Date: 2006-03-01
From: Dahlonega, Ga

To: 1/2 mile north of Gooch Gap, Ga
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

16.8 miles todayStealth Tenting!/2 mile north of Gooch Gap, Ga.I left my home yesterday and drove the 7 miles up to Neels Gap where I was meeting Chief around noon.I got there at 11am and spent some time talking to some friends, then went outside to park my truck where it will stay until I walk through Neels Gap tomorrow.My plan is to drive the 7 miles back home and spend the night getting a few things done and mail my bounce box forward.Hopefully I can get everything done, so I can start walking again the next day. I may take my first zero on that 3rd day of my walk. :-)))Hey, that's not as bad as Xmas and Chief. They're taking their first zero on the 1st day of their walk.I don't think I've known of anyone else ever doing that, but it somehow seems normal for the ol' Chief and Xmas. :-)))There were 3 friends in the area that joined me at The Smith House for a fried chicken dinner.Chief and Xmas, who were starting their walk on the 1st with me (until they decided to take that zero) and Amoeba, who was in the area for a walk with her friend Zigzag.Leonard was also there. He's Xmas's brother and drove Xmas there to meet us.Chief's wife, Carlene sent me a whole batch of brownies and a bag of Worther's candy to get me started.Chief's wife takes such good care of me. She didn't send anything along with Chief for his hike. Ha!! ;-)))At least Chief gave me the brownies unlike when Mrs Moosie sent a bag of brownies along with Moosie and Goldilocks that said right on the bag; "For Stumpknocker only". That bag only had crumbs in it when Moosie handed it to me. :-(((Xmas's 71 year old brother told some stories about Xmas when he was a kid. Things like when Xmas took a dare and kissed a goat's butt (and got in trouble for that) and when he jumped off the roof of their house wearing nothing but a cape thinking he could fly.He landed in sticker bushes completely naked. His mother thought he suffered enough, so he didn't get in trouble for that.This is a lesson for the rest of us to leave our siblings home when we're around friends. ;-)))I set my camera on the timer to take a few pictures of the group. I took a couple and Chief kind of thought that was cool, so since he has the same model camera as I have, he asked me to show him how to set the timer. Well, instead of setting it for 8 seconds to give Chief enough time to run back and be in the photo, I set it for 3 seconds and only his elbow made it in the side in the photo while he was running to get in the picture. That photo turned out to be the best of the bunch. Ha!!! :-)))After dinner, Chief and Xmas went to the Hiker's Hostel to start their zero and Amoeba took me to Amicalola to sign in for my hike.My Dad wanted me to buy him some rocks that they used to sell at the Visitor's Center. I bought them, now I have to carry them to Neels Gap.I woke up at 4:30am after dreaming about going on a walk.I love it when good dreams like that come true!!I caught up on some emails and drank some coffee while I waited patiently for 7am and the breakfast buffet.The lodge didn't have the breakfast buffet today, but the breakfast from the menu was very good. It just took an hour to get served. I guess the cook was late.We started up the approach trail at 8:12am.The approach trail added another 7.6 miles to my 16 mile day and I don't get to count it.Shane and Greg from NH and Steve from Michigan were starting their nobo hikes from the lodge this morning. I met Indy going up the trail. He was from Indiana. :-)))I also met Hit and Miss who did 1/2 the trail late last year and were out to finish now.I got up to Springer Mountain just before 11am and got to talk to Many Sleeps again.I gave him a few of the brownies Carlene made for me.Jeff, Johnny and Pat were there just starting their thru hikes. Lots of pictures were being taken.I started walking north!!! I left Springer at noon and officially started my thru hike. :-))I'm starting out with shoes that have over 1400 miles on them. Not sure how long I'll wear them.Hey Mom, if you've been wondering where I'm at, I'm going for another walk. :-)))I was the 11th hiker to head north off Springer today. There's still about 5 more coming up the trail that I know of. Hiker season is starting!!I ran into Tybee Pete and two guys that were carrying what looked like a motor home on their backs. Tybee Pete said one pack was over 100 pounds and one was 80 pounds. Uggg.I met Leiz at Long Creek Falls. She's from SC. Then I met Turtle D and Turtle M from NH.The weather was very mild...maybe upper 60's and partly cloudy. Very warm for this time of year.I saw one bluebird and 3 or 4 flocks of geese flying by. There were also quite a few piteated woodpeckers making noise.I stopped about 3 times for water. I really enjoy these mountain springs.I ran into Ron Haven at Cooper Gap. He owns Haven's Motel in Franklin, NC. We talked about 30 minutes before I walked on.I ran into Thomas from Ct just before Gooch Mountain Shelter. I saw why we were having such warm weather. He was carrying snowshoes.It's always good weather when someone carries snowshoes. :-)))I also met D Rock and something Cheese just before the shelter.I got to Gooch Gap Shelter and ate my dinner. I finished off those brownies that Carlene made for me. There were a bunch of nobo's there; Cookie, Sidewinder, Sourdough, Bluebell, Happy Trails, Curley and Bushwacker....all nobo's.I had coffee with Bushwacker's wife last night at the lodge and showed him a picture of her just so he would know she was OK. :-)))I kept catching myself looking at the map and guide book the wrong way. I'm so used to walking south all the time, that I really have to watch how I'm reading that stuff...I might get lost!!! :-)))It sure feels good to be back in my tent where I belong.I'm thru hiking!!! Less than 3460 miles to go to Newfoundland. :-)))