Monday

It is March 16, 2020. We are at Mountain Crossing at mile 31.1. It is at the first major pass on the Appalachian Trail.

There is a lot of debate from time to time about the name of this pass which is just a couple miles past the peak of blood mountain.

Forest Service=Neels Gap. Mountain Crossing Outfitters=Neel Gap. He who shall not be named=Gniel’s Gap.

Win and I are staying at Blood Mountain Cabins and Country Store, sharing a cabin with the Finns and Victoria, a pre-med through hiker. We got the through hiker rate.

Using the through hiker rate and sharing a cabin it comes out cheaper than the hostel at Mountain Crossing —and it includes laundry.

We are in the Raccoon Cabin. The rumor is that someone shot and stuffed the raccoons for trying to steal some through hiker’s food.

I figure that probably isn’t true.

So, rain or not, today we had a great hike and got here before noon. To start we packed up and left our campsite and got on the trail by 7:21.

That made for a little hiking in the dark, but not too much. First time using my new head lamp.

Having done Blood Mountain and checked in we are now clean, warm, showered and getting laundry done. A little resupply and we will head out tomorrow morning.

We probably will resupply in four more days.

No vista pictures from today since it was all mist, wind and a little rain.

But the weather is so much milder than it was a year or two ago. It is a great time to do a Nero (short day, resupply and laundry/showers).

Note. Somehow the software posted two different versions of the same post (I was editing and playing with it). Made me smile.

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