We woke up from a lovely warm night's sleep and packed in the dark. Woody Gap is a large parking area off a busy scenic highway running through Chattahoochee National Forest. One benefit of the close proximity to a road is the pit toilet. The downfall of being so close is the noise. Normally, mornings along the Appalachian Trail are relatively quiet and relaxed. This morning, however, car doors have been slamming, groups have been heading north for the last hour, and the occasional horn beeps to alert the departing hikers that their car door is indeed locked. Since further sleep is out of the question, we get up and break camp.
The sun breaks over the ridge around 7:30 am, and we hit the trail with the sole intention of making it to Mountain Crossings before 5pm. The Crossings is a full-service hostel and store directly on the trail. We can shower, wash clothes, and resupply without hitching into town. We are almost out of food and fuel. Penny really needs a new pack. And we all really need shower and clean clothes. The thing is we have to hike 11 miles over Blood Mountain!
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| Preacher Rock, Georgia |
So, down the trail! Perhaps I should say up the trail, because as soon as we left camp we started gaining elevation and that was the theme for most of the day. Preacher Rock was a mile north. We stopped briefly to take in the gorgeous views as the sun is rising. This view is the reason so many people arrived at the trailhead before dawn. LOTS of young'uns camped here last night.
At Jarrard Gap I took a little wash in the spring and dried out my wool clothes in a patch of sunlight before heading up Blood. The funny thing about wilderness: you won't see a soul for hours and the minute you decide to take off some clothes you have three people coming up a seldom used side trail, catching one in a state of deshabille.
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| Mick crossing a stream |
The weather is perfect for a walk in the woods!! The leaves are starting to turn colors and the crunch of leaves under hiking shoes is perfectly fall-like. The temperature is mild enough to allow hikers to wear shorts and t-shirts. The hike is rough because we ar on day 4 without a break, and Georgia is no joke. I am feeling the physical demands of the trail in my feet and back, but still having fun!
We talk to other hikers going in the opposite direction. I met a family doing an overnight at Slaughter Creek. Continued the trudge up Blood listening to the latest Dune book on Audible. Figured out how to use the facilities on the side of the mountain without having backpack and body slide down the hill! Had a delightful Spam snack on Blood Mtn with about 20 others. The shelter is rock and very cool looking but kind of creepy. The nearby privy area is disgusting from overuse and absolutely choked with wads of toilet paper on the ground (I have yet to use a privy EVER on the trail!!))
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| Resting my weary feet on Blood Mountain |
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| The perfect trail snack |
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| Blood Mountain selfie |
Daybreak, a Sobo (Southbounder) who was at the hostel last week, arrives and said my trail fam is about 20 minutes ahead. If I hurry I can catch up! The descent is steep and seems to go on forever. But then the noise of the road is audible. Motorcycles and muscle cars make their way over the ridge with engines gunning and mufflers popping. The road came into view and suddenly Mountain Crossings is here! The parking lot is packed with cars and motorcycles. Food! Shower!! Laundry!!! Nirvanaaaa!
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| Penny getting her shakedown |
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| I survived my shakedown |
Penny got a pack shakedown by Creepy. A very nice guy who is anything but Creepy, hence his trail name. A shakedown is when someone goes through your pack and takes out anything not absolutely necessary or recommends a different product that is lighter weight. The store then sends home (at the hiker's expense) any unnecessary equipment. Penny gets a new pack. Creepy has a medium-sized box half full of clothes and other items. Almost every time Creepy turns around, Penny takes something out of the box and hides it. I am dissatisfied with my choice of pack on this trip, and Penny's new pack is small, compact, and comfortable! I decide to buy one as well as a new ultralight rain jacket. Creepy doesn't take anything out of my pack during my shakedown.
Today we did 11 miles, 2753 feet of elevation gain, and spent over $1000!
Time for a break!!
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