April 16th

Survived the first night o'bear. Lovely morning in Georgia. Took off for Blood Mountain after hiking the 0.4mi back to the trail. Climb wasn't that bad and was absolutely beautiful up there. I didn't know exactly which one it was but apparently you can see Stone Mountain from up there. I can't even remember exactly why Stone Mountain is significant but I'm pretty sure MLK mentions it in his "I Have a Dream" speech. Maybe I'll google that one. Anywho, saw Maui Bob and Pierre up there. And those other folks from Florida or something? I can't remember their deal except that the father or uncle or something made me tell the son or nephew that he looked like someone and make it sound like a coincidence that I brought it up. Can't remember details on that, but I recall them being rather entertained by his reaction. Oh no... first details lost! Maybe that'll come back to me. The father or uncle or whatever also looked really surprised when I said I was attempting the whole trail and said something about praying for me. Thanks guy.

So down from Blood Mtn and into NEELS GAP!! Woooooot!!! I think I had ice cream of some sort and an orange soda. And a hot dog? I'm pretty sure that was the best orange soda of my life. Probably got some more food too. I signed the register, got some more foodstuffs for resupply, poked around a bit. Hung out on the stone patio overlook which was beee-autiful. Saw that guy Jim again I had sat across from at breakfast at Hiker Hostel who I would run into again in PA.

Maui Bob rolled in getting ready for his big shakedown - I think he had started with 60lbs or something. Pierre would do the same. Rainbow and Rasberry rolled down the mountain. Then came One-Step who looked to be in bad shape. He had lost his dog Rooster the day before, quite sad. He had also gone the wrong way on the trail and ended up a few miles or so down the road from Neels Gap. Somebody picked him up, gave him a ride and gave him a few beers. Then he gave me one of those beers which I'm going to count as my first instance of trail magic. Thanks One-Step. He was from Tennessee I think, near Erwin cause he kept mentioning Uncle Johnny's. I know he had at least two sons that he kept talking about. Anyway that was the last I would see of him. Who knows how far he made it - hope at least to Uncle JOhnny's. I wouldn't see Maui Bob again until a random chance encounter at Carvers Gap on the NC/TN state line a month later. Last I would see of Rainbow and Rasberry.

So hard to leave Neels Gap but we pushed forward. 10mi further to Low Gap Shelter (Mi 41.5). No one was supposed to camp between Neels Gap and Low Gap because of aggressive bear activity and I was not about to break these rules. Low Gap was PACKED. So many people staying there. We stopped in a site that already had a fire goin'. Nice people around it, one Scottish woman, a girl named Moe was there that I would run into periodically, can't recall the rest. Made the mac & cheese/mashed potatoes combo someone told us about that I would never try again (gross). Hard to clean the pot on that too. Anyway, no bears that night!