Date: 2018-03-17
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neels gap
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: few clouds

The entire night at Gooch Gap, I tried to conceal that I was aiming for a 15 mile day the next day. Most people have bad feelings about hikers doing big miles early and I know I probably shouldn't have but I had been feeling good and the mileage seemed doable. I was the first to wake up that morning and was out of the shelter by 7:30. I neglected breakfast at the shelter in an effort to stay quiet. I stopped about two miles in and cooked a meal on the side of the trail instead. Today's hike would bring me across the tallest mountain in Georgia-- Blood Mountain. Nerves were setting in for something that, looking back, was very doable, but larger and harder than I had done yet. I faced two good climbs. One at 3800' and the other at 4500'.I passed the sight of where the St Patty's day celebration was to be held with little to no noise. Mist was covering the forest and light rain fell so I wore my green rain poncho. Not necessarily on purpose for the holiday but nonetheless it worked! With big miles ahead I ran into my first bit of trail magic! In Woody Gap, about 5 miles from last night's shelter, the Glenloch Baptist Church was cooking hot dogs, had a fire, offered medical supplies and good conversation. We were camped out next to a military batallion doing training that day. The two prior nights we had heard artillery fire in the distance and a Blackhawk helicopter pass RIGHT over the shelter! Pretty sweet. The church gave me a chili hot dog, hot coffee and some snacks for my food bag as I chatted around their campfire. We enjoyed conversation and blessings then I moved on.Throughout the day I met many people. Two notable hikers were named Shiver and Tanner. Tanner is a 21 y/o from CT who is hiking as far as he can until May. He is a strong hiker and nice kid! Shiver is an 18 y/o who has hiked 3/4 of the trail already and just needs to hike to VA to complete her section/flip flop hike. She got her name from not having a sleeping bag for the beginning of her hike in NY and shivering every night.Blood mountain proved a bit easier than expected and I met many wonderful day hikers on top. The descent leads right into Neels Gap where a store called Mt Crossings lies. They are a full outfitter with a hostel connected. They specialize in pack shakedowns for hikers carrying too much and many hikers shed tons of pack weight after a shakedown. I was feeling good about my gear except for my sleeping bag. I ended up dropping a fair bit of money on a new 3 degree bag that would prove extremely useful in just a few days! That along with a food resupply, a cooked frozen pizza and a stay at the hostel ran the bill up a fair amount but I suppose that's why I worked so much the months prior!I delighted in the meaty frozen pizza as I chatted with other hikers and poked through the hiker box. These boxes are at every major hiker store and hostel and offer anyone gear that other hikers did not want for free! This box I was able to snag a box of Kraft mac and cheese!That night I got a hot shower and stayed in the attached hostel. I got crazy lucky with some more trail magic too! At 6pm, another Baptist Church group came to the store and served hot dinner for all hikers! Burgers, beans, coleslaw and baked goods were provided. I was so lucky that day! Thank you to all those wonderful people!I ended the night sitting in a bean bag tapping into the spotty WiFi at the hostel. I wolfed down pieces of pizza that other hikers couldn't finish. Seems their hiker hunger hasn't kicked in but mine definitely has! Sleeping in a real bed was amazing and rejuvenating!