Got a late start out of Neel Gap today, which turned out to be a mistake as it exposed me to an afternoon rain shower . Oh, one of the pictures on a previous post was of a tree in front of the store at Neel Gap, where hikers throw their shoes when they quit the trail at Neel Gap. Apparently a large number quit here. I can’t say I blame them as the trek from Amicolala Falls is very hard. Throw in a little rain and you have the makings of potential problems.
The walk this morning was nice until the descent from Cowrock Mountain to Tesnatee Gap, which was steep and difficult. At the bottom of this descent, we encountered some Trail Magic from a church group. The food and drink was much welcomed. After an hour or so on the climb out of Tesnatee Gap, the rain and hail, yes hail, began. It was coming down hard. When I arrived at Low Gap, Bradley, one of my new found friends directed me to a flat area to pitch my tent. Most of my things were wet. Fortunately, my sleeping bag was only peripherally wet. I discovered that if I slept with wet socks on my hands in my sleeping bag
, they dry quite nicely during the night. Cooked dinner in the rain at the shelter. Had a good nights sleep despite it raining.
Here are a few photos from the day.
Appalachian Trail 