Date: 2005-03-16
From: Justus Creek

To: Woody Hole Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

Miles hiked today : 13.613.2 AT miles + 0.4 miles of side trailHolly and MJ didn't show up at Justus Creek by the time I had woken up at 7:00 a.m. It seemed like it might rain soon, so I hurriedly packed up and moved onto Gooch Mountain Shelter.Upon arriving at the trailhead to Gooch Mountain Shelter, I was surprised to run into Break-a-leg and James Kinney. I'd never met either before, though I had spoken to both via e-mail before we began our respective hikes. I had planned to filter water and eat breakfast at Gooch Mountain Shelter, though the thought of company spurred me to continue on. I raced to the shelter to sign the register to let Holly know that I was pushing on to Woods Hole Shelter.James quickly broke away from our group, though I was able to hike with Break-a-leg for 1.4 miles until we reached Gooch Gap. There were quite a few peple there and I was introduced to Cuppa Joe and Scholar, both whom I had previously heard of online.Break-a-leg was stopping to rest, but I continued on because it was cold, windy, and semi-rainy. I should add that I was wearing shorts and continued to do so for the rest of the day.The climb out of Gooch Gap wasn't extremely difficult, though I was soon passed up by many of the hikers that had been resting when I passed them. I wouldn't see them until I reached the Woody Hole Shelter later in the evening.After a bit, I began criss-crossing with Whitney, her father, and their dog. Whitney is attending college in Athens, GA and was out for a weekend hike during Spring break. After a few miles, and passing up an excellent water source, we reached Woody Gap, which is intersected by paved road GA60. Note that not all gaps are intersected by roads. Some are simply clearings between hills or mountains.As I mentioned, I passed up an excellent water source right before Woody Gap, as I had anticipated finding water there. It turns out that the water was down a side path and, after walking down the side path for a few minutes, I turned back, frustrated. Primarily because I needed water and secondarily because I had to backtrack. I STRONGLY dislike backtracking. To make matters worse, as I was returning, I heard what sounded like a sizable stream down the hill. With the fog and the slope, there was no way that I was going down that hill.Back at Woody Gap, I found myself with a little more than three miles to the next stream and only a couple swallows of water. It was at this time that I made the rule that I would never pass up a good water source, even when I was sure that there was another source just ahead.I trudged onward to face a 570 foot climb of Big Cedar Mountain. As I began climbing Big Cedar Mountain, I saw a sign informing me that I was entering the Blood Mountain Wilderness. Closer to the top, I was certain that I could hear a large water flow just ahead. With a new found enthusiasm, I continued on. I was soon disappointed to find that my water source was actually a very strong wind. It was here that I decided that both wind and road traffic sound like water sources and I shouldn't get excited until I actually see water.Thankfully, at the top of Big Cedar Mountain, there was a small trickle that had pooled in a couple places. Although it wasn't the most ideal water source, I certainly wasn't going to pass it up when the next water source was approximately two miles away. I had to filter for about ten minutes in order to quench my thirst and to fill my bottle. Normally, this would have only taken a few minutes when filtering from a creek.The rest of the day was fairly inconsequential. I met some more people, who would end up at the shelter that night. The only tough climb, besides Big Cedar Mountain, was Turkey Stamp Mountain. If it weren't for the need for water, I would have saved Turkey Stamp Mountain for the following day.Fortunately, the trailhead to Woods Hole Shelter was a short descent from Turkey Stamp Mountain. Unfortunately, the shelter was 0.4 mi off of the AT and the water source was a trickle similar to the one on Big Cedar Mountain. Nonetheless, I filtered and drank as much as I could before continuing to the shelter.Some shelters have room for ten or more people, while others are limited. Woods Hole Shelter had room for only six people and I was the lucky sixth person. I claimed my space by laying out my ground pad and set about making a delicious dinner of tuna and noodles. At the end of the day, at least for now, any warm food is very good.After dinner, I hung my food and dishware on the bear cables, warmed myself a bit by the fire, and then hopped into my sleeping bag at 7:00 p.m. This was the first night that I had to wear clothing to bed - I was so cold that I was shivering. It took awhile to warm up enough to fall asleep and when I finally did fall asleep, I was woken up a few times by snoring hikers. These periods of wakefulness were brief, as I was extremely tired.