Date: 2013-03-07
From: Whitley Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

(In which the weather is cooperative and the Trail almost cooperates too)The makeshift barrier over the shelter's entrance does little to stop the night's wind, but it does help some. I get going roughly when everyone else starts for the morning, probably around 0730. I do little for breakfast, just eating a protein bar that I had thawed out in my pocket overnight. I plan to start walking, warm up, and get to Low Gap Shelter for a lunch break. The terrain looks rather flat for a while, so I want to push for fast miles if the terrain allows.First we must reach the Trail. Whitley Gap Shelter is 1.2 miles from the Trail, over a mountain and in another gap. It is still cold in the morning, but we warm up quickly on the climb away from the shelter. It is a beautiful walk down the side trail, through trackless snow and tunnels of hoarfrost. We reach the Trail back near the top of Wildcat Mountain and head down into the next gap immediately. Georgia Route 348 crosses the Trail here, with a brief walk up the road before the Trail jumps back into the woods. Here we remove some layers, as the day is warming up quickly.There are a few short ups and downs, but the Trail is easy this morning. We reach Low Gap Shelter after two hours, and take a big lunch there. One other person shows up here, but is silent for the duration of their stay. I fill up on PB&J sandwiches and pepperoni and cheese flatbreads. Alex gains a train name through an exchange with Lucas followed by me and Chickadee playing with words - Bouncing Betty. After an hour here we keep moving. The Trail follows an old woods road for a section and makes for very easy miles. I put on music while walking for the first time - Perpetual e-Motion - and let my feet match the rhythm. The miles pass by quickly, and the pace is sustained for a while after the Trail departs the woods road.Eventually the pace slows. The Trail becomes very muddy, then becomes very rocky. Predictably, this happens around Rocky Knob. I see a sign for water without seeing the arrow pointing down the Trail, and waste effort searching for a spring that doesn't exist in the Rocky Knob camping area. The water source is a stream down the Trail and down a steep, muddy slope. I pass on it, waiting for the spring near the Blue Mountain Shelter.I reach the spring near Blue Mountain Shelter at around 1600. I have been running on little water all day, so I put two liters into me before filling my water bottle. The shelter is up the hill from the spring, and I set up there to wait for the rest of the group. Lucas arrives soon, followed by Crow, Chickadee, and the newly-named Bouncing Betty. Madison Star brings up the rear. We decide to stay at the shelter since it is 1700 by now. A visit to Helen will wait for tomorrow morning.The shelter site is very active this evening. There is an old couple that I saw at Neel Gap; their names still escape me. I see Steady Pace for the first time since Springer Mountain. There is a couple from Michigan here and there are a couple others too. Add myself, Crow, Chickadee, Bouncing Betty, Lucas, and Madison Star and the site is very full. Myself and Crow go for our hammocks and Bouncing Betty sets up a tent. We all congregate around a fire during and after mealtime. I try making grilled cheese with the last of my bread, some Gouda, and a pan that had been orphaned at the shelter.After plenty of food and fellowship, I retire to my hammock for the warmest night yet.Peace,