Date: 2014-03-21
From: Neel's Gap

To: Campsite at Mile 49
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

I left the cabin at 7 a.m. Swashbuckler wanted to sleep a little longer. Spring Breaker slept in because he was going home that day. I stopped at Neel's and weighed my pack with food and a quart of water. It was right at 33 lbs. I knew I wanted to try for a long day after the zero, but kept a slow and steady pace so as to not tire myself out on the climb out of the gap. It soon warmed and I was happy to see some great views, which I had missed in 2011 due to rain and clouds. I discovered at some point after I had taken off my wool cap that I had dropped it somewhere. I wasn't particularly worried, and two gaps later it was brought back to me by Andy from Ottawa, Canada. I was happy to walk right by the turnoff to Whitley Gap Shelter. 1.2 miles off the trail and steeply down the side of the mountain. Wasn't going to make that mistake again. At Hogpen Gap, I stopped at the creek to try out my new Sawyer Squeeze filter system. For those that don't know, you fill the bag with stream water, screw it to the filter, and squeeze the bag to force the water through the filter. You can use any water container for the filtered water or use an adapter to screw another bag onto the other end for added ease. The system works great. I just wish I had discovered it before I bought the LifeStraw, which had excellent ratings, but failed on the first day of use. Most hikers I've seen are using the Sawyer, or a similar design. Also at the gap I met Sherpa, a section hiker handing out trail magic fruit, water, snack cakes, and collapsible water flasks. Soon after that, Swashbuckler caught and passed me.I reached Low Gap Shelter about 3:15, but decided to move on after a short break. I didn't want to stop with more than four hours left before sunset. Shortly after Low Gap, the trail joined and old jeep road for the next four miles. Wide trail and gentle ups and downs made for easy hiking. I spent a lot of the day listening to my IPod. It was strange, but late in the day I kind of went into pain-free mode and just kept hiking, passing many campsites. I had decided to try for the campsite I stopped at on my second day out of Neel's on 2011. Just short of that, at Mile 49, I came upon Michael, a section hiker from Greenville, SC. He was just setting up camp and we were both happy not to be camping alone. He built a fire and invited me to share it. He was also using a Hennessey hammock, and also not enjoying it. The campsite had two trees the right distance apart, and I was able to hang the hammock properly, unlike the first day. Even so, it was very uncomfortable. It soon became obvious that it wasn't going to work. Nancy asked a question in my guest book about why I was going back to my tent. There are three main reasons: Hammocks are not even remotely effective at repelling moisture, when you're in the mountains at altitude. The clouds and mist roll in and soak everything. It goes right through the bug netting. The mist comes in horizontally, making the rainfly fairly ineffective. My tent does a much better job, even though it's more susceptible to rainwater runoff. Also, I think hammocks are probably enjoyed more by people who are comfortable sleeping on their backs. The nature of a hammock makes sleeping on anything but your back a challenge. Lastly, my tent is about a pound lighter than my hammock. Enough said. Anyway, I ended up giving up on the hammock and cowboy camping the rest of the night. Thanks to those who have signed my guest book.