Date: 2013-03-03
From: Hickory Flats Cemetery

To:  Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I encounter many hikers and stay at my first shelter)The night winds up being a long and kinda restless one. The problem I find is falling asleep at 2000 and sleeping well means I wake up energized and ready to go at 0430. Since I was staying with the trail magic folks, I want to thank them and get some photos before leaving. I toss and turn until 0800ish and finally allow myself to get up and pack up. It snowed overnight so I have an inch of powder on my rain fly. I am glad the weather stuck to snow - rain would be less desirable and the scenery would not be so nice.I say goodbyes to the folks here and eat their leftover breakfast, and then I depart northbound. For a while I see nobody and no footprints. My first encounter is a ridge runner headed southbound, who is a very pleasant individual. I then follow his lone footprints in reverse until I am near Hawk Mountain Shelter. Here I encounter Lucas from New York City. He had turned south out of the shelter, and I confirm that I am headed north before turning him around. Moments later I meet a couple folks from California, section hiking for a few weeks. I walk with them a bit before I stop to shoot photos and let them continue ahead.I bounce around between Lucas and the California duo for a little while before I find myself I a gap ahead of Lucas and behind the Californians. While in this gap I meet Snickers and Maddie, a couple older gals from Virginia. They are taking a break and offer me what's left of their hot tea. I am their friend immediately. I walk around them for a little while, having my first solid conversation while walking. They are nice folks and easy to talk with - one has a son in geospatial information systems and the other has a daughter who has begun a career in photography.We stop for a break on a sheltered mountainside and are overtaken by several folks that had stayed at the Hawk Mountain Shelter. A woman with an adorable little dog arrives and sticks around with us. A father and daughter follow, and another woman walks past. Three other guys come along, and I decide to pace the first of themHe is moving fast, but it is easy to keep the pace on fairly easy terrain.Eventually he slows and I follow the other two, and a while later I find myself in the lead. The two nearest me are Matt and Michael, two Georgia Tech students taking a semester off to thru-hike. We walk fast and talk much until reaching Gooch Mountain Shelter. A few folks are here, including Bidet, Gully, Crow, and the California duo. Gully is a PCT thru-hike, and both her and Bidet have taken their names from experiences on their hikes.Many more folks stop at the shelter. Everyone mentioned already in this journal entry shows up, actually. Hoosier and Sparks arrive and tent. Brice shows up - he had stayed at the Stover Creek Shelter. A few folks I haven't seen before also arrive. The shelter is full and many are camping. I finally get to eat some of my own trail food and lighten my pack a little. A fire is started and merriment continues for a while. I have data service, so I post yesterday's journal and write and post today's. It feels nice to extend that connection to folks back home. There is a Perpetual e-Motion dance near home tonight. I hope they can send residual warmth down here tonight!Peace,