Date: 2019-03-01
From: The NOC

To: Locust Cove Gap Campsites 
Miles today: 10.6

As of a month ago there were 60 hikers registered to start at Springer Mountain in Georgia today. At the same time there were 565 registered for the month of March.The trail, shelters,and campsites are going to be full. What they call the bubble is coming. More than half will not make it out of Georgia. That is one of the reasons I chose to start when I did. I can't imagine being with that many people on the trail. Put it this way this is the fifth day that I have hiked alone and have not seen anyone on the trail. I see others at camp but not on the trail. Ok enough of that. In my last post I said I was in a bunkroom and I had some critter activity on the ceiling. So at 1:00 this morning this thing comes back from being outside making a racket. It must of carried something back with it and couldn't fit through the hole. It sounded like if say you had a stick and you tried to get it through the hole horizontally instead of just pushing it though the opening. This went on for a few minutes. Then all the noise was happening in the ceiling. It was quieter at the shelter. LolI started out about 8:30 this morning in a drizzle. Soon the rain ended and it warmed up enough that I was hiking in a tee shirt. That lasted for about an hour until the cloud cover came in making it tough to see. Then it started pouring. That lasted on and off the remainder of the day. I got my first sighting of wildlife of any significance. About fifteen feet off the trail in some brush I startled three wild pigs. They took off running, one black one took off to the right and a grey and another black one to the left. I thought it was a bear at first being black then I saw the grey one. They scared the heck out of me. They were to fast to get any good pictures.With all the rain the trail became very muddy and slick. Coming down one steep descend it was so bad that I fell twice in a matter of five minutes landing on my right wrist twice. All good. And I also had one good save.In a previous post I said I was going to do the shelter experience if it was raining. Well I got to the shelter at 12:45, a little early to call it a day. Upon arriving I noticed mice droppings all around the floor and there was so much garbage by the privy (outhouse). It look like someone lugged a suitcase loaded with trash up the trail and dumped it. That could attract animals and rodents. I didn't want to be part of that. So I hiked 3 1/2 miles further to the nearest tent sites. Hopefully it doesn't rain over night. I think right now my tent should be dry seeing we are having some heavy winds. Jeremy and Julie are camping by the shelter tonight.Why Not and Handstand are camping near me. Handstand may have to get off the trail for a few days, he has been experiencing shin splints and now has pain in his thigh. The nearest road is about four miles, he said he will see how it feels after that.Another hiker (Two Tents) that Im friends with on facebook and also on these journals just ended his hike. He had some medical issues one being his blood pressure was rising. So for health purposes he shut it down. Hope all works out for you Paul. Tomorrow may be another 10 or so mile day as we are preparing our schedule for entering the Smoky's most likely on Tuesday.Tonight I am safe and warm in my tent.