Date: 2012-04-20
From: Long Creek Falls

To: Gooch Mountian Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Awoke at 6:30 A.M. slept really good at Long Creek Falls, the constant roar of the falls through out the night hid the fact of the rain that fell during the night. It was wet around my campsite (I thought, due to the mist from the falls) I had to use a towel to dry the tarp off before I packed it away in my backpack. Hiking out I noticed the whole mountain was wet from a light rain. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal with rasins, dryed milk, cinnamon rasin bagel with hot chocolate. I noticed my alcohol stove used twice as much fuel outdoors than it did inside my kitchen at home. Clean up of the cooking equipment was very time consuming. Apothecary came down to say good morning and to get water from the creek as I was packing up. Another late start to the day, broke camp at 10:05 A.M. Hiked by Apothecary's campsite site and she had already begun her hike, (gone) sort made me feel bad, but I caught up with her in the first mile and half on the trail we chatted a little, she took my photo, and then hiked on. 2 miles down the trail I came across two more thru-hikers this time young males (20's) no trail names yet, so I took on myself to give them my first impression of both, the guy from Iowa had a tremedous smile, I pointed at him and said you are Smiley! the other guy sitting on a log from Nashville TN (21) with his back to me, as I walked up, turned his head around in my direction, I noticed these huge blue eyes with girly eye lashes framed by this reddish full beard hiking in sandals no socks!!! I pointed at him you're Blu-eyes then turned and hiked away! 3 miles into the hike I came upon Hawk Mountain Shelter and keeping with the program I stopped to take pictures of the shelter and break for lunch. There was a guy (no trail name) (late 20's)from Atlanta GA there already eating his lunch as I took off my pack Smiley from Iowa & Blu-eye's from Nashville TN showed up. We all had lunch together laughing and talking, 4 strangers in the middle of the wilderness! Just as I finished my snack in comes Apothecary asking about a privy (she seems to like privy's) I was the first to leave the shelter, we all decided to meet at the next shelter (Gooch Mountain) which was 7.7 miles down the trail. somewhere along the guy from Atlanta caught up with me, we hiked together for short distanced then we hit a downhill slope, this guy literally began shuffle or skip sideways down the slope! When I reached the bottom of the slope I looked for this guy down the straight away trail - "boom" he was GONE! Wow! I hiked on, reaching Gooch Mountain Shelter about 4:30 as I was turning onto the trail to the shelter here comes Smiley from Iowa we walked in together. The guy from Atlanta had this big smile and half-laughed "I knew you would make it!" I yelled back at him you're trail name is Turbo! I explained to those who were around that Turbo skips down the trail with a 35lb backpack strapped to his back! Really!!! This was my first shelter experience, while I didn't stay inside, I hung my hammock about 90' from it. I met Indian Brave (male 20's) from Boston MA, Goose & Criple Creek (husband & wife team late 60's)hiking to Fontana Dam NC, Turbo, (male late 20's) Atlanta, WickedMiner (early 20's) acutally had a gold miners pan in his backpack! Really! Candy Cane (male late teens) from TN, Candy Cane had all of us worried we all passed him laying on the trail moaning about hallucinating and not feeling well. but after the sun went down Candy Cane stumbled into the shelter area. Blu-eyes soon to become Grizzle from Nashville TN (male 21 real name Joseph), Medicine Man (formley Smiley 20's) from Iowa, Stoves (male early 20's) from Maine, Test Run (male 30's - 40) from VA, Slaugter House (female 20'S) Kansas, Bunky & Rain Catcher (husband & wife 30's) from VA, one older white haired guy (60's) most of us sat around a nice campfire until 10:00 P.M. Medicine Man taught us a trick on how to stoke a fire that he learned from his Grandfather. put your two thumbs & your two index fingers together to form a diamond shape pucker-up your lips against the diamond shaped fingers & thumbs blow hard! Wow just like when was a kid I took a match lit it took a aerosol can of hairspray pointed at the match and boom instant flame thrower! I suggested to Medicine Man he might want to change his name to Dragon. Turned in 10:00 P.M.