Journal Entries

Low Gap Shelter camping

Rise & Shine.

Trying to get an earlier start on the day by waking up at 6:30. We are meeting the Whitlarks at Unicoi Gap at 2pm. We have 9.7 miles to hike and need to make sure we arrive close to that time.

Day 5 - Bull Gap Camp to Low Gap Shelter

9.4 miles

The day started misty, foggy and overcast with light sprinkling rain and a bit of wind. Put on our rain jackets once during the day. Turned out to be perfect hiking weather. A nice break from hot days and sunburnt ears.

Kallins left camp earlier than us this morning, not sure when we'll see them again.

Mostly easy hiking, though Sheep Rock Top was exasperating. "Are we almost at the top already?" Others hikers felt the same so that was reassuring.

Getting stronger each day, less pain. Also nice that our packs are not so heavy as we eat more food.

Met Shepherd with her 3 dogs on the trail today.

Damien and I are figuring out video details. Finding a groove, maybe. And camp chores are getting more routine also.

Met a bunch of hikers at Low Gap Shelter tonight. Full "house" in shelter and camping. There are at least 50 campers tenting on the hillside around the shelter.

Looking forward to a new day tomorrow and meeting the Whitlarks, who are hosting us for the night.

Day 4 - Lance Creek Camp to Bull Gap Camp

8.5 miles

Sunny. Warm. Hazy skies.

Camp was pretty this morning. We woke up early at 6:30 so we could spend time in the afternoon at Neels Gap.

Left camp at 8:30. Hiked a good pace. Summited Blood Mountain (4461 ft.), the highest peak on our trip so far and the highest peak on the Georgia portion of the trail.

Hot day, no shade.

Everyone in good spirits. Tenacious Bling bruised her knee. Toesalad helped by carrying her pack down Blood Mountain into Neels Gap.

We arrived at Neels Gap at 1:30. 7.5 miles in 5 hours. We were pleased with that pace.

Bought some gear, picked up an Amazon order of food stuffs, accessed wifi, did email, and tried to upload a finished video to our video series. The upload did not finish in time.

We weighed our packs in the shop. 20 lbs Tenacious Bling, 21 lbs Padawan, 23 lbs Otter, 27 lbs my pack (not including camera), 29 lbs Toesalad (without water).

Enjoyed a very tasty trail magic supper at the hostel.

The highlight today was arriving at Neels Gap. I loved the stone buildings and the history and significance of this place on the trail; the sense of hiker camaraderie and that we belong here with the mail drops and gear. All the hikers are lovely people.

Kallins with us at Neels Gap and campsite.

Otter at the summit of Blood Mountain.

Day 3 - Blackwell Creek to Lance Creek Camp

9.8 miles

Clear skies. Warm.

We got an earlier start this morning. Left camp 9:50. We received trail magic from Snellville St. Matthew's Episcopal Church on Ramrock Mtn. Perfect timing. Hot hike in and out of Woody Gap. Without leaf cover we're exposed to a lot of sun on these clear days. I burned the tip of my ears today.

Lots of hard climbing. Coming into Lance Creek was magical; all the tents nested in the gap. Unfortunately, there isn't a designated latrine area and not everyone has the best backwoods potty etiquette. This site seems to be heavily used, so close to the start of the trail and Neel's Gap. You have to watch where you are walking if you venture through the woods (looking for your own spot to relieve yourself.) This is one of the less-than-lovely aspects of this site.

Awesome cooling off in the creek before supper. Feel like a new woman after that. Pretty exhausted tonight.

Kids are burned a bit, but overall in good spirits. Camped again with Kallins on the hill at Lance Creek.

Highlights of the day: the Luna moth we saw on Ramrock Mtn, trail magic, Lance Creek camping.

Fellow hikers at Woody Gap.

Day 2 - Hawk Mountain Shelter to Blackwell Creek

7.4 miles

Clear skies. Sunny day. Warm temperature.

Broke camp around 11am. A late start, very difficult to put the packs on our sore shoulders. We were all a little discouraged leaving Hawk Mountain Shelter, but still happy to be out here.

The big climb today was Sassafras Mountain, but even that felt not too bad for us. As we came down Sassafras into Cooper Gap there was a U.S. Army water tank parked there for the area activities around the area. (We hear gunshot and see helicopters occasionally. Trail rumor has it that soldiers lie hidden in the woods along the trail testing their camouflage and stealth skills.)

We all drank deeply (it was a warm day in the sun with no leaf cover), doused our heads in water, and chatted with the other hikers who left the shelter before us this morning. Some of those hikers left many hours before we did so catching up to them we all felt encouraged about our pace.

But the best part of the day was still to come.

Coming down Justus Mountain and before Justus Creek, around 3:30, the Kallins caught up with us! So unexpected. And then the day was gold.

We hiked to Justus Creek where we played and washed our weary feet and then onto Blackwell Creek where we camped, right next to the water.

Supper was fabulous. The company was superb. The night was clear and starry.

This is hiking at it's best.

Our bodies hurt today. Sore shoulders, sore feet, sore muscles.

But the day itself was so beautiful - warm and breezy and full of unexpected surprises, the water tank and Kallins. We couldn't help but feel so grateful to be here.

Midday spring sun beating down into Horse Gap.

Day 1 - Springer Mountain Summit to Hawk Mountain Shelter

8.1 trail miles, plus .9 miles from USFS 42 Big Stamp Gap to Springer Mountain Summit for official start of trail.

Clear skies. Sunny day.

A bit of an anxious drive up to Big Stamp Gap on USFS 42, road conditions a little nerve wracking. Parked and hiked in the .9 miles to the Springer summit monument with the Powell family, our hosts in Georgia and ride to the trail head. At 2pm we were back at Big Stamp Gap, donned our backpacks stored in the Powell vehicles. On our own now.

Beautiful trail along Stover Creek.

Arrived at Hawk Mountain Shelter at 6:30. Tenacious Bling and Otter sore, Padawan no complaints. Shelter campground full of people ~ 30? No time to chat or really chill, too busy figuring out camp routines.

I felt good going to bed, feet tired. It was a very good first day all things considered.