Date: 2018-04-17
To: Stealth site on Ramrock mountain at mile 19
Miles today: 16.2

It's 30 degrees waking up at Stover Creek shelter, but thankfully my water hasn't frozen. I crank out a few pushups to warm up before changing into my (cold) hiking clothes. We shelter-dwellers busy ourselves with breakfast chores and enjoy the sun rising over a clear blue sky. I cook up oatmeal, then can't for the life of me find my spork. Not looking forward to eating it with my fingers! Finally the spork shows up in another bag I had strategically placed it in without telling my brain.Singin' Dave hikes out early. Don't think I'll see him again. He has only seven days to get to Fontana Dam before his vacation ends, and it's over 160 miles away. Tom, who rolled in late, also leaves early and I won't see him all day. Meanwhile I leapfrog up the sunny and increasing warm trail with Medicine Man and a few others. I meet Todd, who started the trail yesterday on his 55th birthday, and we stop to take in beautiful Long Creek Falls. Todd sold his business as an exercise equipment repairman in Michigan before hitting the trail. Still Debatin' is another hiker getting water from a stream as I pass. He couldn't decide on his trail name, so that is what he got! I also meet Matthew, a young guy with his terrier/dachshund Maybelline whose short legs make her a "12-mile dog" and naturally limit him from overexerting his ACL-torn knee. He hopes to work and earn his way up the trail. I pass by two ladies-of-a-certain-age: M-Squared (Marilyn from Maryland) and her partner Queen (real name Regina). Queen will finish her section hike of the AT today when she reaches Springer six miles south. I also stop to chat with Dean and Bethany having lunch at an overlook. They camped at Stover Creek with us. Later while I am sitting next to the trail taking advantage of a cell signal to post yesterday's journal, Dave and Brittany come by, who I last saw in the ATC class at Amicalola. Few people have trail names yet.Later on I cross over Sassafras and Justus mountains. These are stiff challenges for many new hikers and I can see why. Down at Justus Creek I stop for water and meet Fortnight, whose vacation limits his trips to three weeks a year, and Mitchell, a young kid sporting American flag gaiters (debris protection worn around the ankles). At Gooch Mountain shelter I stop at 3 for a late lunch and debate whether and how far to continue. It's been 13 miles already and the next campsite is another 8. I meet Dave and Patrick who are also itching to press on. Patrick is a 22-year-old biology major headed to U Penn for dentistry. I decide to hike out. The weather has been ideal all afternoon and it promises to be a pleasant if chilly evening. After a few miles I reach the top of Ramrock mountain where there is a small tent site with an amazing overlook across the north Georgia foothills and ideally positioned to enjoy sunset and sunrise. Perfect! I dry-pitch the tent (footprint and fly only) before Mike from Saginaw, Michigan climbs up. It's easy to convince him to stay, he's ready to be done for the day. We're later joined by Jason, who works in Arizona for the Apache tribal government. After cooking up some potatoes, I get a fire going in the fire ring. It doesn't put out much warmth with the wind blowing but it's very relaxing. The sun sets over the hills we've just climbed. As the chill sets in we head off to our tents for the evening.Safe, warm(er), and dry on the Appalachian Trail!