Date: 2009-04-24
From: HAWK MOUNTAIN SHELTER

To: GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

I WAS THE FIRST TO BREAK CAMP THE NEXT MORNING. I PACKED UP AND STARTED OFF UP THE BLUE BLAZE TRAIL TO THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. I GOT NEAR WHERE I HAD TURNED TO THE SHELTER AND I LOOK UP AND SEE A TRAIL GOING UP AND THE SIGN ON MY RIGHT. SO I START HIKING UP THE HILL. I THOUGHT I WAS SUPPOSE TO GO DOWNHILL BUT FOUND MYSELF GOING UPHILL. AFTER AWHILE OF GOING UPHILL I NOTICE A FEW ITEMS THAT APPEARS TO BE POSSIBLY THRU HIKERS ITEMS. A CAN OF SHAVEN CREAM AND A FEW MISC ITEMS. HMMMM. MUST BE GOING THE RIGHT WAY. WELL I HAVEN'T SEEN A WHITE BLAZE YET. OH HEY IM UP TOP NOW. WHATS THIS A HUMVEE AND A LARGE ARMY TENT AND GENERATOR. THERES A HALF OF A TWO LITER JUG OF COKE ON TOP OF THE GENERATOR AND I'M THIRSTY. IT LOOKS LIKE I HEAR SOMEONE IN THE TENT BUT THEY MAY BE SLEEPING. UP TOP HERE IT LOOKS LIKE I'M AT SOME ARMY DEPOT AND A ROAD WHICH SEEMS TO GO THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. THERE'S AN OPEN FIELD JUST UP THE WAY. I DON'T SEE NO BLAZES. I WALK DOWN AWAYS AND FEEL LIKE I'M ABOUT TO BE STOPPED BY SOMEONE TELLING ME I'M IN A RESTRICTED AREA AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED I HAD MADE AN ERROR. SO I BACKTRACK AND GO DOWN THE HILL I HIKED UP AND BACK TO THE SHELTER SIGN. I DROP MY BACKPACK AND RUN BACK TO THE SHELTER ONLY TO FIND MOST HAVE LEFT ALREADY. I WAS HOPING TO FIND THE GUY THAT HAD THE MAP BACK AT THE SHELTER WHO WAS SHOWING ME THE NIGHT BEFORE. I HIKE BACK UP THE BLUE BLAZE TRAIL TO THE TRAIL SIGN. I GET BACK TO MY BACKPACK AND LOOKING ME RIGHT IN THE FACE IS THE BLAZE TO MY LEFT SHOWING ME THE WAY. I REMEMBER WALKING WITH MY HEAD DOWN RIGHT THERE AND WHEN I GOT TO THE SIGN I LOOKED UP AND SAW THIS PATH UP THE HILL SO I JUST FOLLOWED IT UP. MY FIRST GOOD LESSON IS TO WATCH WHAT IM DOING. I HAD A GOOD LAUGH. IT WASNT LIKE I WAS GETTING YELLED AT FOR BEING A FEW MINUTES LATE FOR WORK. I WOULD THEN SEE SIMBA HIKING UP THE TRAIL TO THE SHELTER ENTRANCE AND HE TOLD ME HE CAMPED DOWN THE TRAIL ABOUT A HALF MILE. HE TELLS ME HE DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS SO CLOSE TO THE SHELTER OR WOULD OF HIKED TO IT AND STAYED THE NIGHT. I TOLD HIM OF MY MISTAKE AND OFF CHATTED FOR A FEW MINUTES AND OFF HE WENT HIKING. I WOULD WISH HIM A GREAT DAY AND TO ENJOY HIS HIKE. MAYBE I WILL SEE YOU UP THE TRAIL AND THEN I WENT BACK TO LOOK AT HOW I MISSED THE TRAIL. ANOTHER GOOD LAUGH AND I SHAKE MY HEAD. I WAS WALKING WITH MY HEAD DOWN AND DIDN'T SEE THE BLAZE THAT WAS TO MY LEFT AND I JUST SAW A PATH UP IN FRONT OF ME GOING UP THAT HILL SO I FOLLOWED IT. IT WAS A NICE MORNING SO IT WASN'T THAT BAD. I DID WASTE SOME TIME AND ENERGY GOING UP THAT HILL FOR NO REASON. WELL NOW I WAS OFF TO CATCH UP TO THE OTHERS. SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN WAS PRETTY TOUGH. THERES NO LEAVES ON THE TREES AND ITS GONNA BE A NICE HOT DAY. BEAUTIFUL HIKING WEATHER. I SEE ROCKY'S DAD WHILE I WAS TAKING A BREAK. I TOLD HIM I WAS CARRYING 68 POUNDS AND HE ASKED IF I WAS GONNA DROP SOME WEIGHT. HOPEFULLY I SAID. HE SAID I WOULD MEET HIS DAUGHTER SHORTLY WHO'S ALSO THRU HIKING THE TRAIL AND SHE WAS BEHIND HIM A LITTLE WAYS. I WISHED HIM WELL AND OFF HE WENT. SHORTLY AFTER THE ADOREABLE ROCKY HIKES ON UP TO ME. SHES GOT A NICE SMILE AND SHE'S SUCH A STUNNING SITE OUT HERE IN THE WOODS. SHE'S WEARING A SHORT SKIRT, FLOPPY HAT AND SPORTING TWO LONG BRAIDED PONY TAILS. WE CHAT FOR A MOMENT AND I WATCH HER HIKE ON BY. AS SHE HIKES OUT OF SITE I SHAKE MY HEAD AND SAY TO MYSELF "WOW". PINCH ME AM I DREAMING. SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN WAS TOUGH BUT JUSTUS MOUNTAIN WAS TOUGHER. I THOUGHT I WAS AT THE PEAK ONLY TO FIND ANOTHER. THIS IS A DRY SECTION, AS IN NO WATER. MANY HIKERS HAD RUN OUT OF WATER AND I FOUND THEM TAKING A BREAK AT THE FIRST WATER SOURCE AT JUSTUS CREEK. SMOKING LOON AND HUMMINGBIRD SAY THEY ARE GONNA CAMP THERE AND I MUST SAY THAT LOOKS LIKE A NICE SPOT TO CAMP. I FILLED UP ON WATER, I SAID HI TO THE TWO NEW HIKERS I HAD MET WHO WERE FILTERING WATER WITH SOME LARGE FILTER. I DUNKED MY HEAD IN THE WATER SOAKED MY SHIRT DRANK LOTS OF WATER AND FILLED UP MY WATER BOTTLES. I THEN SAID MY GOODBYES AND OFF HIKING I WENT. I HIKED TO GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER. I GOT TO GOOCH MOUNTAIN SHELTER AND I SPOT ROCKY WHO WAVES AND SMILES. SHE'S CAMPED OUT IN A NICE SPOT TUCKED AWAY. I SET MY TENT OFF TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE SHELTER HUNG OUT. THERE ARE A SEVERAL HIKERS THAT I HAVE MET EARLIER IN THE DAY WHO HIKED PAST ME AT POINTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CHANDLER AND CATTYWAMPUS, THEY SEEM PRETTY COOL AND FRIENDLY. ICEMAN AND TARZAN ARE SUPER NICE AS WELL. WE ARE ALL HERE FOR THE NIGHT. WE CHAT FOR A WHILE, LAUGH AT SOME FUNNY STUFF, OTHERS FILL OUT JOURNALS FILL UP ON WATER AND WE ALL JUST ENJOY THE NIGHT BEFORE TURNING IN TO OUR SLEEPING BAGS. I LIKE ALL THESE PEOPLE.