First Eight Days

Due to my efforts with the blog I will be expermenting with the layout of the dialog and pictures. And for those of you that have read my writings you know about my spelling and grammer.

During the first eight days we have met lots of people most very friendly, experinced all sorts of weather (rain, snow and beautiful), witnessed beautiful vistas, experienced tormenting hikes and experienced trail angels.

An observation of mine that in addition to the other senses the ears get to be there on the hike. There is absolut silence which is hard to fanthom, then there is the winds which at times remind you of an Los Angeles freeway noisey and non stopping to gust that remind you of a race car doing qualifing runs, syou can hear it at a distance then it blows by you very noisy and is gone.

All in all this has been an experience.

March 16

1. Tom and Ted will be with Richard and me for the first 30 miles.
2. Woke very early 3:10. It felt like forever before the others were awake.
3. Hit road to side trail head about 9:30.
4. Passed a sign that made me think of Jake on the way up to the trail head.
5. Hit side trail about 10:30 and Springer Mountain (Trail Head for the Appalachian) at high noon.
6. A lot of hikers on the trail its spring break.
7. Start the hike and camp at Hickory Flats Cemetary (a very old mountain cemetary). Kinda of spooky and very cold and windy.
8. We covered approximately 9 miles.

March 17

1. Hit trail at 10:00
2. A hard climb today Sassafras Mountain.
3. Made it to Gooch Gap shelter too many people hiked on to Gooch Gap it self approximately 1.4 miles.
4. Hiked about 10 miles.

March 18

1. Today was a shorter and harder hike for me.
2. Climbed Big Ceadar Mountain and stopped at Jarrard Gap.
3. It was cold and windy, fortunately Richard had hot coco mix. We all had cup.
4. Hiked about 7 miles.

March 19

1. Hiked into Neels Gap over Blood Mountain.
2. Blood Mountain is the 2nd highest mountain in Georgia and recieved its name from an Indian battle.
3. At Neels Gap is a store Walasi-Yi a church group was giving hikers hamburgers (awsome).
4. Spring break friends that we made on the trail leave us to go back to school.
5. Tom invited Richard an me back to his house for real bed and food for the night. We took him up on him. THANK YOU TOM & NANCY!!!
6. Only covered 5 miles. At mile marker 30.7 of the 2178.

March 20

1. Back to Neels Gap. Experts go through my pack and remove maybe 2lbs.
2. Depart at 1:30 pm. Just Richard and me now.
3. Stop at Braggs Creek Gap for water and decide to spend the night. I feeling kinda puny.
4. Covered 4.2 miles.

March 21

1. Break capm about 9:00 it starts raining.
2. We hike in the rain to a Low Gap shelter even though it is early decide weather is to bad to go on. Stop at around 2:00 pm.
3. High winds and rain all night.
4. Others have same idea. Shelter was full, one hiker actually stayed under shelter.
5. Only 6.2 miles for the day.

March 22

1. Woke up to snow
2. Hike in snow all day to Unicor Gap.
3. Being the softies that we are we go into the town of Helen, GA, with other hikers and spend the night in town.
4. Hiked 9.2 miles today.

March 23

1. Hit trail at 9:30 two hard hills right out of the gate. Rocky Moutain and Tray Mountain back to back.
2. Stopped at SWAG of the Blue Ridge beutiful spot.
3. Gust winds, cayotes howling a couple of times during the night and a flock of geese flying over to keep one from sleeping soundly. Was neet.
4. We covered 9 miles today.

March 24

1. We meet Tom at Dicks Creek Gap for a zero day tomorrow.
2. Weather is perfect.
3. Hiked appoximately 7.5 miles.
4. We have covered 67.5 miles of the 2178. YEA.