Date: 2013-03-20
From: Woody Gap, GA

To: Neels Gap, GA
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiking with GB Man from the Wolf Den Hostel (of which had no mattresses), we got a ride back to the trail and hiked toward Lance Creek. This was a distance of only 3.2 miles because we knew we would otherwise have to hike 10.6 miles to Neels Gap due to the requirement of having bear canisters for our food, which we didn't have. When we got to Lance Creek however, we still had a lot left in our tanks and so we decided to brave out the almost 11 miles which included hiking over Blood Mountain, the highest in GA. Just after Lance Creek we hooked up with Noodles and ended up hiking together. We stayed on top of Blood Mountain to take in the views, sign the log book and talk to people doing the same. On the trail we also hiked with the Wounded Warrior group and took a picture of a marine hoisting an American flag on top of Blood Mountain. It was cool. We figured we had earned a break so we called the Blood Mountain cabins and got a room for the night. When we saw how nice it was, and considering that we were all tired with hurting and blistered feet, we decided to take our first zero, which means zero trail miles for the day.I call reservations and the gentleman tells me they have a cabin with a special rate for thru hikers (those hiking the entire trail) for $60 a night. I make the reservation and unconsciously give him my trail name, Knutt. When I realized what I did, I asked if he needed my whole name and he just replied in a slow Southern drawl, "No, Knutt is good". So we arrive and get some drinks from the cooler and he rings us up after counting the drinks and multiplying it on his tablet with his pencil by $.70 each. I couldn't believe how cheap it was. GB asked him why and he said he pays a certain amount and makes a small profit and he's content. Then we asked about paying and he said just to settle when we leave. Again I asked him if he if he needed my credit card or real name and he again replied in his friendly drawl, "Naw, that'll be just fine thanks." When asked how many tomes he'd been cheated he said "Not once, ever." He explained that in his experience, hikers are very trustworthy. He even told us about a time he'd forgotten to lock the door, and when he came to the cash register the next morning, found money stacked where someone had arrived, purchased some supplies and stacked money on the counter with a note on what they bought.   It's really good to see that there is still honesty and trust in this world. I took the keys and found our cabin, and left it unlocked the whole time we were there.We went to our cabin, dropped off our backpacks, and hiked to the hostel where a lot of other hikers were staying. There, some nice volunteers from a college from Valdosta, GA fed us hamburgers and chips, the second trail magic in two days! These kids spent their Spring break just to do that for us. I¢m meeting so many nice people, it's unbelievable.That night we were joined by Noodles and his buddies, Spider and Hawaii, a 19 year old female who Noodles had just befriended the day before. We played cards and ate pizza and had a good time as if we'd known each other our whole lives.   Boy, today was the best day yet on the trail. A real contrast from the day we had rain. Makes it all worth it.