Date: 2003-03-03
From: Gooch Gap

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: few clouds

Day Three, Gooch Gap to Woods Hole shelterThe roaring wind made for an uneasy sleep as the Nomad tent snapped and shook. I hate to curse myself, but no blisters so far. I am wearing my old Montrails from the Long Trail tho, so I know I will have to replace them soon. The rocks of Vermont tore them up. Unfortunately, every pair of shoes I've since purchased, including an identical pair of Montrails, has rubbed me raw somewhere. Perhaps the outfitter at Neel's Gap can get the fit right for my funny feet.Tho I was wiping condensation when I woke up at 3 am, by 6 it was snowing inside the tent as the drips froze. Temp dropping!Dog woke up and announced it was 19 degrees. There was ice sludge in my water bottle as I poured out a measure to make my morning oatmeal. I had gotten up first and fetched the food bags from Swallowtail's van, dropping them in front of Wench and Dog's tent - breakfast in bed. I returned to my warm bag.I was the Hypothermia Princess this morning, the last one to exit the warm bag. We hit the Trail flying, and warmed up eventually. We made good time on the 3.6 miles to Woody Gap.Coming down the hill, I saw a familiar face and voice, but had a moment of dislocation. Why... it was my friend Anna, with whom I hiked last November around Erwin. She drove up from Atlanta to find us, and had a table full of generous Trail magic: Oreos, Moon Pies (well, this IS the South), Butterfingers, cookies and miracle of miracles - Snickers! Dog also snagged a sausage biscuit from McDonald's, and bless his hungry heart, he shared it with me, Wench and A-Train. Good Dog! And chairs! What a luxury to lean back. Anna had also slacked BearKat, we learned, who has dislocated a toe.He had gone on to Neels Gap to find a doctor. Swallowtail was also there with water, van support and boiling hot chocolate and cups. She even gave Kevin/Sniper a spoon to replace a lost one.We felt like a celebrity again with everyone snapping our pictures and hugging us. Anna will also begin her thru-hike on March 19.After a sunny hour of lollygaging and socializing, we hit the Trail again. Of course it went straight up. By now, we had all stiffened up again. The sharp slope of Big Cedar snapped us back to reality. So long celebrity, hello slogging.Lots of leg-burning ups and downs today, as our adventures began to catch up with us. We crested to Parson's rock, a large bare slab with the fine Georgia mountains stretching out behind.There were probably 8 of us up there. We all stood on the rock and had the big camera hand off. We joked about everybody having the same pictures in their journal.Pack 31 leapfrogged each other all day. I will miss this crowd but alas, they must go on as I get off for five days. For once, the sun was out, tho the wind was sharp and cold. It became a "hat on hat off" sort of day. Towards the end of the workday, we started dragging, but were convinced that Woods Hole shelter was just a half mile further. Anyone can go a half mile...Imagine our woe when a ridge runner informed us that the shelter was another mile and a half down the Trail! We groaned, and decided this was the true test of Trail grit. We made it, and I was lucky to have a spot in the new shelter.The privy here leaned backward, very weird, but it had a fantastic view of the sunset to the west. Mother Nature graced us with the first glorious sunset of the trek, all orange and rose. It made the land glow red. People were running down to the privy to snap a picture from there, which could put a kink in a shy bladder.Jolly supper around the picnic table. Cold tonite. I slept between a New Zealand girl Braveheart, and Jenny Buddenburg, who was experimenting with Dimples as a Trail name.Miracle of miracles, nobody snored, not even young A-Train.