One thing I haven't really stressed is how nice the people are here. Yes, I set out alone but every night I meet up the folks I saw at lunch time or maybe the day before. If you forgot something, someone usually has extras to spare. And everyone has a different story to tell. Some folks are young, right out of college, others are in the 25+ range, and then there are the folks who just entered retirement. I'd say the trail statistics are correct regarding the gender breakdown; I've met only 3 other women and about 20 or so men.
Yesterday I slept in a little late. It rained all night long and all of Monday until about dinnertime, so I wasn't in any rush to get down the mountain. I decided to take a bypass route into Neels Gap - it didn't go over Blood Mountain and sidestepped all the steep stuff. I thought it would be better to baby my knee than to cause further injury. I don't want to sound cliche, but I think that side trail (Freeman Trail) was the most beautiful place I've seen thus far. I wanted to take pictures but I know my camera doesn't function in the rain. The rain cascaded over the rocks in some places, in dryer spots flowers grew from between the boulders. Later when I arrived at the Walasi-Yi Center in Neel's Gap I saw that the Blood Mountain Wilderness is some of the most visited areas of the trail. The folks here are lucky to have such beautiful scenery so close to home.
At any rate, I stayed the night at the center in the bunkhouse with all the other hikers left stranded by the rain. I got a shower and a load of wash done, and then some volunteer shuttle drivers came to take the lot of us to dinner in Blairsville at a buffet (all you can eat is shortened to AYCE in hiker lingo). Then we made obligatory stops at the CVS and the grocery store to refuel,and by the time we returned to the hostel it was 9pm. Some folks were ready for bed but others like me weren't ready yet; I think I stayed up till 11:30 or so, last one to bed. I think the shelter holds 14 people, and we were probably 12. And with that many people you know that a nighttime symphony is likely to take place. It wasn't enough to keep me from sleeping, however.
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