[at-l] AT Hike Report: Day 6

[ARTCLOUTMN at aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@xxxxxxx)]

Friday, 03/14/03  Low Gap Shelter          11 miles

    I don?t know why they call this Low Gap, it is over 3,000 feet.
    We walked in strong winds and misty/rainy conditions today.  The Packa 
worked well.  I put it over my backpack as a rain cover then when the rain 
picked up I pulled it out from behind my back and slipped into the hood and 
sleeves.  Presto, I have a rain coat with pit zips and vented pockets that 
will allow me to unzip the front and still use the shoulder straps.  I may 
have waited too long to use the raincoat feature because my fleece was 
already wet before I made the conversion.  (But some of that could also be 
sweat.)  Hope it drys by morning.
    We ran across BeesKnees and Relentless just after leaving Neel?s Gap.  
They must have started up the trail just minutes before we left.  They had 
momentarily missed a turn in the trail.  She figured out who I was before I 
took a guess.  She was part of Pittsburgh?s slow hike group.  She and her 
husband went into Hiawassee for the night and got a shuttle back to the trail 
this morning.  While we talked and walked some deer crossed the trail and 
wandered down into the valley below us.  She was hoping to meet Regan who was 
still getting organized back at the hostel.  I assured BeesKnees that she 
would soon meet Regan.  John and I soon out distanced B&R.  We were walking 
at a faster pace.    
    We stopped at Tesnatee Gap for food and brief rest.  A parking lot for 
the nearby highway is in the Gap.  While we lingered, RollingRock came 
ambling down the trail.  He decided to walk up the road to Hog pen Gap rather 
than hike over the next peak.  He said he doesn?t have to do every section of 
the trail because he has already done it twice.
    By the time we reached Low Gap Shelter, Rolling Rock was already there 
and settled in for the night.  Kevin showed up about 1/2 hour after John and 
I arrived.  A college Law student doing a thru hike before graduate school 
came in with two friends.  The shelter is full with 7 hikers.  I?m glad we 
did not have to set up our tent in the rain.  This is a great shelter with 
very convenient water but no privy.
    We have seen no signs of Regan or the other people we stayed with at 
Neel?s Gap since 9:30 this morning.  They must be at Whitney Gap shelter 
about 5.7 miles south of here.  I forgot to mention that over the last few 
days we have been discussing trail names.  Regan will now be know as 
?F-Stop? because she is a photographer and she wants a name that does not 
reveal her gender.  John is now ?Hoover? because he sucks up his food like a 
vacuum cleaner.  And I have been christened  ?Hunky Dorey?  because that is 
what I tell everyone on the trail when they ask how I am doing.