(Gooch Mountain Shelter (mile 15.7) - Jarrard Gap (mile 26.2))

Good news! I woke up this morning to a dry sleeping quilt! After momentarily rejoicing, I began to pack my things and dismantle camp. I prefer to leave camp before eating breakfast, so I hit the trail at about 8:45am with the goal of finding a scenic spot to eat. After only 10 minutes or so of hiking, I found a nice secluded ridge to enjoy my breakfast. I ended up hanging out at the same spot for a little over an hour when I realized I had enough service to update my hiker's log. In case you haven't noticed, my previous two posts have been delayed by a day. I'll try to keep this schedule constant if possible, but I make no guarantees🤷‍♂️

So I resumed hiking at about 10:15am and made good time to Gooch Gap where I collected a liter of water in anticipation of a 3 mile hike to the next water source. I am quickly learning to estimate the amount of water I need to carry between water sources. I have 2 liters of water carrying capacity, but I rarely ever collect that much. Water is extremely heavy at about 2 pounds/liter, meaning each liter weighs twice as much as my tent. Fortunately, this section of the trail is teaming with springs. When I reach a water source, I drink whatever water I am still carrying. Then I check Guthook (my navigation app) to see how far away the next water source is as well as the upcoming elevation change. This generally results in me collecting about a liter of water at a time. I'll fine tune this system as I continue my hike, but for now it is working well and I am staying hydrated.

After Gooch Gap I began climbing the ridge to reach two spectacular lookout points on Ramrock Mountain. The views along this ridge were consistantly outstanding, and I briefly met up with Amoeba and three other guys out for a weeklong section hike at the first overlook. Amoeba was gracious enough to offer me homemade teriyaki jerky which I quickly devoured while soaking in the view.

After another 1.5 miles I reached Woody Gap which I quickly recognized as the starting point for my only previous backpacking trip over Blood Mountain. I was pretty young at the time and I did the hike as a part of "Outdoor Camp" with the Blue Ridge Outdoor Education Center. I think it was a two or three night trip, and I remember loving every second of it. Outdoor Camp provided my first experiences with backpacking and I think that trip was my second or third summer with the camp. I was introduced to the concept of thru-hiking at Outdoor Camp, so passing through Woody Gap during my own thru-hike attempt was really cool.

On the climb out of Woody Gap, I met a fellow thru-hiker named Madeleine who did her undergraduate at UC Berkeley and just finished her master's at Columbia. Madeline told me that she hopes to go into environmental policy and science communication. She also happens to be waiting to hear back from PhD programs, so we talked for a while about grad school admissions and our respective research interests.

After a steep mile long climb out of Woody Gap, we reached "Preacher's Rock" on Big Cedar Mountain. Gathered on the rock were probably 30 people including many of the thru-hikers I have been traveling with recently. Also mixed in the bunch were a a handful of day hikers and section hikers. I decided to stop for a bit to chat with Tyler, Caroline, and Madeline. I also met a young man named Obediah. He explained that he was part of a group of six friends joining their buddy Danny who was beginning his thru-hike attempt. Obediah was super friendly and asked me about why I was hiking the AT. He then handed me a tiny pamphlet entitled "A Love Letter From Jesus" including a bunch of bible passages about the love of god. I politely thanked Obediah and chatted a bit more with him and some other hikers and then decided to continue.

After less than a mile, I came to a side trail which I assumed led to a water source. Instead it led to a wonderful little capsite with an overlook rivaling Preacher's Rock. I had the camsite and overlook all to myself so I decided this was the perfect spot for lunch and took time to stretch, elevate my legs, and let my feet air out. I try to stretch three times a day and so far have been mostly successful. My feet are also doing extremely well - no blisters or hotspots to report so far!

After lunch I found the actual water source and was excited to encounter my first salamanders of the trip. I found two little brown lungless salamanders chilling in a pool at the start of a little spring. My lungless salamander id is rusty, so I'm not sure of the species, but they were entirely unphased by my presence or the camera looming over them.

I cruised the next mile or so to Lance Creek. As expected based on my conversation with the ridge runner last night, the campsite was full. I collected two liters of water because the water source at Jarrard Gap is apparently unreliable. The next three miles to Jarrard Gap passed quickly. When I was about a half mile out, I ran into the group of six young guys including Obediah. They told me they were headed to Jarrard, and although their pace was slower than mine, I decided to hike with them for a little company.

We reached the Forest Service campsite at Jarrard gap at about 4:30 and I set up my tent on the windy side of the ridge. The views are better on this side, but we will see how cold I get tonight. I started soaking my dinner and decide to start looking for a spot to set up a bear bag. I have learned that the most important part of a bear bag hang is finding a good branch and I had a hell of a time finding one. After what felt like an hour I finally got a satisfactory hang and decided to join the group of guys around the fire pit for dinner. I learned that they all knew each other through a Zoom bible study. Three of them also work together at a nondenominational worship and alternative medicine center near Elijay, Georgia.

We talked for a while about our respective backgrounds including my research interests and their advocacy for alternative healing practices. Altogether, it was a very fascinating conversation and after dinner they invited me to join them for a bible reading. My first instinct was to decline as I was mildly concerned that they were going to try to induct me into a cult, but all the vibes I had been getting from them were friendly and welcoming, so I figured why not. After all, the AT is the perfect place to push yourself out of your comfort zone! Together we read from John (chapter 15, I believe) and I listened as they discussed their own interpretations of the chapter. By now the sun had set and the fire was blazing. They closed the reading with a prayer for Danny and me as we begin our thru-hikes. Then the young man who led the reading played his tin flute for a bit and we all began to disperse for bed. It was a very peaceful end to an excellent day🌄

Tomorrow I hike Blood Mountain and resupply at Neel's Gap!

Two raptors locked in
avian acrobatics:
conflict or courtship?

Did a branch become a root? Did two trees become one? Is it a woodland portal? Surely one of the trail's great mysteries.