Blood mountain thru hiker festival Mountain Cossings

2/27/27016

On yesterday  we were dropped off at Woody Gap, we were hiking with Baby Chicken  and Optimistic  Dreamer-more about him later. We hiked 8 miles up part of Blood Mountain to Woods Hole shelter. It was very cold and windy but when hiking uphill with 27 lbs or so on your back you are not cold at all, until you stop that is.  Some very pretty sights on the way up, we had our picture  taken on Preaching  Rock by a couple of day hikers. The views from there are amazing.  When we made the shelter about 4 pm we got and treated water. I must say I’ve never drank any better water than what is coming from these streams we are encountering.  We cooked mountain house beef stew and Ramen for dinner on the alcohol stove. It was so windy  the stove kept blowing out but we managed to get dinner done. It was cold.  We hit our sleeping bags as soon as it got dark. There was a Jewish man from Atlanta and his son who were camping there for the next two nights  and they did their Sabbath celebration right there at the picnic  table.  I know they had to be cold. I  slept warm but put my clothes, steri pen and water bottle in the bottom of my sleeping bag along with the phone so they wouldn’t freeze. I also slept in base layer pants and shirt and was thankful  for the warm sleeping bag. 

Today we got up, split a foil chicken pack  for breakfast,  got packed up and headed up Blood Mountain.  It was almost straight up the mountain but the switchbacks helped. I fell on some icy rocks a couple more times to add to my collection of bruises and sore muscles but again thankfully that was all. On top of Blood mountain  it was spectacular,  what we really came to see. There is a stone shelter for hikers on the mountain which is 5000 feet high. I bet the hikers who stayed last night for real froze up there.  We then began walking down and it was something.  There are giant rocks you have to carefully navigate down through and a slip could easily cause an injury.   The descent should be called “bolder toss”.  At the bottom of Blood Mountain  is Neels Gap where the infamous Mountain Crossings outfitter is. It’s the place where hikers throw their shoes in the trees as they quit their hike.  Of course  we kept  our shoes and have no plans to quit. At the store they were having a huge thru hiker kickoff party and folks were everwhere. Vendors were set up etc. We made inquiries about staying at the hostel but the guy said be prepared for an all night party in there lots of young people were coming in and it would be raucous . That’s not our cup of tea at all so we caught a shuttle to Blairsville,  GA where we are in a motel. Some members  of the local church  of

View from preaching rock

Christ are picking us up in the morn

Me. Brad and Baby Chicken  on Preaching  Rock

Woods Hole shelter,  check out that snow

View going up Blood mountain

Hiker shelter on top of Blood Mt

Top of Blood Mt view

White blaze on rocks on way down to mark trail

Mountain  Crossings at Neel Gap

Christ are picking us up and taking us to Sunday  school and morning service.
  It will be great to worship.  Depending on how long we are at church it may be to late to hit the trail and we may catch the trail  Monday morning.   Will update next trail stop.