Fri Mar 1, 2019 @ 03:39

3/1 I am headedfrom Neels Gap Hostel (pictured) to Low Gap Shelter which is about a 12 mile hike. We’ve already seen some folks drop out. A couple in their 50’s didn’t think the trail would be so hard and dropped at Neels Gap. Around 8:30 last night a young man stumbled into the hostel in bad shape. He’d been hiking in the dark for a few hours. He was dehydrated and vomiting. We gave him Gatorade and some leftover pizza. He seems like a nice kid but you never who will keep going another day. Today and 3/15 are the busiest start days on the AT. Someone said that 60 people were starting today. That’s unofficial because when you register it doesn’t mean that you’ll start on that day. Still, that is a lot of hikers setting out in this journey. I do hope that since we are one week ahead it won’t get too crowded or that we’ll be competing for tent sets, hostel bunks or a place at the shelter.