Date: 2018-03-16
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early on Friday morning and snuck out of the shelter as quietly as I could. The best part is that shelter stays require minimal packing and essentially minimal noise. I grabbed my food bag from the bear box, rolled my sleeping bag, packed my bag and set off for a days hike. I usually get up around daybreak which is about 7:00am in the morning. If I'm lucky, I can be out hiking by sunrise at 7:30 leaving me ample time to enjoy the day.My hike was 12.9 miles which was again in hopes of keeping it low to start and prepping my body for what was to come. Georgia mountains are not easy. They offer much different terrain than the White mountains where I am familiar but still are tough!I hiked at a fairly leisurely pace. The only thing that pushed me was the threat of rain tonight. If possible, I was hoping to be in another shelter to avoid getting my tent wet. I talked with many people as the days are full of other thru hikers beginning their journeys too. Everyone I met consistently said "oh, you're basically hiking home" when I told then I was from NH. With my motto being exactly that from the beginning of the trail, I sort of adopted for myself the trail name: Homebound. Whenever I say my trail name I have to say "Homebound, but I'm not from Maine." It's a little annoying but I like the sound of it-- just walking home.I made it to Gooch shelter at about 3pm. There were only a few spots left to sleep! A stark contrast to last night's empty shelter. Everyone was bracing for rain! I managed to snag a spot on the second floor which is my favorite spot. You stay a bit warmer and avoid any rain being blown in by the rain. Perfect!The next day was St Patty's day and talk began about a party hosted by some locals tomorrow all day in the gap about two miles from the shelter. Information spreads so strangely on the trail! One person hears something and passes it to another. Each subsequent person continues to pass it along and low and behold everyone at every shelter within miles has heard a sort of variation of the original message.I posted up at the shelter, did my daily chores and dried out my clothing. I was given a tip to clean my feet every evening and so I began wiping my feet with a baby wipe then putting a small amount of foot powder on them to dry them and keep then from blistering and anything from being infected! Thanks Chris and Abby! I also carry more socks than most because I was told it is miserable putting on wet and stinky socks each morning. Love that too and I'm not phased by the miniscule weight added to my pack. It's worth it!That night someone started a camp fire. Many of us hung around the edge taking in the heat. Georgia isn't as warm as I had thought! Especially at night! Interestingly enough, a few hikers rely on camp fires to cook dinner each night. Most have jetboils or portable camp stoves of some sort but this was the first I had seen! There had been hikers already quitting up until now. Unprepared for the difficulty or weighed down by their enormous packs seemed to be the main causes. This reminds me of a hiker I saw the night before my hike. His trail name was Machete and he carried a machete for protection against bears. He became a sort of legend at the beginning as he carried a 65lb pack and I had yet to see him since 6pm Wednesday night as he headed up the mountain. Seemed a bit late to start!I believe that night I had a pasta side for dinner. Breakfast is usually something quick, lunch is typically peanut butter tortillas with dried fruits or other things. Snacks are protein bars and candy bars during my hike and dinner is almost always hot! The sun goes down around 7:30 and most, if not all, hikers are in bed by 8. Now you may be thinking.. 11 hours of sleep! Awesome! Not quite... Tossing and turning is pretty much standard for everyone and I hope to achieve roughly 8-10 hours in all but still not bad.