Date: 2009-03-26
From: Low Gap Shelter, GA

To: Cheese Factory Campsite, GA 
Miles today: 13.0

The shelter last night was crazy. We were literally sleeping pad to sleeping pad. It was designed for 7 and we had nine people plus one dog in there. Was warm though. Quiet night with no one snoring or getting up and down all night. It rained most of the night which was about all I heard. When we started moving in the shelter Isis went back to sitting on the hill and staring at us all pitiful looking. She was funny. I finally got moving at 9 and it was still raining. I am usually a little stiff in the morning and this morning was no exception. After I get walking for awhile I loosen up and all is good. Ski has been hanging out for two nights at the shelter and is planning to spend a third night there. He doesn't want to hike in the rain and doesn't want to risk hiking to the next shelter and not getting a spot. I saw a beautiful waterfall right on the trail today! I heard it way before I saw it. All the rain is making it flow very nicely. It was foggy all day once again making my field of vision closer in. Today, I saw all different types of mushrooms and a green moss that is light green which looks like it is glowing. I took some pictures, I hope they turn out. I took off this morning right after Jumper Cables and Spring Peeper, but they were soon lost from sight. Soon after I left Red Oak and Western passed me. Man do they walk fast. Around noon I caught up with Jumper Cables and Spring Peeper as they were taking a break from the rain to eat lunch. We compared what we had each seen throughout the morning and then I hiked on. Around 1 p.m. I came to the next shelter, Blue Mountain Shelter. Red Oak, Western and Sparky had already claimed there spot for the night. Magma was there and he was thinking of aborting to town until the rain stopped. Jack, a ridge runner, was there passing out apples and asking if anybody needed first aid. Two section hikers were also there and they were aborting their hike as well. I was expecting to see Yak as well, but he said something about going to town as well. I decided to use the privy while I was there and I'm wondering why all the privies on this section have no roofs. Do you have any idea how unpleasant it is to sit on a cold wet privy seat? When I got back to the shelter Jumper Cables and Spring Peeper were there and she said her feet were hurting like crazy. They were going to take a long break and then decide if they were going to go any further today. We did talk briefly about a very rocky section of the trail we passed since we talked at lunch. Some of the hikers really dislike hiking in the foggy, rainy conditions. One was even thinking of stopping his hike all together. I said that it has a beauty all its own if you take the time to look. He said what like $1000 falling out of the hikers pocket in front of me. When I mentioned the things I had observed, he didn't get it. Oh well. If every day was sunny and warm, then you wouldn't appreciate them as much as you do after several days of rain. I thought 1 p.m. was too early to stop hiking for the day, so I continued hiking. When the ridge runner asked if there was anything he could do for any of us I said yeah carry my pack to the next campsite. Ha. He just laughed. I took pictures of several people as I don't know when or if I'll see them again and then hiked on. At this point I was hiking downhill and I am almost slower going downhill than I am going uphill in these conditions. The trail is nothing but mud and rocks and it is very slick. I am so glad that I have my walking sticks as I use them like a banister going down. About a half hour after I left, Jack came flying past me. If I walked that fast, I'd end up on my butt for sure. He said hi and said something about carrying my pack. Ha. I told him no that it wasn't that bad and besides it helps keep me warm. I made it to the Rocky Mountain campsite at 4 and didn't want to stop that early either. So, I hiked on. I was at the bottom of Indian Grave Gap and had just a short one mile ascent to the Cheese Factory campsite. I was running low on energy and ate a snickers bar before starting up. Any excuse for a snickers. It was an easy climb and I was here in no time. I got my tent set up and got everything inside and it stopped raining again. Perfect timing as I could fix dinner without the rain. There used to be a Cheese Factory sometime in the past, but just a campsite now. I kept calling it the Cheesecake Factory all day. I didn't find any cheese or cheesecake when I got here. Ha. Oh, I did see bear tracks in the mud on the trail several times today. Hopefully, they will leave my food bag alone tonight. It is hanging in a tree and I hope it is safe. It sounds like it is just drizzling out right now. It is way past hiker midnight, so I must get some shuteye. I did 13 miles today and I'm very tired. This is my seventh day on the trail and I'm having an absolutely fabulous time.