[at-l] Trip report, part 3

[buchanan@shentel.net (Susan Buchanan)]

See B&B - I can write trip reports - they just get really looooooooong!

Day 4 - Tuesday, April 16
Woods Hole Shelter to Neels Gap then on to Wolf Laurel Top
8 miles, and one shower

It's still taking me too long to get out of camp each morning, but I'm
getting better.  I've never been one to be able to get up and out the door
quickly at home either, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.  I putz in the
mornings ("putz" - is that a real word??? I use it all the time.)  I still
do it on the trail.  Barb gave up on me today and headed out of camp while I
was still packing up.  But I did get out by 8:45, which was a whole 15
minutes earlier than yesterday (like that matters at all???).  It took me 45
minutes to catch up with Barb, who had left at 8:30.

The hike up Blood Mountain wasn't really hard at all.  That surprised me to
no end.  Barb and I were the first of "our gang" to get there (Rebel, Misty
& Jordan, Dave & Mike).  Rebel got there next, and it was really good of him
to call out when he arrived.  Barb and I have developed the habit of
stripping our shirts off because of the heat whenever we stop for a break,
and his call allowed us to 'get decent' before he found us. (The first time
I did this Barb looked at me and asked "What are you doing???"  I replied
that I was hot, and there was no one around, and it wouldn't take long to
slip the shirt back on if need be . . . and it didn't take her long to join
me.)  Rebel, of course, lit up a cigarette as soon as he stopped for a
break, so we headed to the other side of the mountain.  I was glad to be
there during the day rather than at night.  What a musty, damp shelter - and
not the best place for a hammock (but doable, if need be).

After a nice break at the top, we headed on down into Neels Gap.  It's a
nice hike down, but I suspect that Blood Mt is harder to do if you're SOBO.
Much more rocky, and steeper.  I was especially glad for my Lekis.  I can't
believe how well my knees are holding up on this trip.  Last time I was out,
my right knee had locked up by day 3 and I spent a couple of days in pretty
bad pain, and unable to bend it coming downhill.  No problem at all so far
on this trip.  (Losing 20 pounds off the hips, paying close attention to my
pack weight, and adding the Lekis - all seem to help in this area.)

Neels Gap - I had probably the absolutely best awful microwaved
cheeseburger!  That and 2 Diet Pepsis, the cheese I had set aside for my
daily lunch, plus, glory of all glories - a Klondike Bar!!!!  Yum.   And a
shower.  Best $3.50 I've ever spent.  Also picked up sunblock, 2 small
key-chain sized carabiners (to use in the ends of my hammock to secure the
little stuff sacks of things that wanted to either slide under me or hang in
my face), extra tp (ok - I underestimated), Bridgeport socks (my feet were
reacting really badly to my Thorlos, and I wasn't sure what else to try -
adding liners threatened to cramp the toe space too much, so we opted for
less wool content), more fuel, and . . . . a new sleeping bag.  2 pounds.
40 degrees.  $99.  I've never bought any equipment before without doing
research on it, but this one just grabbed me.  I don't know anything about
the brand (Ferrino??), but it's lighter in weight and temp (I've been
sleeping way too warm), and packs in half the space of my old Sierra Designs
bag.  I shipped that one home along with the offending socks, and gloves I
realized I wouldn't need on this section hike.  Other than that, I was
packed pretty well.  Jordan shipped his hatchet home at this point.  Good
choice.

After an incredibly wonderful shower, we left Neels Gap at 2:30 and headed
up the trail.  Was planning to camp at Bags Creek Gap tonight, but got here
to Wolf Laurel Top and it was so beautiful that we decided to go no further.
I left Barb here and went on to Bags Creek to the spring.  Downhill 1/2 mile
or so, and then back up.  It took me almost an hour, by the time I had
filtered more than enough water for dinner and breakfast (and my nightly
'bath').  When I got back, Misty and Jordan came by, and we decided to offer
them some of our water so they could also camp there at the top.

Supper - Barb's homemade (dehydrated) spaghetti, soup & a power bar.  I
think I've worked up an appetite now.  Don't know when I've eaten this much
before.

On my way down to get water I found a huge bear print in the path at the
very first blaze after our campsite.  So I made sure we bagged all our food
well.  Or tried to - talk about having problems getting the line up.  First,
I put too large a rope in my throw bag (I use the hennessy stuff bag with a
rock in it as my bear throw bag).  Somehow I managed to whack my calf with
the rock while I wound up to throw it.  Seeing stars!!!  I think I'll have
quite a bruise from that one.  Then I got a smaller rock, and got the bag up
and stuck in a smaller branch.  While working it loose, I leaned back and
got my hair caught in the brambles which were all around me.  Just reached
out and grabbed hold of the curls and wouldn't let go!  So I leaned over a
bit more, and the brambles wrapped around my face and ripped my lower lip
open.  Not fun at all.  By this time I was yelling up a storm, and the
others came over to 'help' me.  I don't know why people think that laughing
is helpful.  <g>  I'm now quite a mess, thanks to bear bagging.  Anyway, got
all our food and cooking stuff properly hung, and settled back down into the
campsite.  Then I realized that Jordan was trying to keep me from seeing
something.  Way too furtive and secretive - and I asked what was up.  Seems
he had forgotten the rest of the Combos he had bought in Neels Gap, as well
as  a Snickers bar, and had planned on hiding them from me because he was
afraid to ask me to bring the bear bags down after all I had been through.
After a little conversation, Misty (who was sharing a tent with him) agreed
that we should add those goodies to the bear bags.

Barb and I sat out on the rocks and watched the lights come on all over the
valley.  Never would have known that there was so much civilization out
there during the day when all you could really see were mountains and trees.
It was incredible.  There's a chance of real strong storms tonight so I've
got the hammock battened down tightly.  Jordan and Misty are in a $20 tent
from Target.  I hope they stay dry.

All in all - this has been a great place to camp.  Really beautiful.  Quiet.
With wind and *weather* happening.  Life is good.

suz, who is either
grin'N bare it (yep - from the daily bath and the losing of the shirt at
every rest stop)
or
grin'N bear it (for having such fun times hanging the bear bags)
either way - I grin!  If you're on the trail, then life is good!