Date: 2004-03-29
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap, GA
Miles today: 10.5

Low Gap, GA. Elevation 3050'. My pack weighed in this morning at 48 lbs, just slightly higher than when I weighed in at the Amicalola Falls Visitors Center. It was 46 lbs. there. But now I¢m carrying everything for myself, because Tom is no longer around for me to pawn things off on. The 48 pounds, I¢m packing includes food for three days, three liters of water, clothes, cook stack, utensils, tent, sleeping bag and pad, water purification system, maps, cell phone, journal, first aid kit and toiletries. I am glad I sent 7.5 lbs. of stuff I back via UPS yesterday. 55.5 pounds is much, too much for me to carry!Yesterday, after I met up with Susan ay at Walasi-Yi Center (a home outfitter¢s store) we drove off for some and drove off for some pulled pork barbeque at Turner¢s Corners. When I returned to Walasi-Yi CC which means Country Crossing (in a local native tongue) I asked the owner Winton to perform a pack shakedown for me as he is known to do for numerous hikers every year. It¢s a kind of like a stand-by inspection in the military with your footlocker wide open.I emptied my pack on a picnic table and watched as Winton, went through each and every item ¢suggesting¢ whether I keep it, replace it, or just do without it. In the center they he sells most all of the necessary replacement stuff, that's clearly not Winton's goal. His remarks are strictly offered in the name of ¢less weight¢ and ¢greater safety.¢ "Less weight" has become the sacred mantra of all hikers, for sure. It is thanks to him that I am carrying 48 lbs. today, not the 55.5 lbs. Thank you Winton!Today was another perfect, sunny (thank you, BOB) mild, spring day of hiking 10.5 miles of relatively easy terrain. I¢m now sitting alone in the Georgia woods in front of my own camp fire under a half-moon wearing long underwear and shorts. The special LL Bean hiking pants with the zip off legs which I liked so much got mailed back to New York, because as Winton said, ¢If they don¢t keep you dry or warm, you don¢t need ¢em, and these don¢t do neither.¢ (Upon which he turned his head and spit his chewing tobacco juice in to his Yahoo bottle) to punctuate the point. Winton is one of the most discrete "chewers" I've ever met!But, he¢s right. Even if the temperature drops and we get some rain showers this evening as expected, I¢ll be warm wearing what I have on. If the temperature drops a lot and it snows, I¢ve now got a second pair of long johns to put on, too. Just don¢t ask me what I¢ll do when I get into town, other than look like some kind of refugee from a traveling Shakespeare festival as I walk about in long johns and shorts.For a couple of hours this afternoon, the trail passed through some really weird woods. If Tim Burton is ever looking for a place to re-shoot Sleepy Hollow, this would definitely be the place. It appeared that one out of every ten trees was three or four times bigger than the ones around it. But every one of these big guys was wildly shaped: crooked and spotted with stubby limbs, or with limbs that grew parallel to the trunk or with limbs that were terribly twisted. Many of the trees were hollow, and most were covered with vines 3¢ thick or more. It was eerie in the sunshine, but I can only imagine that it would be downright scary on a gray drizzling evening. Fortunately, ¢BOB¢ was with me throughout the day, and I made it this section of ¢enchanted forest¢ in good spirits and with my head still attached.Although I missed Tom¢s company, I really enjoyed the time I had with myself today. I walked alone most of the time, but was joined for lunch by ¢Craig¢ from Maine, and for dinner by ¢Blue¢ who arrived after me at the Shelter. My fire is about out and the wind is picking up. I¢ve got my rain fly on my tent and a trench dug around it as Tom instructed me in case the rain does come. But right now the moon is still out, and, except for an occasional hoot of an owl, the woods are still. It¢s hard to believe I¢m really doing this.