April 30 - May 1, 2011

Day 5

Total Miles Completed - 39.9

As I write this I'm sitting on the bottom bunk of the bunkhouse at Mountain Crossing Outfitter in Neel's Gap Ga.  It was an extremely long day yesterday and truth be told  i wasn't physically prepared for it as i should have been.  My original plan was to hike from Hawk Mountain Shelter to Gooch Gap for a total of 8 miles and hike another 11.9 miles to Woods Hole the next day.  Unfortunately, a large portion of the trail, which included where i was to camp, was closed due to an increase of  bear activity:

   Problems with the bear population can almost always be attributed to backpackers failure to properly store their food,  and people thinking these animals are cousins of Yogi and Smokey. Bears are naturally afraid of humans and will run away from you before you run away from them, but when food is entered into the equation it becomes a whole new game. And usually the bigger one wins. Here's the correct way to handle food while camping around bear country:

  Consequently I ended up having to hike through the area without stopping for a total of 15.8 miles. Way more than i anticipated given the mountainous terrain. I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but there was a point on Blood Mountain when I asked myself what the heck i was doing out here. Blood Mountain was by far the most beautiful place i saw up to that point. Because of my physical discomfort  i didn't really get to enjoy it as much as i should have. Climbing it, and i do mean climbing in every sense of the word, was taxing. I had to climb over rocks and boulders numerous times.  On a positive note, it put me a day ahead. Later in the afternoon i was becoming concerned because daylight was starting to fade and i was still encountering some very rough terrain descending Blood Mountain.  I had been hiking for 7 hours already and coming down Blood Mountain was dangerous in itself  during the day.  I did not, and physically could not do it at night.  There were no campsites to be had so i couldn't just set my tent up and finish it the next day. So i was a little concerned.  Luckily the trail leveled out and i left the rocks and boulders behind as darkness set in.

     I arrived at Neel's Gap and got a bunk in the hostel.  Let me tell you, i was almost better off staying outside the hostel in my tent. Just imagine 10-15 hikers with all their wet, unwashed, socks and equipment laying out.  No ventilation.  I was not only in pain, but my surroundings were miserable as well.  The owner is a published writer and runs a successful outfitter operation, at least it seems from outward appearances, that i don't understand why he can't take better care of the hiking community that gives him the business to begin with. Not to mention the basis for his book. In case you're wondering, his name is Winton Porter and he runs the Mountain Crossing Outfitter store in Neel's Gap.  At the very minimum he could ventilate the dungeon and get rid of the sewer smell in the kitchen. It really needs to be inspected. Other than the hiker's living quarters the part the tourist get to see was great.

The AT running right through the building

Boots hikers have thrown into the tree outside the bunkhouse

     I've decided to stay an extra day in Neel's Gap because of the pain i've been having on the outer part of my left hip.  I'm pretty sure it's just a pulled muscle.  The time here also allowed my to spend the day getting some work done and make a few calls with friends and clients. While in Neel's Gap I met a fellow hiker who is a stylist and he gave me a haircut. Imagine, a haircut on the AT. Who would have thought that would happen. He ended up bartering haircuts with the outfitter for some much needed equipment. Neel's Gap is a way station of sorts for AT hikers. The trail literally passes through arches located between two parts of the facility.
   I'm heading out tomorrow.  Destination Unicoi Gap, Ga. I'm going to try and stay a day ahead of schedule so i can stay an extra day at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee, Ga. Love you Sara and Emma.