The ground has been much more rocky than it was at the start of the Trail and going up and down those rocks is rather tricky, at least for me. I’m sure I’ll get used to them soon enough, but for now they’re a real pain, literally.

When we last left off I was leaving Woody Gap on March 16 after taking a day off to wait out some severe weather which had brought hail to the mountains and a tornado through downtown Atlanta. Some pictures of Woody Gap follow.

First stop of note was Big Cedar Mountain, which has some nice views into the valleys below.

That day I hiked some 10.6 miles from Woody Gap to Neels Gap, over Blood Mountain at 4461 feet.

Coming off Blood Mountain, I arrived at Neels Gap.

I shot video of the day’s hike:

The next day my left foot started hurting and I only made about four miles to Baggs Creek Gap, where I tented to try to relax and see if it got any better. It did only after taking some Aleve.

On the 18th I pushed hard and tried to get as far as Blue Mountain, hiking the last part after dark, but wound up taking a wrong turn at the five-way intersection at Chattahoochee Gap and following a side trail for over a mile to I don’t even know where. I was too tired to backtrack all the way so I camped on the side trail that night. It’s probably just as well, since the 2.2 miles from Chattahoochee Gap to Blue Mountain Shelter was extremely rocky and would have been dangerous at night.

And yesterday I woke up to a light rain, packed up my wet tent, and hiked through the rain back to Chattahoochee Gap and then to Blue Mountain Shelter, where I spent the day waiting out what turned into a serious rainstorm.

The storm broke last night, but too late to do any serious hiking, so eight of us crammed into a shelter rated for seven, with half a dozen more people tenting outside.

Finally this morning I ascended Blue Mountain at 4025 feet and then descended into Unicoi Gap, where I hitchhiked into town and am taking a day off to rest my foot. I think I pulled a muscle in it somehow, but nothing seems to be broken.

I’ll hit the Trail again tomorrow and try to make Dicks Creek Gap (16.6 trail miles from Unicoi Gap) and the Cloud 9 hostel by Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday it’s a nine-mile hike to Bly Gap and the North Carolina state line.

I don’t have a lot of time so this will be fairly brief.

The first day was fairly easy. I went up Springer to the terminus and took some nice pictures (which I’ll upload later) and some video (which I’ll also upload later). Then 2.5 miles back down the trail to Stover Creek shelter where I spent the first night.

The first day was fairly easy, all things considered.

The second day was much more difficult, with a couple of steep climbs, and I only made 5.2 miles or so to Hawk Mountain Shelter, where I spent Wednesday night. Then Thursday a good 7.6 mile haul to Gooch Mountain Shelter with yet more steep climbs. I was exhausted after that one.

I’m getting used to all the ups and downs but it’s still quite tiring. I’m not making as much progress as I planned for, but I’m holding up okay. Though I’m told after about two weeks you get used to it and start making more mileage. The Trail is easier than I expected, but harder than I thought. Especially when it rains, as it did today.

I still made 5 miles today despite the rain to Woody Gap where I caught a shuttle to the Hiker Hostel and plan to wait out the storm here. It’s just rain today, but tomorrow is supposed to bring severe thunderstorms. Hiking in the rain, by itself, isn’t a serious problem, but the next few miles will bring Blood Mountain, with steep, rocky descents and even worse weather on top which you don’t want to get caught in.

The hostel is quite full, though, (they stuck me on a couch!) and I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay two nights. If not, I’ll take the Freeman Trail around the Blood Mountain summit (it’s the official bad weather detour) and take my chances.

I’ve already met three people who attempted a thru-hike and have decided to quit. They all quit not because they couldn’t physically handle it; almost anyone can hike the Trail given enough time and patience. It was because they weren’t mentally prepared for the demands of the Trail. I’m as prepared as I can be and have no plans to drop out.

Next update maybe tomorrow, or in a week. I probably won’t make it to Cloud 9 for several more days.