Date: 2011-04-20
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Day 3.I have blisters on my blisters. Literally! I almost missed breakfast because I had to put six layers of moleskin!!! Tomorrow will be a shorter day that's for sure! Pancakes, eggs, grits, oatmeal and coffee for breakfast!It started POURING and THUNDERING just as we loaded up the van to leave. There were 8 other hikers with us that were all starting today. Oh. Stardust and her husband "Jack in the Box" also stayed but Jack had a car to bring SD back to the trail. BTW, Stardust used to work in the same hospital Dave's gf works in!I changed into my UnderArmor pants in the bathroom at the trail head and was able to fashion "gators" by tucking some trash bags in my socks and over them, then pulling the UnderArmor down over my boots. It was POURING when we started out, but it cleared just as I got to an amazing vista at Preacher Rock and I was looking down at the view when Martin came along. He is from Germany and I had seen him a bit yesterday. We seem to leapfrog each other sometimes. Did I mentions the sunburn I have? Yeah I told everyone, " I don't need sunscreen to walk in the woods." ... umm there are no leaves on the trees!Today while waiting for Dave I met a nice young guy named Tyler ("Blackfoot") we talked for a while, new to backpacking, from FLA, nice guy with a good perspective on life. We ran into him again at the top of Blood Mountain (which has had EPIC bear issues to the point that there is no camping allowed as of 3 days ago). We found evidence of this in a few shredded sacks and torn open food. There was a can of tuna that the top looked like it had almost used a can opener but then you saw the tooth marks. There was a deodorant among the tattered remains that I helped myself to but quickly regretted it. At least hiker funk is a "natural" smell! I got amazing picks of the views from Blood. There were great boulders to climb on and a 2 room stone shelter and a privy with a door!Dave got a text from Kaveri while we were up there that she had arrived at Neels Gap! We left and I told Dave to go on ahead and Tyler was behind me. He passed me soon. Going up Blood was pretty easy going. Just a fairly gradual loong path that switch backed up the mountain. There is some tree here with dark red blooms that smells like grape! The way DOWN Blood was a whooole nother story. The whole time (2 miles of down) I just kept thinking I am glad I'm from New England and I feel bad for people who aren't. It was very Greylock, Monadnock, Wachusett -ish. With about a mile to go I saw someone coming along behind me. It was Tyler! He hadn't been paying attention and went the wrong way leading him out to the narrow ledge of rock that he had to use his hands and hug. he went on that wrong way about a half mile before he realized it was just wrong and he tried not to panic. He was lost. Thank goodness he had a Garmin that showed his "breadcrumbs" and he was able to go back the way he came. We hiked down together the rest of the way and Kaveri and Dave reserved the last spot at the Neels Gap Hiker Hostel for me and ordered PIZZA! I almost ate my entire pizza alone! I think I have 3 pieces to another guy that had just stopped by to see what Neels was all about. Kaveri also brougn me Dark Chocolate! (Lots of it) and gum, and MOLESKIN! Yay! Cause I only had on piece left. Dave gave me the rest of his Mountain House Meals, and I got my drop box, AND I still have food left (a lot) AND I snagged a few things out of the hiker box pantry at the hostel last night. Tomorrow I have to figure out what to bump ahead. I am all showered and have the top bunk in the bunk house that has I think 16 bunks. I'm glad the guy on the lower bunk is also sitting int he common area so I might be able to hoist my (smaller already) fat self up on the bunk without stepping on his head!!I saw my first chipmunk today.