Date: 2020-03-12
From: Gooch Gap, Blood Mountain

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 29.3
Weather: few clouds

When my son eldest son, Scott left the trail after my first day and night, I thought my orientation was done. Little did I know it was just beginning. What a few days it has been since I last posted. Matter of fact, my previous entry was just a "hey I'm alive and I'll catch up with you later when I figure out how to manage all this!" I started out of Gooch Gap on Tuesday and it was about 13 miles to Blood Mountain with a lot of rain. I was almost to the top of the mountain and had been hiking with two college kids. It was getting dark. I didn't see a shelter anywhere so I started to set up my tent as the guys hiked off trail to their car. One of the boys hollered that the shelter was about 100 yards on up the trail. Boy I was happy to get in that dry shelter. I placed my bear vaul, with the food in it, outside of the shelter. My headlamp batteries were now dead and no extras in my pack. I found my bag and pad and settled in for what I was hoping as a good nights sleep. Well I barely slept all night long, I swore I kept hearing bears!I woke up Wednesday morning with a plan for a 2 mile hike to Neels Gap. Well that plan shattered as I somehow wandered off course and down a rocky slope. Watching my foot placement and what seemed like a trail I found myself at the bottom of a rivine. This was not the trail. Realizing, none to soon, I was off course I turned back to climb up (way up) the mountain. I had to claw at the rocks to get back to the top. Exhausted and hungry I walked the 2 miles to Neels Gap which turned out to be 8 miles out of my way. Dragging into Neels Gap I was happy to find three guys I have hiked with (George, Al and Parker) who were all willing to share the cost of a cabin. It was warm , dry and they washed and dried our dirty laundry. We stayed in Raccoon Cabin and I quickly realized it had a stove! After we hung out our stuff to dry we grabbed a ride to town to a Wal-Mart. I bought steaks, sausage, eggs and English muffins. No trail food tonight! Back at the cabin I made steaks and our bellies were full. Parker is an Englishman with the most awesome beard and mustache ever. He reminds me of a Captain off an old ship. He now calls me Old Chef instead of Old Chief. The morning brought us drier weather to start and with sausage, egg and muffin breakfast sandwiches in our bellies we headed for Low Gap.This would be a 11 mile hike with rain on the horizon, again.I am much more rested today. I met an AT trail celebrity today. PAPPY! He thru hiked the AT a few years ago. He is 89 years old! I told him I was glad to meet a celebrity like him. His reply, "awe- don't give me a big head!"Visiting with him was a real boost. I had read about him and some of his adventures. This motivated me to move on.There are a variety of people on the trail but It seems everyone has the same goal.To escape from the busy life of today and to get to Katahdin.I have talked to many who worked in Information Technology and they just need to get away. Ironic to me to go from technology to the natural life of the trail. Even though it is hard I am finding it does require some level of organization (don't laugh) and the weather can not be planned. This is the best decision I have ever made.