Date: 2006-03-09
From: Campsite on Justus Creek

To: Woody Gap (Hiker Hostel)
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up with a stuffy nose. Slept too hot with thermals last night. Should have stuck to underwear.I was very stiff, creaking my way around the campsite making oatmeal and packing my bag.It took an hour and fifteen minutes from the time I got up until I started hiking. If you think that is bad, it is a half hour better than yesterday!This morning I was glad to have hiked all the way yesterday as now it was only 7 miles to Woody Gap and all the big climbs were behind us.I left camp before Tinker and stopped at Gooch Mountain Shelter. Hard to believe last year I hiked from Forest Service Road 42 up to Springer summit, and then all the way to Gooch Mountain Shelter my first day. On the other hand, I saw from the register that Susan had done just that. I didn't see an entry from Heather. By the way, the way she was walking, she could be at Fontana Dam for all I know.It felt strongly like rain, so I got out my Packa. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that it wouldn't fit my pack with the RidgeRest strapped on. I should have left it (the RidgeRest) back there in the shelter but like a dummy I carried it to the Hiker Hostel and left it in the box. Tinker later grabbed it and said, "Hey, look. Someone left a RidgeRest in the hiker box just like the one you got from U-Haul." When I told him it was mine, he said I should have given it to him that morning so he would have had to carry it out.Tinker went on ahead to the road as he thought it would be a good idea for us to hitchhike separately. Good idea. We're both big guys and it would not be easy to get rides.I passed Gooch Gap. From here until central Virginia the eastern ridge of the Blue Ridge forms a continental divide. Springs flowing from the west side flow into the Mississippi River. Those on the east side up to Tray Mountain flow in the Chattahoochee River and into the Gulf on Mexico. North of the ridge line east of Tray Mountain, streams flow into the Atlantic Ocean.I passed two locals out for a hike, who told me that a strong front was coming through, with heavy wind and rain. Yikes. I picked up the pace, but not that much as I was soon passed by another local, this one a guy out for a weekend hike. His name was Gills, and he southbounded last year.About a mile from Woody Gap I met yet another local, this one a woman hiker out for a stroll. We chatted and I walked on.I got to Woody Gap and started thumbing. No luck. There was no point in walking as the road down is very narrow and winding, no place for a car to stop for you. You'd be lucky just not to get run over.While I was thumbing, the woman I'd talked with came out and got in her car. I tried to look endearing, but she drove off without offering me a ride. And she headed toward Dahlonega, too.Gills was there waiting for his mother and said if I didn't get a ride before she came, she could give me a lift. I didn't and she did.Her name was Dee (I hope - I am so bad with names. I must do better). She didn't look old enough to be Gills' mother, and was both pretty and gracious. She never once mentioned my stink, and I can tell you I was raw. It only got down to 44 degrees last night and I was wearing thermals in my sleeping bag. I woke up sweating like a pig, but because I was so wet, I didn't want to strip down. So I wallowed in the sleeping bag and now I stunk like a pig in Dee's nice SUV.They dropped me right at the hostel. She drove up the drive and I hardly had to walk at all. Gills and I promised to sign each other's guest book, and they both wished me luck.I'd need it. I was very sore, and had a bad cold coming on. My nose was stuffed and I was sneezing. I think I might have a slight fever but couldn't tell because I had gotten a lot of sun and though both forehead and neck felt warm, it could have been from the sun.Brian was at the hostel, and Tinker, having thumbed down together. Also here were Sundancer and Cleo, and Golden Waldo.I was not feeling well, but felt better after a shower. I called my wife and talked for a while and let Tinker use my phone to call his wife. I washed my clothes, which forced me to wear my raingear until my shorts/t-shirt were dry. It was too warm to put on my long-sleeved shirt.I didn't do much all day. The cold caught up with me again and I kind of vegged out.Navigator, who is married to Old Man and helps out Josh and Leigh at the Hostel, drove us (me, Tinker, Cleo, Brian and Sundancer) into town and dropped us off at Caruso's for dinner. I was starving, having missed lunch because I was in a bit of a funk and under the weather with my cold. I ordered a 16-inch pizza.Yeah, right. I ate half of it. The rest will be my trail dinner tomorrow.From the restaurant we all walked to Wal-Mart. I wanted to get some throat lozenges as my throat hurt a lot. It was hard to swallow.Once there, I bought duct tape, a couple apples, and some tuna in foil. Forgot the lozenges.Outside I called the Hiker Hostel for a ride back, and called Ron at the Hiawassee Inn to tell him that I might not be there as planned. I knew I was feeling ill when I told Ron not to pick me up if I wasn't there, but to pick me up if I was. Yeah. Brilliant.