[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[at-l] Traveling w/Ron & Cheryl

Last week myself and a friend of mine, RockDancer(GAME97), hiked from the
visitor center at Amicalola Falls to Neels Gap. We started Tuesday at about
3:30pm and arrived at Springer Mtn shelter at 8:30pm. Clear night no moon,mid
40's. Interesting night hiking...kinda. Next morning I was first out of the
shelter and arrived at the parking lot at the base of Springer headed north. I
see a young couple and a twenty something looking young man getting out of a
Range Rover I believe. I said hello as I found the white blaze and kept on
hiking. These people as I later found out were Ron & Cheryl Gaudreau
(Solemates98), and their driver to the trail, Will Strickland. After hiking
that day under beautiful, warm and sunny skies I arrived at Hawk Mountain
Shelter where I met Mr.Clean and a section hiker who were going a little
farther to tent.

RockDancer joined me shortly and as we talked he asked if I had seen Ron &
Cheryl? ( Then I remembered who they were and their good-bye sign off from the
ATML listing. ) No I said and he tells me that they were the couple I saw at
the base of Springer and that they would be joining us that evening. Not only
that but they were the couple that transcribed his journal last year. Wheew!
Talk about a small world! We were later joined that evening by Take It Easy
and Zeb. The next day we hiked to Gooch Gap Shelter under the same weather
conditions as Tuesday. Gorgeous weather! RockDancer arrived after me; then The
SoleMates and last but not least, Take It Easy. ( Zeb went ahead.)  We were
all tired but happy. Cheryl's knee was hurting her a little though. Other than
that and a few heavy packs we were glad to be there. It rained hard that
evening but slowed to a drizzle by morning. ( The fog and drizzle turned into
a beautiful blue sky day by about noon time the next day. ) I left, behind
Ron & Cheryl who left about 30 minutes before, the next morning followed by
the others. I later joined up with Ron & Cheryl who were thinking of getting
off at Woody's Gap to lighten her pack and to check her knee out. They did and
so did Take It Easy. He needed to lighten his pack also. 

I preceded on in front of RockDancer and as our plan called for, looked foward
to spending the night at the new shelter, Wood's Hole Shelter. Only problem is
that Wood's Hole Shelter hasn't been built yet! (Yes it is listed in the data
book and in Wingfoot's Thru Hikers Companion as well. We ran into a GATC
representative at Neels Gap Saturday morning who said there had been a
conflict with the helicopters schedule so they couldn't bring the shelter in.
He did feel that they would have it up by Spring though. The new Ridge Runner
said he'd post this info in the register at Gooch Gap Shelter.) We didn't
bring a tent ( don't say it ) so I knew I had to spend the night at Blood
Mountain Shelter. No problem, just a 14 mile day! Bull! I was dying and so was
RockDancer who joined me at about 5:30pm that evening followed by a section
hiker by the name of Bluejay. No Ron & Cheryl nor Take It Easy. As it turned
out Ron & Cheryl spent the night at Slaughters Gap. Take It Easy spent the
night somewhere around Jarrard Gap.  

The next day, Saturday, we were all rejoined at Neels Gap. We spent the day
taking turns cleaning up with a hot shower, washing some clothes, eating a
bunch of food and had futher rounds of pack weight reduction. When RockDancer
and I left Ron & Cheryl ( we had to get back to Atlanta and conclude our 4 1/2
day adventure ) that afternoon, they were beginning to take on that leaner,
grubbier, hiker trash look that thru hikers have come to love. <g>. They felt
good. They looked good. Big smiles, small packs.

In for the Night

180
* From the Appalachian Trail Mailing List | For info http://www.hack.net/lists *

==============================================================================