Date: 2010-03-16
From: Springer Mt

To: Helen, GA via Neels Gap
Miles today: 30.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Bah, I just made a very long post, but was logged out before I could post it. Here goes again...I finished the first leg of my hike yesterday, arriving at Neels Gap around around 5 pm. It took much longer than I had planned, but my goal is to enjoy the hike as much as possible, not to test my endurance or tolerance of bad weather. When I was younger I hiked with much more bravado than I do now -- I also had less money. The upside to hiking in foul weather is that it allows one to recount great tales of deprivation. I have taken the opposite approach however. This summer, when people are regaling each other with woeful stories of chilly, wet nights in the south, I will have tales of great luxury and leisurely hiking. When it rains, I go to a motel! I am, after all, on vacation. (In fairness, another upside to hiking in foul weather is that it provides a bonding experience with other hikers and the rain certainly has its charm. I figure that these things will come though, and likely in better circumstances).Anyway the hike thus far has gone something like this:Wednesday. Got a shuttle from Ron Brown very nearly to the summit of Springer Mt, and hiked the 0.9 south to the summit. It was raining at the time, and didn't let up much for the next few days. There was plenty of time to hike down to Stover Creek or Three Forks (which was very beautiful by the way), but I felt that it would be much more dramatic to spend the first night on Springer. I met several other thru-hikers there and we had a good night despite the rain.Thursday. Awoke in a downpour and noobishly let too much of my gear get wet while breaking down my tent. A few simple garbage bags would have saved me much grief. In my haste and hubris, I did not pack properly and allowed some items that should never be wet to get soaked. It felt as though I added about 10 pounds of water weight to my pack as we hiked to Hawk Mt.The hiking was nice, although it did rain the entire time.I generally avoid sleeping in shelters, but made an exception this night given the state of my tent. The night at Hawk Mt was fine, as far as cramming 20 people into a wet shelter goes, but when I floated the idea of shuttling back the Dahlonega I found many takers.Friday. Wally, a retired banker; Bear, a recent grad and former tuba player for the University of South Carolina's Marching Band; and I meet Ron Brown once again at Hightower Gap around 11. The forest service roads were very muddy, and I would not attempt them in my little Ford Aspire, but Ron's 4WD made it down without incident. So Friday was mostly spent drying out and watching the thunderstorms roll through during breaks in the college basketball tournaments.Saturday. We did some chores -- laundry (I've been here since March 2), a fruitful trip Walmart (so much for my one-man boycott), post office, etc. -- then watched more basketball.Sunday. Got an early start from Hightower Gap and did my first double digit day! I was a bit worried about all the up/down work in this section but we had a great day of hiking. It was overcast throughout, but we did not get rained on until the evening. My original plan was to stop at Gooch Gap, but we made the Gooch Mt. shelter by early afternoon. After a poorly informed and rather clumsy debate about whether we had gained or lost an hour due to daylight savings time, we decided to press on to Woody Gap. It was a good way to finish off the hike and we arrived with just enough time to set up camp before the sun set and the rain began again.Monday. Woke up in a very chilly and windy Woody Gap. Apparently the temperatures had dropped below freezing during the night, causing rain water to freeze on tree limbs and twigs. As we hiked over Big Cedar Mt. the wind blew this ice off the trees giving the appearance of a strange and mild hail storm. I found that to be quite enjoyable, but was downright exultant when the sun shined upon us for about an hour.The ascent of Blood Mt. was much more gradual than I had recalled, so that was a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, there was a considerable amount of snow beyond roughly 4200 feet. This was no impediment to hiking, and certainly nothing like early March, but it was a bit foreboding given the elevations that lie ahead. I did not linger at the summit since it was chilly and there were no views at the time. This was a mistake and I knew it, but was eager to get to Neels Gap. I believe that steep descents (and the top part of the north side of Blood Mt. was quite steep) are the only real danger for me while hiking, so I really should have taken a rest and ate a peanut butter slathered snickers bar (this is my lunch and breakfast staple). I didn't, and had two spills on the way down. The first was a harmless but embarrassing slip near the summit, while the second was an all out face plant in the mud. I will need to make sure that my energy level is high enough to prevent me from dragging my feet and snagging roots in the future. I had forgotten how quickly the weight of my pack will send me tumbling down once I reach a critical point of imbalance.Neels Gap was bustling with hikers and a ferocious wind. I had a great time hagning out with Bear and some other hikers while awaiting my ride to Helen. Explanatory note: there are plenty of places to stay at Neels Gap, but I knew that I would be taking a couple of days to rest and to let some rain pass, so I wanted to be in a town with restaurants and other amenities. To any thru-hikers who may be reading this: there were no showers at Neels Gap when I was there. The Hostel is upgrading their water system, so you might want to check on that situation if you are headed there soon. Still, the staff was very friendly and it's a great place to shake down your pack and take a break.Tuesday, i.e. today. In Helen and it's a beautiful day. I feel some regret, since if I had known the weather was going to be so nice I would have hiked on from Neels Gap, at least to Unicoi. But the last weather forecast I saw called for "mostly cloudy" today. I have yet to see a cloud, but the rain is still coming tomorrow according to reports.Helen is a tourist town -- some call it the Gatlinburg of Georgia -- but it is also compact and has many hotels and restaurants. This is the off season for them, so the hotel rates are very reasonable and the town is a bit empty. For anyone looking for a break from the weather, or just a rest, this seems like a very good spot provided you are not too sensitive to the abundance of tchotchkes. I am not as it turns out. In fact, I may go buy a pair of butt-less leather chaps from Das Ist Leather (Helen has a teutonic theme) and have them shipped general delivery to Damascus. If I don't wear them I'm sure I know some people who will (looking at you, Gorp Inspector).Anyway, I am in town for at least one more night and will likely hike out during the tail end of the coming rain. So probably Thursday or Friday. I am loathe to miss the basketball this weekend, but I don't want to spend too much time away from the trail or waste good weather. On the other hand, I don't plan on hiking too much until April 1 when I "officially" begin my thru-hike -- any miles before then are a bonus.Off to explore Helen, best wishes to everyone.Birdy