I am always traveling from Florida to get to the trail, so for this trip I decided to stay at the awesome Above the Clouds Hostel.
Unfortunately, real-world responsibilities (also known as work!) significantly delayed my departure, and I didn't arrive at the hostel until about 1:00 a.m. Lucky, the proprietor, had thoughtfully left towels out for me, and I found a very comfortable bunk by the light of my cell phone. I hope I didn't wake up my fellow bunkmates!
1:00 a.m., found my bunk by phone light.
I never actually got to meet any of them. We had a 7:00 a.m. start time, and I also needed to drive about 50 minutes to pick up the rest of our group at our finishing point. But Lucky was up early and made me fresh scrambled eggs before I left, which was a wonderful way to start the day. I hope I get the opportunity to return someday and spend a little more time getting to know some other hikers.
Lucky — up before dawn, scrambled eggs before I even asked.
Above the Clouds Hostel — exactly the kind of place you want to find at 1am.
New Faces on the Trail
This trip also brought two new members to our journey north on the Appalachian Trail: Estella and Michelle E. Both are experienced hikers, and they were wonderful additions to the group. I learned something from each of them, and I hope they will continue with us as we make our way north.
Because we were traveling over some fairly rigorous terrain, we decided that the best approach was to let everyone "hike their own hike." We would meet up for breaks and regroup at predetermined camping spots, but there was no pressure for everyone to stay together every step of the way. It worked remarkably well. We naturally took turns being at the front or back of the group depending on the terrain and our individual strengths.
Personally, I am much faster going uphill than I am going downhill — which became particularly relevant on Day 3, when the entire day was downhill!
Preacher's Rock — the kind of view that makes you forget your knees for a minute.
We started this section at Gooch Gap, where we had finished Chapter 1. We left cars at Hogpen Gap, our intended stopping point, and I drove everyone back to Gooch Gap to begin the hike. The plan was for Lynx to take me back to my car at the end of the trip.
Michelle E. wasn't able to join us for Day 1, so she parked her car at Woody Gap and met us there, camping with us that night.
Woody Gap — where Michelle E. joined the group.
The whole crew, hiking our own hike together.
Blood Mountain
Day 2 brought the big climb: Blood Mountain.
The elevation gain to the summit is approximately 1,364 feet, and it was a challenging climb, especially because the weather was considerably hotter than it had been on our previous trip. But reaching the summit was worth every bit of the effort. The view from the top was absolutely amazing.
One of the views along the way up.
There is also a unique stone shelter at the summit. I sat inside for a while, and the experience was surprisingly emotional. I found myself thinking about all of the people who have traveled through that same space over the years — each carrying their own story, their own burdens, and their own reasons for being there. Some may have been searching for peace or clarity. Others may simply have wanted to experience the beauty of the forest.
For a few minutes, I just sat there and imagined all those individual journeys intersecting in that one place.
Blood Mountain Shelter — a hundred years of travelers, one room.
Going Down Is My Nemesis
Of course, getting back down this mountain was a completely different story.
Going downhill is definitely my nemesis. There are huge granite slabs and steep rocky sections where I feel much less secure, and I found myself carefully picking my way down more than once. LOL.
The granite slabs that humbled me on the way down.
Our Nighttime Visitor
That night, we camped at the Blood Mountain campsite — and we apparently had an unexpected visitor.
We never actually saw a bear, but we are pretty confident that one explored our campsite during the night.
Around 2:00 a.m., all of us were awakened by loud crashing branches and what sounded like grunting. Lynx and Michelle E. were camping about 50 feet away from Estella and me, and Lynx said he could hear what sounded like chomping on a bone.
In the morning, we discovered that several trees, including some with trunks approximately four inches in diameter, had been broken and were lying across the trail between the campsites.
I spent quite a while sitting in my tent clutching my bear spray until things finally became quiet again.
I also heard what sounded like several other critters moving around the tents during the night at this particular campsite. I couldn't see outside, so I can't really identify them, but it sounded like raccoons or something similar.
And yet, strangely enough, there is just something incredibly beautiful about lying in a tent in the middle of the forest, listening to the sounds of God's creation moving around you. Even when you don't know exactly what is making the noise!
Water
Water gathering also felt much more relaxed on this trip. We all had good equipment, and the water sources were spaced well enough that we didn't feel the same stress about making sure we had enough water. Gathering and filtering water for the group has actually become a fun team exercise. Everyone pitches in, and it is one of those simple tasks that makes you feel like you are really part of a hiking community.
A team effort now — nobody carrying that stress alone anymore.
Calling It at Neel Gap
Our original plan was to finish this section at Hogpen Gap, approximately mile 38.2. But when we reached Neel Gap at mile 31.3, we decided to call it.
And you know what?
We stopped at the fabulous Mountain Crossings store, where we enjoyed some very welcome hot pizza. Afterward, we all agreed that we had accomplished what we came to do. We didn't need to force another seven miles just so we could say we had reached our original destination.
That was actually an important lesson for me.
The success of the trip wasn't determined by whether we reached mile 38.2. We had challenged ourselves, experienced the trail together, reached Blood Mountain, navigated some difficult terrain, gathered our water, survived our nighttime visitors, and made memories.
Seven additional miles weren't going to make the trip more successful.
A New Friend
Our only real problem was that we had no car waiting for us at Neel Gap.
So we got to make a new friend!
Bret "Suches" Eady, of AT Hiker Shuttle, came to our rescue. He was able to transport all of us — and all of our gear — to Hogpen Gap. Lynx then took Michelle E. and me back to our cars.
Another problem solved by the kindness of people we met along the trail.
This was such an awesome adventure, and by the time we got home, all of us were already talking about how much we couldn't wait to get back.
How God Spoke to Me
I started this adventure with a very heavy heart.
There had been a lot happening in my personal life, and I felt like I was experiencing spiritual attacks from several directions. I was tired. I was hurting. And I was very grateful for the opportunity to step away from the noise and spend a few days listening for God.
One of the Bible stories that originally led me to seek truth in the wilderness was the story of Elijah.
There is something about Elijah's story that has always resonated deeply with me. Elijah obeyed God. He went where God told him to go. And yet, eventually, the brook dried up.
That part of the story is important to me.
The brook didn't dry up because Elijah had failed. It didn't dry up because he had stopped obeying God. In fact, Scripture tells us that Elijah had done exactly what God had instructed him to do.
The brook dried up because God had something else for Elijah.
When the brook dried up, God didn't abandon Elijah. He simply told him to move on to the next place where God would provide for him. And God's methods were not what Elijah might have expected. God provided through ravens at the brook, and later through a widow at Zarephath.
That has given me tremendous comfort.
Sometimes life changes in ways we don't expect — or certainly don't want, and often do not understand. And when that happens, it can be very easy to interpret the change as punishment. We can assume that because something we depended upon has ended, we must have done something wrong.
But Elijah's story reminds me that a provision can end without God's faithfulness ending.
Sometimes the brook dries up because God is moving us somewhere else.
The methods may be unusual. The next step may be surprising. The path may not look anything like what we imagined.
But God is still God.
So, on this trip, I found myself coming back to a very simple prayer:
I don't know what the next part of my journey will look like. But I am learning that I don't have to know.
I just have to keep following Him.
If you would like to read Elijah's story: 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 2.