Date: 2004-03-31
From: Gooch Mtn Shelter

To: Blood Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

Today can¢t begin without filling in some of yesterday¢s omitted details. So I¢ve put my journal away and some young peoples have put a fire together. Light is fading into gooch shelter. When a pair of ultra-lighters arrive. I sit and observe as I wasn¢t talking that day; studying gear, lighting alcohol stove and absence of cozy.John of rome, ny is probing them with questions. They are from CA. What? The male has completed 4 thru-hikes and is on this 5th. (He didn¢t mention he did the triple crown [AT, PCT and CDT ~7500miles] in 300 days back in 2001.)Woozer!It¢s flying-brian, I knew in an instant. Crap! What a day to be silent.As news spread to the others (~20 in the shelter and surrounding area), people began to probe him for info. Notable comments: take it slow and enjoy it.Well that brings me to this morning when I was awake early under the blanket of a chill air that now is upon us. Ponder the questions. I will ask him when he awakes. My questions answered and other info gather. I pack up in a hurry, hoping to share a blaze or two with Sophia and flying brian. So, I hiked 8-10 minutes with them then stopped to stretch.But wait the day stays this good.The cold weather brought a bit of hail then snow all carried on a finger numbing breeze. The sun came around noon.Still under the elements of the weather I arrive at Woody Gap to be warmly welcomed. Trail Magic is the name and today her face was Suzie of the Appalachian Trail Servants, who gather snacks from local churches to give to hikers. Thank God of Heaven on Earth.After chomping on a few butter fingers, cinnamon roll and Twinkie I pressed on. Next a dog on the trail up a few clicks kept me only hard (?) and off pace for 10 minutes. Barking, bumping and growling, sniffing.My knee was felling better today and now most of my muscles are tight on this very windy mtn top. I¢d like to thank my employer Tony Burnett (my Dad) for preparing my hands for cold day¢s glove free! All these January roughs and gas-lines paid double to me. Hee.I had originally planned to stop at Wood¢s Hole shelter, but at 2:30pm felt I could go on to Neels Gap. Truly I could be there now but instead I¢m at Blood mtn shelter. To make it worth my while I added 3L of water at the base of the climb (no water at blood mtn). Now I¢m cold, tense and a bit sore and saving money.I¢ll get up and get out of here and make Neels by 9:00am and do some chores. Then a short evening trek to Bulls Gap or something near by.Tonight I¢ll be dining on the finest (?) of remainder of my food bag. I¢ve finished all of my GORP, I¢ll finish my jerky in a bit. Possibly I¢ll soup and pasta. All my dinners are gone. Oho ¢ tonight I¢m having lipton pasta and chicken with salmon for mercury flavor. And ??? from scottland as after the shelter tea.People ask areyou going to Katahdin. The response I¢ve found I;m most comfortable with is I fnd out tomorrow. Each day I hope to draw nearer the Kingdom of God and let tomorrow worry about itself. (MT 6:33-34)I think I¢ve written this before, but the ¢why I¢m here¢ seems less crucial than ¢ I¢m here and that I am here; what will I learn? What will I do? Will I let this shape and change me? These are the important questions. And above all where I focus my inner gaze. Do I look to meself ¢ I pray I do not, but I look to He that was and is and is to come revealed in Jesus Christ and present now in the Holy Sprit.