April 12, 2009
Today I started from Unicoi Gap on a beautiful, sunny Easter Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With my new knee brace, I felt 10 times stronger today. My knee didn't feel like it was pulling apart every time I stepped. I made the long climb up to Blue Mountain. On the way I met a thru hiker named Toubob.
"How did you come up with that?" I asked.
"I was in the peace corps in Africa," he said. "It means White Guy."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thru hikers: Windmill and A.T. 73
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
More thru hikers from Maine. Bubbles with his wife Birdie in front of Blue Mountain Shelter
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Heading through Chattahoochee Gap
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next few miles had very little up and down, especially compared to yesterday. I still took it easy on my knee, but the brace continued to help.
Mala (sp?) and his dog Tucker.
He sectioned hike the A.T. back in the early 90's. He has been section hiking his favorite parts over and over again ever since. He has hiked 12,000 miles on the A.T. and Tucker has hiked 4000.
"Tucker has even hiked Katahdin three times," he said.
Knowing that dogs aren't allowed in Baxter State Park, I asked, "How is that possible?"
"He's allowed in because he is a service dog."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Next I dropped to Low Gap. The shelter was off the trail so I didn't stop.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Up I went to Sheep Rock Top. I met a hiker coming up from the other side.
"You are almost at the top," I said.
"There will just be another mountain after this," she responded.
"Oh, you figured that out already."
"I figured that out the first day when I went up the Approach Trail."
FYI - The Approach Trail is an 8.3 mile trail that leads to the top of Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the A.T. I've heard over the years that some thru hikers quit on the Approach Trail before ever reaching the start of the A.T.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I met Lynn at Hog Pen Gap
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Guess what," I said to Lynn.
"What?"
"The weather was perfect today, and I didn't have a single view the whole way."
With rain in the forecast for the remaining two days of my A.T. adventure, that meant only one thing, I had to keep hiking while the weather was good. I decided to continue on to Neels Gap.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I can't imagine this shelter gets many visitors. It will cost hikers an extra 2.4 miles roundtrip.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I met Renegade who completed a thru hike back in 2002. He lives in the Atlanta area and drives up to the mountains whenever he can. After completing the trail he got a tattoo of his trailname and the A.T. symbol. This was the first time I'd ever seen an A.T. tattoo.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I'm glad I kept going today. The next few miles are apparently where all the views are.
View from Wildcat Mountain
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I dropped down to Tesnatee Gap. I still had 5.5 miles to go.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Then I had a big climb up to Cowrock Mountain.
There was a great view just before the summit . . .
. . . and just after the summit.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My A.T. countdown was really on now. I got to flip my Georgia map over. For the first time, I could see all my remaining A.T. miles on one side of one map. Cool!! Despite the fact that I was getting close, I couldn't help but notice all the ups and downs, but what else would you expect from the A.T.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had a couple great views on the way up to Wolf Laurel Top . . .
. . . including a great view from the summit.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I forget where I took this picture. It was probably on the way up to Levelland Mountain
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As I made my descent down to Neels Gap, I could see Blood Mountain through the trees. Blood Mountain is perhaps the most hiked mountain along the A.T. in Georgia. It offers great views. Unfortunately, it was just out of reach for today. Tomorrow when I hike over it, I will most likely be in the rain and fog. It will be a big climb tomorrow right off the bat.
Leaving Raven Cliffs Wilderness
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Finally, Neels Gap.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My knee brace kept me out of pain for most of the day, but my knee started to bother me for the last few miles. Lynn took my picture as I walked through the breezeway at Neels Gap. It's the only place that I can remember along the whole A.T. that the trail passes through a building like this.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A little reading about Blood Mountain
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I spotted my second Georgia A.T. plaque.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lynn at Neels Gap
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Neels Gap offers great services for hikers. It is the first resupply point for those heading north. There is a hostel and an outfitters store. After several days on the trail, hikers realize what else they should have brought as well as what they shouldn't have brought. As a result, Neels Gap has shipped tons of gear back to the homes of hikers.
Well, I thought the A.T. would be a great place to find Easter Eggs, but I didn't find a single egg all day, but that's not the true meaning of Easter is it?
Miles to go: 31
| 
