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Chattahoochie Camp Site
mileage: 16.0 (46.5 total)
What an interesting day. I woke up around 6:45, 15 minutes before "lights on" (as if I were back at the Naval Academy, but only slightly). Breakfast was ready, buffet style. I also resupplied on some hostel baby wipes and soap (YOGI!). Also, as fortuitous as it may be, I was able to resupply on food fully from the "hiker box" which is the stuff other people didn't want/need. It's sort of the community chest of hikers. Very nice. The only think I had to buy was peanut butter from the store. (someone actually offered me their half-eaten peanut butter....hello?) Fully loaded out and with 2 Liters of water, my pack weighed in at 30.5 pounds. Woo-hoo! I was able to shed 4.5 pounds from the pack while adding gloves and windproof overmittens (oven mits as I have dubbed them). I also bought a pack fly which is a wise move since rain has been forcasted in the near future (as I write this at Chattahoochie, I can hear T-storms brewing both to the east and west of me). Ominous. Red Bull and Diesel, Van and I headed out just before 8 AM. Steep ascent out of Neel's Gap, but with fresh legs it was manageable. The weather in the morning was very foggy and windy. The trail kept traversing the mountain from leeward to windward sides making a 10-15 degree F temperature differential with wind chill. This made it very difficult to maintain the right clothing combos and not sweat my ass off (or freeze for that matter). I just kept walking hard to counter the cold. I pushed ahead of Red and Dies with the intention of meeting for lunch at Whitley Gap Shelter. Around noon and at the shelter trail head, I noticed it was a full 1.2 miles walk out of my way to the shelter (WTF). That's 2.4 miles that I didn't credit myself for. Oh well, I needed water so it was down the path I went. I figured Red and Dies were just going to push ahead but water is king out here, so who knows. Anywho, I ended up having a nice lunch by myself, got water and headed out, only to find that there was a water source 1 more mile down the AT. ARRGH. There went 1.5 hours of my life. Woosh, right out the window. Whatever, I'll live.
So onward to Low Gap Shelter (where the picture was taken). Ran into Van. "How'd you pass me?" he asks. Having to recount my blunder yet again, I informed him of my situation. So it's only 2:30 by now and I still feel like I can make some more ground today so i headed out of the shelter and out to the campground where I now am. Got here at 1745. I have a guy/girl combo setting down from me so its only the three.
Storms are rolling in, time go hit the rack.
Yak
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