Date: 2004-04-28
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

View from Blood Mountain in the MorningStart: Blood Mountain Shelter @ 0845Finish: Low Gap Shelter @ 1850Miles: 13Weather: Upper 30's in the morning. Not a cloud in the sky during the day and about 80 degrees.Breakfast: Strawberry Poptarts, Lemon Lime Gatorade, Trailmix, Oatmeal Creme Pie.Lunch: Snickers, Bannana Chips, Trailmix, Fruitpunch Gatorade.Dinner: Turkey Trail Dinner, Fudge Round, Twix, WaterTrail Conditions: Very rocky at times. Steep uphills and downhills.People: Nightmare & Clueless, Sticks, Butterfinger, Stephen, dayhikers.Animals: Cockroach, butterfly, hawk, bumblebees, various insects.I think the principle lesson to be learned from hiking the AT is that what goes up must come down....and what goes down must go up!Last night on Blood Mountain will be one for the record. It was so incredibly beautiful. The moon was directly overhead. As it moved through the sky thousands of stars popped out and you could see the milky way. In the valley below you could see the twinkle of lights from the city. The sunrise was equally spectacular. It was amazing how the sky was painted pink and orange, and the valley below was blotted with subtle green and browns of budding trees. It seems as though I am getting the best of both worlds as I walk, a forest in bloom but not so densly grown as to obstruct views of the mountains. Hawk Soaring above Cow Rock MountainAfter slamming some poptarts I headed down Blood Mountain. It was a fast and steep descent, and a lot of fun to walk. I chilled at the Walasi-Yi for about 3 hours where I bought some gear, got my food drop from Lauren's grandma, and made some TX calls. I called mom to let her know I was alive and well, and I called my friend Misty to fill her in on my adventure thus far.It turns out Misty was in a near fatal car crash on Saturday! While driving down the highway in a rainstorm her car hydroplaned and went off the road rolling over several times and coming to rest in a ditch upside down. Misty and her roommate were able to get out of the car by crawling through the back window. Fortunately, neither were hurt, minus some bumps and bruises! It is tough to hear news like that, as you feel so helpless being so far away and removed from communication. Misty, I am so relieved you are okay. You are in my prayers kiddo.After Neels Gap I decided to press on to Low Gap Shelter with Sticks, Nightmare & Clueless. It was longer than I wanted to go, but oh well. The view from Cowrock Mountain was awesome. The climbout of Tesnatee Gap was the steepest climb I have done so far. It was crazy. I whistled the theme to Rocky as I trudged up it. The rest of the days hike was moderately difficult. Some long and gradual inclines and nice ridge walking. I moved slow and steady throughout the day to try and be nice to the feet. My heel is a bit achy, but I am stretching and took my NSAID's for it. We'll see tommorrow. Sign at Testanee Gap - With Bullet Holes in itThe shelter is full at Low Gap so I'll be sleeping on the picnic table tonight. Quality. I cooked up a humongous dinner tonight. Nightmare didn't think I could eat it all, but little did he know...I have a voracious appetite after a good walk. Low Gap ShelterI am burnt to a crisp from all the sun today. I will be feeling it tommorrow I am sure. Oh the woes of being a blond hair blue-eyed Dutch boy.Good night.One Year ReflectionWaking up in the morning was excellent. Back in the "civilized" world you can't drag me out of bed at 0600 for a million bucks. Out in the woods though I am up with sun and sleeping when it goes down. Several times during the night I woke up and gazed at the Milky Way. I awoke with the sunrise and sat in my sleeping bag for several hours and just gazed across the expansive valley below. I didn't want to tear myself away from the splendid sights.All the gossip at camp in the morning revolved around the skunks that mosyed into the shelter at night. Two of them trotted into the shelter, walked over the sleeping hikers (waking them up) and scrounged through their packs. Of course no one dared move or shoo them away as they could spray all over. Then, the two skunks began quarreling with eachother in the room where the hikers were. Haha. After about two hours of suspense they finally left the shelter. Pretty funny if you ask me.I started hiking for the day and promptly got lost on the barren summit of the mountain. Instead of turning left and going down, I went straight and down. After descending some sketchy and steep rock face I decided I was off trail. I found the trail again and headed down the Blood Mountain into Neels Gap.The descent was very long and very steep. Although