Date: 2013-03-04
From:  Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

"No mountain, no pizza!" - ChickadeeThe night in the shelter winds up being a rough one. On my level of the shelter I find myself with two folks that are snoring loud and proud. One of them is snoring right into my ear, and tossing and turning frequently. I check my phone and to my chagrin it is just 2130. The night drags on for an eternity.I declare myself officially awake at around 0700. It is really just a formality, as I barely slept. I want to push hard to Neel Gap today - sixteen miles of walking. Two mountains, 3737-foot Big Cedar Mountain and 4461-foot Blood Mountain, look threatening and make me think I may not reach my destination. I eat a quick breakfast of icy water and a frozen granola bar and I start walking. I pass my snoring shelter-mate, who is doing a short day fortunately. I pass Sparks and Hoosier, but I see nobody else for a while.Trail magic again!A few hours into the day I reach Woody Gap and GA Route 60. A man on the opposite side of the road shouts forth, "Coffee, water, and soup!" I had been thinking about hitching into Suches for town food to power through the next 10 miles, but that thought goes away. Fresh Ground is running trail magic here today. He is a section hiker who completed Georgia and North Carolina last year, and he plans to do Virginia this year. He has decided to take time off work before his next section to provide trail magic. It is excellent and very welcome.Crow is already there, waiting for Fresh Ground to get set up. Gully had blown by without waiting for Fresh Ground to set up - we will probably not see her again. I stick around about an hour and see most of the Gooch Mountain Shelter crowd trickle in. It is nice being able to interact freely with small groups of them in warmer, more spacious circumstances than last night. The ridge runner I saw yesterday arrives, and I learn he goes by Razor. He has been patrolling from Amicalola Falls to the GA - NC border for four years. I enjoy a hot cocoa and soup from the trail magic and bolster this with a PB&J.Pushing fartherI express my plan to reach Neels Gap to Razor, along with my concern about getting over Blood Mountain in time. He tells me to my surprise that it is an easier ascent than Sassafras Mountain, which I climbed yesterday. Chickadee, an aspiring young thru-hike from this area, adds that the descent from Blood Mountain will be rocks and mud and undesirable in tomorrow's forecast rain. I float around a little while longer chatting with more hikers, feeling out where everyone plans to stop for the day. Many are stopping before Blood and some are pushing to Neel. I decide to stick with my original plan to reach Neel, thank Fresh Ground for his trail magic, and get in gear.The Trail rises up Big Cedar Mountain immediately. I catch up to Crow and Chickadee on a switchback. The mountain is a steep climb, but a few views provide natural break points on the way up. We hang in a loose group for a few more miles until Henry Gap. Here we take a lunch break to fortify ourselves for Blood Mountain. I pull ahead of the group for a while, waiting for them to catch up near the Woods Hole Shelter. Then we have the final 700 vertical feet for the last piece of climbing Blood Mountain.I pull ahead again, wanting to reach the summit and shoot photos without holding everyone up. On the ascent I overtake Madison Star and Snickers again. It is a long walk uphill but it goes by quickly. The trees shift to pines. A bit of snow, not seen yet today, is present as the altitude increases. Near the top, there is enough snow that it is sticking to the Trail. The bedrock and outcroppings reveal themselves. I find the USGS marker for the mountain. The shelter is right at the summit, and is a beautiful stone structure built in 1934. I ditch my pack inside and get to shooting some photos.While I am darting about shooting, I find a couple day hikers that are at the peak. Shortly I am joined by Crow and Chickadee. A bit of climbing ensues. We are joined by Madison Star and Snickers, and then by Matt and Evan. A couple section hikers arrive - their section is to Harpers Ferry! I suggest they may decide they aren't done if they make it that far. Madison Star and Snickers depart but the rest of us linger. It is a clear, calm, 50-degree day. As a photographer I wouldn't mind some clouds. That would have meant colder weather, so I will accept the compromise! I was able to get some decent portraiture using the existing light.Descent into NeelThe rest of us up on Blood Mountain descent to the north in a large, loose group. We pass Snickers and then Madison Star, who holds our pace. I find myself working my way to the front with Crow and we pull far ahead of the rest. Crow had a great breadth of life experience hitchhiking and walking and presumably taking odd jobs along his travels. It turns out a positive interaction with hitchhikers at an early age influenced him toward this path which has brought him to so many places. Conversation lets much of the remaining distance fly by.Eventually we are close enough to hear the highway and we stop to await the rest. I pull ahead a bit to relieve myself and then find a comfortable log to rest on. Evan and Matt and the two section hikers pass me by and I wonder about the rest. After a little while longer, I walk back toward Crow's resting point. Madison Star and Chickadee are here and they are waiting for Snickers. We talk about hitching into a town for a hotel room since we figure Neel is booked up. Eventually we move down to the gap, still without seeing Snickers. I see her arrive in a car and am very confused. It turns out that she had taken a side trail accidentally and wound up at a parking lot up the road. An off-duty cop gave her a ride to the Gap.I try getting my mother on the phone to look up hotel rates as it is getting dark. Five of us getting to Blairsville will be a tough task. There is a shuttle but that costs money. However, there winds up being an open cabin right next to the outfitter. The cabin has a kitchen and the outfitter has frozen pizzas so we get four of those. The cabin is $60 for the five of us, and has two queen beds and a futon. When we get there we find it is a steal, and is beautiful and offers plenty of space. Each of us enjoys a hot shower and pizza. I cut a slice out of mine, eat that, and then eat the rest without slicing it. It is washed down with a peach Crush, which I just found out existed.Almost full of food and after plenty of conversation, it is time for some sleep. Tomorrow, we decide our plan after hearing the weather.Peace,