Date: 2008-04-11
From: Springer Mtn.

To: Neels Gap hostel
Miles today: 33.3
Weather: broken clouds

Finally got to a town to update for all you folks keeping track...thanks for being patient! Here is the scoop so far......DAY 1Amicalola Falls State Park to Stover creek shelter Stayed at the base, behind the visitor center and started a day late since I decided to spend time with my baby. So I actually started on the 11th.Woke up @ 10am..breakfast of oatmeal and waterlooks like rain so I put on my pack cover and crossed my fingers for no rain.Whaddya know? it cleared up...by the touch of the almighty!Sunny skies for the rest of the day for the most part.Trail was littered with rocks and poison oakThe approach trail (8.8mi) wasn't tough just longgggggg. Piece of cake.Tried to summit before lunch but couldn't so I ate a clif bar and continued.first TRAIL MAGIC occured right after the crest of Springer mtn.A group of cowboys hooked up some lunch with a cheese sandwich, banana, fruit cup, pudding, and much needed H2O. Clouds moved in again so I left for the next trek to Stover creek shelter for the night (2.5mi)@ the shelter met Steve (Big Stick), Chris, Blake, and a group of three with "Old Yeller". All really nice folks. Big stick has been on the AT before, up north...he gave us the low down on the weather sitch. When I got to camp i found out that my steri-pen wasn't working, which sucks to not have water. Old yeller gave me some H2O and chlorine dioxide caps. I began boiling my H2O though. Thank God for the bottles that were given to me and the trail angels that left some at ga-42. Big stick thinks i should drink directly from the stream....NO thanks! Dinner was beef stew (thanks Pono) and some other minute stuff. Rained all night, snorring abounded. not much sleep.DAY 2--- Stover creek to Gooch Gap shelterwoke up with thunder, lightning, and rain. sore throat so i prayed for garlic!little soreness in the quads but not much to complain about.Got some breakfast in me, trail mix, and bars. Rain immediately cleared up as I began my hike. Praise Jeebus!Beautiful hike through Eastern Hemlock and thick foresty jungle like terrain. Very cushiony ground. clear stream water back here. Lunch at Hawk mtn. shelter. Its near an army base (i think). artillery shells everywhere. explosions going off, felt like a war around me. so for lunch I had some Yogi tea, trail mix, and another chocolate bar. bleh.started coolin' down and windy so i left for my next 8mi to gooch gap.Got to the shelter DEHYDRATED and weary. flopped down and just sat for awhile.Another beautiful group of people. Michigan Wolverine, John (from Australia), guy with his son charlie, a lady from Wis. and a guy from Lubbock,TX. Sorry its hard to remember everyone's name. But I keep bumpin into everyone over and over so no worries!The lady from Wis, had a steri-pen!!!! Turns out its my batteries that are drained. Apparently rechargeables drain themselves if you don't use them immediately. Bummer! SOOOOO, the day of hiking........Sassafras mtn, was STEEP. not too shabby though, just winded at points. Justus mtn. had great views and was a little less strenuous than sass. Had some H2O purification that was given to me at Justus creek, but it tasted horrible so I threw it out! I'd rather be thirsty than drink those nasty chems. Dinner was trading oatmeal for oats n honey bars and some ramen. Wolverine gave me a can of GARLIC and herb sauce. Praise Jeebus! Miracles happen all the time like this. Trail magic is what we call it. So I boiled some water for drinking. Boiled some more for the ramen and sauce, then ate some mashed taters with ramen packet. tasty!!!! shared some great stories, talked gear for awhile and went to sleep. more snorring and COLD night. Didn't sleep much again. bleh, oh well.DAY 3--- Gooch gap to Neels gapwoke up early cause it was FREEZING me to death. it was only 40deg. too.had some oatmeal and berries and oats and honey bars. left camp at 8:30 with a fierce pace. Hike through Ramrock mtn. was gorgeous. nice views and very peaceful. Sung the whole day! Butter, Dead, Bill Monroe, anything bluegrassy can't wait to hear some tunes. Got to woody gap and dumped the lbs. of trash I'd been accumulating since amicalola. even littered trash that idiots won't take themselves. Lesson #1 PACK OUT WHAT YOU PACK IN, bitches, or I'll come for you in the night, or the bears Lunch just past big cedar mtn. and met "Mountain Lion". nice older guy that is retired and taking a week to hike the AT. Its him and his wife's anniversary week and they are down from Mass. to enjoy the beautiful mtns.He hooked it up with oranges and I had another oats n honey bar. We met along the way when I took extended breaks. Blood mtn. was the highest peak in GA on the AT! BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! hike up it was windy but at the bast I fueled up on H2O and did some yoga action. stretches and such. Not a bad hike up, just the descent killed these wimpy knees. Met up with Mtn. Lion at the CREST and hiked with him down. We actually got to talking so much that we lost our way on the rock face but were only 0.2 mile off trail. much more though and we would probably be on the side of the mtn. Got more trail magic at the top of blood mtn and great views!!!!H2O about 2 liters from some folks. Got some sketch book with a graphite pencil for drawings from a lovely lady. she also hooked up some funky for my knees. Thank you Fairie god mother. At neels gap checked into hostel, chugged gatorade and H2O. Easily spend $36 on batteries for my steri-pen, food (since my mail drop has not arrived) and other junk. BUT Pirate (works at the outfitters store), is leaving for the trail daze in damascus early we had a going away party. Sloppy joes, chicken pot pie, navy beans and cornbread, summer sausage (beef), and tore that shit up!!!!! yummmmmmmm. got some laundry done and shower. forecast is cold rain and snow.....walk me out in the cold rain and snow, rain and snowwwwww ohh owwwwww. Grateful wut wut?? DAY 4---- Neels gap to ??? low gap or blue mtn.woke up at 7am. Last to leave the hostel though. Talked with Pirate for a bit. Waiting for the outfitters to open at 8:30 to forward my package and use the comp to update my journal finally. Steri-pen back in action fuck yeah!no more thirsty days for awhile. but need to send off a package but they only do UPS here for $10 so I'll just carry the load for now. Its late start today already after 10am so I'm a gonna go for now. more updated coming when I get to Hiawassee. Staying at the Cloud 9 hostel....which means RAINBOW MOFO TROUT!got plenty of pics but no way to upload so stay posted ladies and gents!LOVE YOU ALL! HAPPY TRAILS!!!"walk a simple path, a simple way"- CREST