[at-l] 12/29/03 Spur hikes to Springer for New Years--Woods Hole Shelter

[spurhiker at pocketmail.com (spurhiker@pocketmail.com)]

The rain expected during the night never arrived, though the sky is heavily overcast when I get up around 7:30 AM. I eat breakfast, break camp and start down the mtn around 8:30.

As I descend, I see swirling clouds scraping the top of Cowrock Mtn as they race past Tesnatee Gap. Down in the gap is a large granite monument honoring Richard B. Russell, who was Georgia's U.S. Senator for several decades. A designated scenic highway which is named for him passes next to the trail here.

The state historians failed to make it known by sign or otherwise that this is also the spot where John Muir crossed this divide on his historic walk to the sea in the early 1800s. Chances are he was a Yankee, which may have contributed to his escaping the notice of local historians.

I make a slow ascent up Cowrock Mtn, which suddenly seems much steeper than I remembered. Once I reach its summit though, the trail levels out and the next few miles roll gently along the ridgecrest.

Today is much windier than yesterday, and wherever the trail is exposed, it feels quite chilly.

Near Swaim Gap I pass 3 young women who seem exceptionally cheerful as they pass, and a little later, 2 men who stop and talk. Ed Benner and Mike Sewell are out here from Gainesville dayhiking their way through Georgia. We stop and chat for quite a while about lightweight gear alternatives. Since both are retired, it sounds like there may be a future thruhike in the works.

It's 12:30 when I descend Levelland Mtn and arrive at Walasi-Yi Center in Neel's Gap. Winton Porter, the proprietor of the outfitter store here, recognizes me and we talk awhile about retail business and hiking gear.

In the background, Takoma Tedd is singing Travel Well, along with the other songs from his 2 CDs. Winton says they play pretty much continuously here.

I gather some food for lunch and take it downstairs to eat in the hiker hostel, which is empty when I arrive. Midway through, there's a knock at the door and a voice asks if there's a Mister Spur here. The door swings open and in walks Sloetoe, an old friend from previous Rucks and the AT mailing list. Sloetoe thruhiked as a 19-year-old in 1979, well before the trail became crowded with throngs of aspiring thruhikers.

Like me, Sloetoe is hiking to Springer for New Years Eve, though he started earlier than I did and has already walked a hundred miles from Fontana, NC. He noticed my entry from lunch yesterday in the Low Gap Shelter register. While I'm pushing on a few more miles this afternoon, he's stopping here for the night.

Back in the store, I purchase a few snacks for the trail and chat some more with Winton. He mentions that on a hike he made from Springer to here a few weeks ago, he ran across an eerie campsite that seemed to be abandoned, though a complete set of gear was present. There was no rainfly on the tent, even though it had been raining all day.

He reported it to the Forest Service, who immediately sent out a search party. The crew later found the camper, who had climbed a nearby tree, then suffered a fatal fall. Sobering news indeed.

Around 3 PM I finally escape the store's magnetic pull and start up Blood Mtn. Aside from the wind, it's a pleasant climb over the trail's rough, rocky terrain. I shoot a few photos of the old stone shelter on top, then start downhill with 2 miles left between here and Woods Hole Shelter.

Before long I bump into a young hiker named Ben headed north with a dog named Nico. We stop and chat quite awhile about hiking the AT and the PCT. Nico is incredibly well-behaved, an interesting mix of beagle and huskie.

When I resume hiking, the sky is growing dark, though it's not yet 5 PM. Winton had said precipitation as well as falling temperatures are predicted for tonight, and it looks like it's about to arrive.

I turn onto the shelter trail around 5:30, and make it to cover just before darkness finally settles. A group of 4 guys has a fire going, on which they're cooking supper, vegetables baking in tin foil on the coals. They're 2 brothers, Russell and Austin, their cousin James and a friend. Camped in a tent nearby is another hiker, Charlie.

Woods Hole is a small shelter, room for 5 maybe, but with a nice covered cooking space attached. I claim a spot for my sleeping bag, then cook up another batch of spaghetti at the picnic table.

Before long a mix of rain and snow begins falling. Those around the campfire hasten under cover. While I attempt to journal, the 4 guys I'm sharing the shelter with begin swapping jokes and stories. The rain begins falling harder. This may turn out to be a long night.
--Spur 
http://www.artofthetrail.com


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