Date: 2010-03-31
From: Neels Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hello Readers,Today I will be hiking an estimated 10 miles from Woody Gap to Neels Gap. What I am recalling most about about this hike is long, hot, many upsand downs. I started hiking about 9am. It was breezy when I started and itgot pretty warm by noon. The first up took me to Lunsford Gap hiking out of the gap was a steep hike upBig Cedar mountain. Going down was not that difficult. The trail took me through Dan Gap, Granny Gap, Dockery Lake Trail, Henry Gap, Bummett Field Mountain,Jarrad Gap, Gaddis Mountain, Turkey Stamp, and Bird Gap. Then the dreaded Blood Mountain (that all hikers kinda dislike). I found hiking up Blood Mountain was difficult but getting up Sassafrass was harder for me. The views from the top of the mountain were beautiful well worth the hike up. The stone shelter is much like the pictures most hikers have seen. Hiking down Blood Mountain was a trip. There are many rocks to manuever around. Had I not been slack packing and was carrying a full pack. I would have had to take it off and lower the pack and let it slide down the rocks. It took me a long time to get down Blood Mountain. When I got to Flat Rock Gap the ascent leveled off. I arrived at Neels Gap at 5pm. It took me 8 hrs to hike 10 miles. The trail crossed the road to Mountain Crossings and outfitter and they also have a hostel. I stayed at Mountain Crossing Hostel for two days. Mountain Crossings Outfitters will help hikers lighten their packs. They advise what you might need to carry and help you send items home that aren't needed. All the bunks in the hostel were full the two days I was there. Cara (Austrailia) and Micah (New Zealand) were there. Cara was also having trouble with her knees. They had been there two days. It was happy to see them. Cara shared her pizza with me today because I didn't get back to the hostel in time to order any pizza. Lori (Canadian) was at the hostel also. The shower line was very long I got a lukewarm shower. But it was good to feel clean again. Lights out at 10pm in the hostel. Breakfast was at 8am. All the hikers like to sleep until then. It is hard to get your pack ready for a hike in the morning when you don't want to wake anyone. Soon after breakfast all the hikers aer rushing around to get packed and down the trail. Oh yea, we had eggs benedict for breakfast with fruit, grits and OJ. I got packed and once Mountain Crossings store opened I went in for a shakedown (that's what hikers call getting your pack the once over). My pack weighed in at 32 1/2 lbs and after they helped me it was 28lbs (with food and water). I was pleased because that included water and food. I bought a lightertent the Big Agnes 1 person tent. I purchased Aqua Mira drops for purifying water. I sent home my tent and water filter (if I need it later I will have it sent to me). The tent was just to heavy. I still had some non-essentials even after I lighted my pack earlier and sent things home. Please fellow hikers I advise to take only what you need and save your knees. I want to keepmy pack at 30 lbs. The nice young lady (Felicity) that helped me with my pack said I need to carry more food. So I took her suggestion and will start adding more food to my supply. The shakedown took longer than I thought it would. So I decided to stay another night at the hostelSince it was a weekend churches were providing Trail Magic. They provided hamburgers and the fixins. I ate a hamburger and tried to eat a cookie and brownier but it didn't taste yummy like I thought it would. I must be losing my taste for sweets. A young man I would say about 45 or so started talking to me. He had lost of interesting things to say about the local area. He showed me some pictures, told me about his family and work. He also spoke about his prior hike where he ended it at Harpers Ferry but not sure what year. He came to Mountain Crossing to get a coke and snickers as he recalled it tasting so good when he had eaten it during his hike. He was also looking into his genealogy. He told me his name was Dave Gaddis or maybe Addis? There is a place in Georgia called Gaddis Gap that he had been visiting. This evening I showered, did laundry (again), made some calls, read and went to bed. Going back to the trail tomorrow, it will be a long day.Life is a climb, but the view is Great!Jannie