it was switchbacked, I was glad to be going down. Going down I passed the hiker that had his boots taken by the bear at Hawk Mountain Shelter. He had hiked up to this point in his sandals. He and his friends quit the trail at Neels Gap.I arrived at Neels Gap, dropped my pack, signed the register, and hopped on the payphone. Using the payphone was a unique experience, as it was (and would become) my primary way of communicating with my parents and others back home. I dialed up my friend Misty back in Grand Rapids. We had been on a couple dates just before I left for the trip, but being gone for 6 months put the quash on any relationship developing, which was agreeable by both of us. But, I gave her a call and discovered she was almost killed in a car accident on the expressway.It hit pretty deep in a lot of ways. I realized the significance of the gaps in communication I would be having with people back home. Even though it had only been several days, a lot really does happen in that time...both good and bad. Second, accepting the fact that I was a couple thousand miles from home, and entirely helpless to what goes on back in the world, would be another reality. During my time on the trail I would end up missing my sister's graduation from school, the passing of our family pet, and a family reunion. Missing all these events is really quite selfish considering I am just bumming out in the woods. That phone call to Misty was the first of many personal lessons the trail would teach me.I was glad to hear that Misty and her roommate sustained only some bumps and bruises. I next got in touch with Nancy, who delivered my food drop to the outfitter, and I called mom to letter know I was still alive. She was pleased to hear that news.I remember sorting my first food drop on the picnic table. Many of the other people were resupplying at the outfitter and had ample amounts of ramen, tuna, and snickers. I had soups, hamburger & chicken helper dinners, drink mixes, and just an all around good dietary selection. All that planning was paying off.Neels Gap is the first big droppout point for many hikers. As I recall, about 12 people quit the trail that day. A group of three guys that had all brand new top-shelf gear, had quit their full-time jobs, and flown over from California quit the trail, as one said "Because there were a lot of hills and it was harder than they thought."I didn't lose any sleep over seeing people quit already. I was of the mindset that I would not quit unless seriously injured. Seeing these people quit brought up another tough lesson of the trail - and that is the hike is more mental than it is physical. I couldn't understand why you would ever think the A.T. would be flat, easy, or always fun - or why you would think it a transcendtal experience where some mysterious truth to life would reveal itself. The fact is that the A.T. is hilly, incredibly difficult, and not much fun at many times. If you're not prepared, and did not prepare, to accept that reality, then in my opinion you are already set up for failure and more willing to accept the fact that it is okay to yellow and blue blaze and call it okay.After buying some trinkets, and unloading some gear I headed off for the rest of the day's hike. It was a sunny, hot day, and my sensitive skin reacted poorly to it. I was on some anti-inflammatories for my achilles that made me extra sensitive to the sun. By the end of the day my forearms were beet red, blistered, and oozing some type of clear liquid. It was an interesting sight. They remained this way for several more weeks and then it finally passed.I distinctly remember the climb out of Testanee Gap. It shot straight up over a mountain, and then dropped you right down the otherside. The hiker crossing sign at the gap was riddled with .22 Cal bullet holes from disgruntled locals angered with the "Government Trail" passing through their property. As I would later find out (and will discuss more later) the A.T. is a trail that is shrouded in controversy by many people.At Low Gap Shelter I cooked up a huge and delicious dinner. Stephen, whom I started with on the first day, had met Butterfinger "Stephanie" the day before at Neels Gap. They hiked the remainder of the trail together, became engaged in the Whites in Septemeber, and now have a wedding planned this year.I slept on the picnic table as the shelter was full, and learned that Gums, who had kept me up with his snoring, was arrested at Neels Gap after becoming outrageously drunk, urinated on the walls of the Neels Gap hostel, and accused other hikers of being Jews. Just one of many bizarre stories that would be told, laughed at, and reminisced about over the course of my hike.