Low Gap Shelter

4-25-12
AT miles hiked today: 11.5
Total AT miles hiked: 43.2

In addition to me, Brian, Josh, Purple Frog, Donna, and six other hikers stayed at the hostel at Walasi Yi/Mountain Crossings last night. Pirate grilled for us and we had iceberg lettuce salad and baked beans and chips. It was a great meal. Thanks, Pirate! It's amazing how good basic iceberg lettuce tastes with Ranch dressing when you have been eating hiker food like spam and cheese in tortillas, which tastes great at the moment, by the way, but compared to an orange, it comes in second best.

My new pack is awesome! It fits me so well! I didn't have tingling or cramps or stabbing pains in my neck and this was my longest day. I'd like to thank Squirrel and all the staff at MTX for making such an incredible difference in my comfort level. I love my pack and I can even stuff my tent into a mesh pocket on the outside so who cares if it's wet?

It was pretty hiking today with a few views. Wildcat Mountain was one tough mile to travel, but with a pack that fits and weighed 39 pounds with eight pounds of food and three pounds of water, it actually felt pretty good.

I asked the guys to save me a spot in the shelter, knowing they would get there before I did, but I knew who was ahead of us and the shelter only holds seven people. Then I realized I'd have to tent anyway. I sent back my bug suit from Neel Gap, and want my tent for bug protection. I'm going to ask for that bug suit to be sent back to me, and it may not have even left Georgia yet.

Going a little shorter tomorrow, but I need to break camp early, because I hike about an hour behind Brian/Wendigo, and 20 minutes behind Josh/Two Mules. Mr Coffee and Late Start are in that range, too, and I want to catch a ride into Hiawassee with them to resupply. Last time I broke camp in under an hour. I hope to do it that fast again. Oh, and I changed my trail name to Carry On as I came down Blood Mountain. I found myself singing the song the whole way down and also repeatedly admonishing myself to carry on.

So. Carry On is Carrying On!