Date: 2009-03-16
From: Neels Gap Hostel (Mountain Crossing), GA

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Cell noneOld Goats notes:Today our friends from Isreal Yoni and Shai lost their food and supplies to a bear. They had hiked on from where we were and their camp was raided in the middle of the night. After this incident they hiked back in the dark to Neels Gap and set up their tent just outsie where we were. This was the third bear incident this season. This is one of the reasons we try to stay at shelters, they have a cable system to hang our food safely.We had two big mountains to climb today. Today is the first day that my legs didn't hurt all day. The hiking was causing pain in my glutes and calves after a few climbs the first few days. Today they only hurt a little towards the end of the hike. I was getting concerned thinking we might have to spend a few extra days in town the heal, I'm not thinking that now.When we arrived at the shelter we learned it was full and we needed to set up our new tent. It was raining and we were a little confused in a few steps, being as it was all new to us.We were able to use the overhang of the shelter to cook dinner without getting any wetter. Dinners done and we're now safely in te tent.We started with a Tarptent which is a hybrid between a tent and a tarp. We did not feel comfortable the other night in that heavy rain storm. We bought a Big Agnes Seedhouse 2, this is a 2 person tent that weighs a little over 3 lbs. My only regret is not getting the 3 person tent for the extra room.Sorry about the boring details lately. it has rained most days and we're in our sleeping bags early each night. Hopefully the weather will improve and we'll have more time to write. C6 Notes - We are physically getting stronger. I'm thinking that even though we didn't go to the YMCA as much as we planned to over the past 3 months, we must have done something right because our muscles are hurting less now and our speed has picked up a lot. Not on the uphills...we slow to a screeching slow going uphill, but I think we are starting to hike close to 2 miles an hour on flat land and downhills. That was OG's average speed during his 2006 thru-hike.The first day was clear, and we've hiked in rain and fog/clouds since then. It was warmer today until we stopped. I'm not as afraid of being/getting cold, so we made supper and took our time getting into our tent. We're in the tent now and I'm very happy with it so far. OG forgot his glasses in his pack outside the tent, so he's lying in his sleeping bag listening for the weather report. Neal set up his tent next to ours and he's getting into it now, so we're visiting through the tents. He's such a good guy.I'm using OG as my table as I type this. Perfect height, and it's warm enough inside the tent that I can sit up and type (in my wool long johns...my winter sleeping attire).OG just said that once the rain leaves the area, the temperature is supposed to drop down into the 30's. I'm getting much more comfortable with the cold because I know I can climb into my sleeping bag and get warm.Had a scare today. We dropped our packs for a short break and I didn't lift my foot high enough over a rock (I'm pretty sure that's what caused it) and I fell a few feet down the side of the hill. I felt my back and left shoulder twist and my head hit something (the dirt I think - definitely not a rock). I was able to grab a small tree quickly to stop my descent. OG immediately tried to stop me from falling further, but I had grabbed the tree already. I was worried about my back, shoulder, and head for a while. As far as I can tell, I just pulled muscles. No headache, so my head seems to be okay. The fall sure shook us both up for a while though. Tomorrow will tell how banged up I am.Yoni and Shai appeared at the hostel this morning. They hiked about 3 miles further last night and set up their tents and bear bag. Some time in the middle of the night a bear got to their bear bag...took their food bag that had all their food for the next 3 days, and their cooking gear. They were able to make the bear run away (with their stuff). Then they immediately packed and hiked back to Neel's Gap. They didn't know they could have come in the hostel, so they set up their tents under the building overhang. Today they bought everything new.They had Israeli coffee and offered it to all of us who were at Gooch Shelter that night. They even had special glasses with them to drink the coffee from. (Only 2 glasses, of course.) The glasses were in the bag the bear got, too. Bummer. We feel bad for them. Yoni blew by us today. Shai won't be able to hike the whole AT (not enough time), but Yoni plans to. So Shai got ride to the next road crossing and Yoni hiked the mountain without his pack to make up the time they lost. I had realized I neglected to take a picture of Yoni and Shai, so I figured I'd get it when they passed us today. Since Shai wasn't with Yoni, I don't have a photo of Shai. I'm glad I was able to get a photo of Yoni at least.It's approaching hiker midnght (which is whenever daylight ends) so I'll say goodnight now (7:40pm).Old Goat & Check Six