"Walking for Alley" hiking log |
Daily Log
Thr, 8 Feb 07 - 8 AM Had a great send off at the
Woodie Fite Center. The Center
staff (Rhonda, Linda and Debbie), Alley and her parents Jessica/Jamie and
grandparents Bev/Larry, June Engle, Jane/Les Wilding, Jerry/Susan Savage, Art
and Jenny Moore, and my wife, Phyl. I know there were others I also wish
to thank for seeing me off. We departed town and headed to Amicalola Falls
State Park where I signed the thru-hiker hiker register. As I understand, I was
the 27th thru-hiker to sign the register this year. After dressing and
completing my pack arrangements, we had a group prayer and Alley give me a
guardian angel key chain and pin for my trip. I also saw that Alley had a staff
like mine for her walk, so Art may want to include a picture of that as well.
I left the Park Office around
12:00
noon.
I met a young man, Chris, who was departing on a trial run to Springer Mountain
that morning. We stayed together until the first split in the trail. He went
right and I left so that was the end of company for the day. I didn't see
another person until Saturday. Ran into stretches of ice and snow along the
trail and took a spill off the trail with my pack. I felt rather clumsy until I
ran across a spot of ice where a bear had slipped on the ice and clawed his way
back on the trail as I had to do. He took out more small trees than I did
though. When I approached Nimblewill Gap the trail took a sharp upward turn and
I thought it the toughest part of this Springer Mountain Approach Trail.
I made the 8.8 miles to Springer Mountain, official start of the Appalachian
Trail about 3:30 PM. Because bear notices were posted all over the summit, I
continued on to the Springer Mountain Shelter, about 1/4 mile beyond where I
could get out of the wind. The shelter is a three-sided wooden structure with a
base floor and loft for hiker to sleep. Even though one side of the shelter is
completely open to the elements, these structures are like the Hilton Hotel to a
thru-hiker. Later in the year, they quickly fill up with thru-hikers on their
way to Maine. Generally there is a food preparation shelf and a primitive table
for eating as well. The day had been sunny, but temperatures quickly dropped to
around 17 degrees and stayed that way through the night. I unpacked,
purified/pumped my water from a nearby stream, then made supper, and hopped into
my 0 degree down sleeping bag for a great sleep. Had a bit of a problem with
mice during the night and I could hear them chewing on everything. At one
point, one scrambled by on a rafter above, slipped and landed on my head before
scampering off. Once the owls started hooting outside, I never heard more from
the mice.
Fri, 9 Feb 07 - Temperature was around 15 when I dragged myself out of my cozy
sleeping bag in the morning, pumped/purified water and made breakfast of
oatmeal, brown sugar, coconut, dried fruit and nuts (probably the best tasting
start I've made) and prepared to leave. This particular shelter had a privy
about 100 yards from the shelter - a rare convenience up the trail, although all
GA shelters have them. I departed camp around 11AM. The day warmed quickly
into the 30s and I enjoyed the early morning walk through the cedars, pines,
rhododendrons, magnolias, mountain laurel although they were all encased in snow
and dripping ice. Travel was again slow as I made my way across sheet ice and
snow pack in the crisp mountain air. I quickly passed the Stover Creek &
Shelter, Three Forks, several logging roads on my way to Hawk Mountain Shelter.
I traveled only 7.6 miles that day, but I decided to bed early and move early
in the morning to Gooch Mountain Shelter the following day. I slept more
soundly this night although temperatures dropped to 11 during the night and
early morning. About midnight, the wind picked up and whistled through the tree
tops all through the night and for the next day. As I was dozing off, I heard
rapid fire machine gun or semi-automatic fire in the woods some distance from my
shelter. I later learned that this was part of an Army Ranger training exercise
being conducted from the Frank D Merrill Ranger Camp near Dahlonega
Sat, 10 Feb 07 -
When I pulled out of my sleeping bag in the morning I nearly froze trying to
make breakfast. All water had frozen with excepting of the bottle I slipped in
my sleeping bag. My water purifier was frozen and refused to pump. I dressed
quickly, fired up my jet boil stove and cooked a light breakfast hoping for
better weather that never came for the entire day and following night. I had to
slip one of the frozen bottles and my water pump inside my jacket to warm them
adequately to drink and purify water. I departed at 10AM hoping to make the
Gooch Mountain Shelter, 7.3 miles away, by early afternoon. Got some good
pictures this day during a fairly rigorous hike down to Hightower Gap, (icy
conditions), Horse Gap, then up Sassafras Mountain to Cooper Gap, then a harder
than usual Justus Mountain. After crossing Justus Creek, I met two gentlemen
drinking coffee and preparing to hike south. I then met Darlene Jamas(sp), the
trail maintainer for that portion of the Appalachian Trail (including Gooch
Mountain Shelter where I would be staying that night). She is a friend of June
Engle and says hello to all. I continued on the trail to the Gooch Mountain
Shelter and arrived just ahead of "Blue Sky", a gentleman and his dog who were
section hiking south. Travel was 7.3 miles that day and I could feel that I was
beginning to get my trail legs. Later that afternoon, the Boy Scout Troop 36
from Dahlonega,
GA arrived to SHARE the shelter with me. The apologized
for intruding and went out of their way to prove it. They shared food, jokes,
stories, and sleeping space, and I thoroughly enjoyed their company. This was
the first fire I was able to sit around and enjoy until late in the evening.
They shared sausages, s'mores, hot dogs, after I had already eaten - but who's
complaining! It all tasted so good and I couldn't have asked for a better group
of guys. The Scoutmaster was David O'Rear who is the civilian Army Ranger
Trainer from the Frank D. Merrill Camp. Another leader was a physicist, another
a NASA engineer, and they all had fun while we all weathered the cold that
night. Just after dinner, Bo, a North bound thru-hiker strolled into camp.
Then at 9 PM in the
dark, Austin Harrison from Jacksonville, Florida hiked in by head lamp. Both
had hiked the entire distance to the shelter in one day and were quite fatigued.
Temperature that night was around 17-20 degrees and wind abated somewhat.
(Addition to 10 Feb. in next log.)
Sun, 11 Feb 07 - We all arose the following morning and prepared to leave. Bo,
Austin and I packed with the scout troop as we all prepared to leave the
shelter. Bo and Austin left first, then I and the scouts came later after
completing their cleaning and flag lowering. We all enjoyed their company. I
had plans to stay that night at the Josh and Leigh Saint's Hiker Hostel near
Dahlonega. I rushed to make my goal of 5 miles to Woody Gap so I could make
meet Josh for a night's stay at the hostel. I passed Gooch Gap and met Austin
who had bad blisters he was trying to mend. After a bit of medicating and
bandaging, Austin and I hiked Ramrock Mt. before reaching Woody Gap. Austin had
just graduated and was heading to
Officer Candidate
School. He was trying to make Harpers Ferry, WV before leaving for his
commission. I hated to see him go on alone as he decided to try and make it to
Neels Gap that day. As it turned out, Josh had to pick up another hiker in
Atlanta and was unable to meet me, so I asked a lady (Ms. Jennifer Canupp, who
had stopped at Woody Gap to give me a ride to the hostel 7.5 miles away. What
an angel she was.
I'm going to have to terminate this session as I have run out of time on the
Library's computer system. Pictures will follow and I will pick up this story
at this point when I return.
Thinking of you Alley - and I have a good story for you when I continue next
time.
A request.
Jessica & Jamie Grubb - would you please send me your home address. I have
something I'd like to send to Alley.
Love to All,
Jim Schiwal
Next 10 Feb 3 Mar Cold weather and sickness in family delays Jim.