Date: 2009-03-14
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter, GA

To: Camp Site at Jarred Gap (Mile 25.7), GA
Miles today: 10.6

Cell Didn't check - too cold and wet to do anything but surival thingsOG Notes: We certainly started with the worst weather. The night we stayed at the Hikerhostel I checked the forecast and didn't like what I saw, our first day was had possible rain then rain, rain, rain. The first day didn't rain but then the predictions were correct. We hiked to Gooch shelter in the rain, and today even more rain.We had a difficult time with the mountains, I'm hurting going uphill and C6 is having trouble going downhill. I hope our legs get into shape soon. Our progress is slow but all heading north.Today we cut our hiking short of our destination. We had a few more miles to go when we passed a couple setting up their tent near the trail. They told us the shelter ahead was full and all the campsites were full. The trail gets popular weekends, thru hikers don't get any special treatment and shouldn't. The more remote the location we will be at on weekends the better.We decided to stop here and set up camp. We were wet and cold. We needed to dry out and get warm soon so this place is as good as any. C6 Notes:Stopped here because some people setting up a tent here told us the shelter we were heading to has a bunch of college girls taking up the whole shelter, and a Boy Scout Troop has taken all the camp sites by the shelter. Today was/is a very hard day. Hard hiking, very cold, raining all day (but not a downpour, thank heavens). Stopping at this campsite and setting up our tent in the rain and very cold temperature scared (and still scares) me. I hope we stay dry enough. OG is confident that we'll be all right, which helps me a lot. I still need to get through this experience to calm down about it. OG went and got water while I put out our sleeping bags. We got in them and got warm, then cooked supper. Now it's 6:45pm and we're in our sleeping bags...for the night.Unfortunately I feel like I have to pee but it's cold and wet out there and still light out, so I have to walk a fair ways away from the campsite for privacy, so I'm hoping I can wait until it gets dark. I hope it stops raining, too.It poured hard last night, but we were very comfortable in Gooch Shelter. It was a nice evening with Neil, Aidin, Yoni, and Yoni's hiking friend, Shai. Shai speaks very little English, so he's pretty quiet. Yoni explained how they find it interesting to see so many older people hiking the AT. In Israel everyone (male and female) must go into the military for 3 years when they turn 18. After their military commitment is finished, it's common for them to travel and explore the world for a couple years, then enter college. For example, Yoni hiked around New Zealand before he came here to hike the AT. Yoni and Shai stayed at Gooch Shelter today to observe their Sabbath. Neil is camped here (where we are) tonight, too, and said that he feels Yoni and Shai probably had the better idea with how hard today has been. We hope to get to Neels Gap tomorrow. I hope we do...OG says the plan is to stay in a hostel there, I think. Being worried about tonight makes me look forward to a night indoors.Old Goat & Check Six