I went to bed around 8:30 because once the sun goes down its hard to get anything done. Unfortunately that also means I keep waking up at 3:30am everyday and have to try to get back to sleep until the sun comes up. I got out of bed at 6:55. And was ready to head out before 8 am. Unfortunately the day of only 3 miles hasn't helped my knee.
There have been recent bear food stealings North of the hostel and so we were advised to go at least 11.8 miles to Low Gap shelter. When I opened the door to leave it had started snowing and was accumulating on the ground. As I started I could tell I was the first one to leave for the day because there weren't any other foot steps in the snow.
It was an amazing morning with snow coming down, everything glistened and it was a really good hike. I went over Levelland, Cowrock, Wildcat and Poor Mountains. I went off to go to the restroom and found a full non frozen can of coke, this would be saved for lunch.
I finished the hike to Low Gap around 1:15 and sat in the shelter drinking my coke and eating ritz covered with peanut butter and honey. I talked with a couple from Chicago who was down on the husbands spring break. I had some friends show up around 2pm and tell me they were planning on hiking to Unicoi Gap and catching a ride into Helen GA because it was so cold. Then an elderly couple came who I had seen earlier in the morning at Neels Gap and told me they were going to be pushing on as well. So I had two options sit in the cold and wait for night to sleep or head out with my friends. I decided if the elderly couple could do it so could I. So I started walking.
At first I was thinking of all the delicious food I was going to eat in Helen. Then I decided I had just stayed in town and I should stop at Blue Mountain Shelter for the night, it would buy more time and keep me warmer longer. Once I got to BMS however I saw a sleeping woman who was shivering in her sleep. I decided to push on to Helen.
Bob, Jeff and I were able to catch a ride from a parole officer and found a warm motel. We ate next door at the Southside Bar and Grill. I had 12 wings, 4 potato skins, 2 tacos and a couple of beers.
In total we walked 20.2 miles today on the trail, though it is always more, they measure the trial straight and I often find myself zig zagging all over the place. The decent into Unicoi gap is 1.5 miles and over 1000 feet of decent. It was tortorous on my knee and now the other one is hurting also because I've been using it to take the brunt of the force.
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