi-Yi HostelNeels Gap, Ga.Woody Gap, Ga. on the trail I went to bed late last night and got up about 6am. I started journaling and about 15 minutes later, Chief came in ready to go out to breakfast. I finished journaling, then sent it in before we drove down the mountain to breakfast. The food was ok, but the coffee wasn't all that good. We came back up the mountain and Mountain Crossing was just opening. Cornbread brought me out a good cup of coffee. :-))) Chief and I browsed the outfitters and he was the only one that bought anything. I hiked out of Neels Gap heading south at 10:45am. It was a late start, but I was only going to either Woody Gap or Gooch Gap today. I got up Blood Mountain pretty quickly and kept right on moving. It was another cool day. When Chief and I went to breakfast, it was 28 degrees. I kept walking, watching for falling leaves, but once again there wasn't many. There were some day hikers out in the area and once when I came around a corner, I made two ladies jump. All they saw was my black shirt and they thought I was a bear. I told them that I don't think bears use hiking poles. :-))) I kept walking and came up to Cedar Mountain. I sat down and enjoyed the nice view from there for a while. When I got down to Woody Gap, I looked behind a rock that Fraser Fir said he left some goodies for me. I found a good homemade sandwich, 2 cokes, 2 apple sauce snacks, some Hershey Kisses, corn chips and a very nice card congratulating me for finishing another hike. :-))) Thanks Fraser Fir for all the goodies and a special thanks to your wife, Stephanie for making that special card. It's all the good people along the trail that have made this hike possible this year. I owe them all alot for their generousity...thank you, thank you!!! Chief picked me up at 2pm and took me back to the hostel. He came early after a conference he had attended this week and is planning on meeting me on Springer Mountain tomorrow. I went over to the outfitter and Winton wanted my old backpack to hang on the wall of his store. He gave me a brand new U.L.A. pack exactly like my old P-1, except it's new!!! He had me sign my trail name on the old pack and write down the four hikes I've used it on and he wanted me to write down the total number of miles I've carried it...5,400 miles. That backpack went with me on the A.T. in '04 and '05, the J.M.T. in '04 and from Key West to near Georgia in '05 and I'm NOT going to miss it...I have a brand new pack to like now. :-))) On top of giving me a free backpack, he wouldn't take any money from me for the 2 nights I've stayed here at the hostel. Thanks Winton!! I ate a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. I took a shower after hearing Chief complain for a while that I needed one. Ha, I just had one when I was in Franklin, NC. :-))) Tomorrow I'll walk 19.9 miles to the summit of Springer Mountain and this hike will be over. :-((( I'm still at 41 leaf catches. I sure hope they start falling again tomorrow. I've decided to open this leaf catching game to everyone now. So go out and do your best to catch those elusive leaves that seem to jump right out of your hand before you can grab them. Senorita Worm has the lead right now with 50 leaves. I'm sure she's caught all those leaves because she's such a fine, outstanding woman...she wouldn't fib to me. ;-)))