4/20/13 - Day 5

Lance Creek to Bull Gap
8.5 miles, 32.8 total

Today started off pretty slow, but got exciting really quickly. On top of Blood Mountain, at 4461 feet, the highest elevation so far, there is an AT shelter. But this one is different. It is built out of stone and has two separate rooms. It also has windows and doors. The views from Blood Mountain were also pretty spectacular, so I got some good pictures.

The hike down was quite intense. The elevation drops 1300 feet in 2 miles, which may not seem like much, but it actually is a pretty steep decline.

My favorite part of today was Neel Gap. It's the first place on the AT that you can resupply, buy gear, toss out unnecessary gear, mail stuff home, etc. There is an outfitter called Mountain Crossings right on the trail. They are famous for their "gear shakedowns", where you lay out all of your gear, and they go through it, helping you shave weight.

So I got a gear shakedown, and luckily, I didn't have too many places to shave weight. The main thing was my first aid kit and the fact that I was carrying too many stuff sacks. So I consolidated some stuff and sent some stuff home and probably saved half a pound.

I also replaced two of my stuff sacks with waterproof ones - my sleeping bag stuff sack (it's down, so if it gets wet it's useless) and my food bag (so I can hang a bear bag without all of my food getting soaked). I also bought some light camp shoes. Yay Crocs!

Afterwards, I hung out, bought a soda, and eventually headed out to hike another mile to a campsite. Tonight I am at a campsite with a whopping ten other people! And a dog! Let's see... there's Paul, another Paul, Brandon, Sarah, Alana, Ryder, Leo, Jasmine, and Boogie (the dog). There is also a guy and his son. Yeah.

Well, it's supposed to be another 30 degree night so I'm gonna go bury myself in my sleeping bag. Goodnight.