Tough day.  

Severe thunderstorms, which were cold.  

The Trail got slippery and difficult right away.  I had a couple of complications.   A couple miles in, my calf caused me to limp for a couple steps and then pulled me up short.  

Stopped.   I could not walk.  

I had to sit down in the middle of the muddy Trail to massage my right calf for a long time, while being lashed by ice rain,  60+ mph winds, and the full wrath of God.  It was a low moment.  After massaging for a long time I was able to go another half mile.   I started my massage again and continued- I slowly limped  into the nearest shelter which was fortunately only 2 1/2 miles from me at that point.  

I joined many other freezing hypothermic hikers there.   I cannot tell you how focused we were on getting into our dry clothes and into a sleeping bag until we could warm up enough to think.  

Just before the Shelter, in the last part of this delightful little journey, I slipped hard and slammed down onto my left shoulder.  I bounced up fearful that I had just flushed $250,000 worth of surgery down the drain but my left shoulder – which has been totally replaced surgically – seemed fine after all.  We all stayed in the shelter that night; the storms were unbelievable.

Here’s a couple of short movies I took when I finally warmed up enough to get out of the sleeping bag.  

Woke up and had someone take my picture outside of my tent.  As you can see, I’ve adopted the arch countenance of a savvy Thru-Hiker who’s not as dumb as he looks.

Next.  Throughout this hike I thought of what Next has meant to my life.  There has always been something next.  The next job, the next apartment, the next relationship.  During my entire life in the Army, there has always been the next training school, the next place we’re going, the next big project, the next new doctrine, and of course, -always- the next rank. 

Even on the Appalachian Trail I now find myself with hamster-head (hamster on a wheel inside the head) about the next stream to refill on water, the next camp site, the next mountain, the next weather pattern, the next meal, the next shelter, and the next resupply point.
   

Maybe it’s time for Now.  Memory asked me if there was something ‘next’ for me after the hike.  I don’t think so.  I came upon this little stand of wildflower Mountain Bluets standing in the middle of the Trail in North Carolina today.  I took my pack off and watched the breeze caress them gently for a while.  It was enough to make one cry.  Now. 

Left Lance Creek campsite, crossed ultimately up and over the dreaded Blood Mountain and moved on to the famous Neel Gap site for the night.   Considering the mountain, the biggest for us yet, this was a decent day for me.  My legs are a little better.  What was I whining about all that time?  Anyway, I chugged along and got to Neel Gap.  Forgot to tell you:  all of the Trail so far is up and down Georgia mountains . . .real elevation changes constantly it seems. 

This (Neel Gap) is historically a significant landmark for Thru-Hikers to get to for two main reasons: 

1.)  several facilities are set up to cater to the Thru-Hiker who has just had his first whole week of body shock-and-awe, and 2.) many people quit here as it is on a major road that people can use to bail out of the whole thing:  see ‘The Tree’.

I took advantage of the facilities.  Got a neck massage from physical therapy students set up under a tent, talked to a physical therapist about my quads for a long time (you’ll be good- looks like some good ole’ bilateral overuse pain), poked around the store, resupplied. 

Hung out at a fire that night with about 8 guys who were moving on the next morning.  It was a UN assembly again.  We told jokes, measured dicks, some guys had beer, and we all felt like leaving Neel Gap in the morning and heading North was when the real Appalachian Trail begins!  When does this goddamned thing start? At the fire I was with Sponge-Bob, Echo, Tree-Hugger, Night Walker, Scarecrow, etc . . . you see, some guys are already getting their Trail names.  I don’t have one yet. . . plenty of time for that.  Funny stories behind the names.  (i.e. One of the guys got called a tree hugger in two separate incidents the same day, and by coincidence is an arborist, and so got the name Tree-Hugger.  Perfect!  You should hear him tell the story.  Meeting some really cool guys out here.)

Came up and over Springer Mountain and stopped at the top to see the even more iconic plaques at the peak of Springer Mountain (the historic and real start point of the venture- I’ll explain when I get back!)   Sustained ice rain began shortly after I left Springer.   But, though my legs/quads were on fire, I marionetted onwards.  Drinking tons of water.   With rain coming late afternoon I bailed out into Hawk Mountain campsite versus Shelter.  Got a good spot, set up in time for the rain and was in the sleeping bag as it got dark when the torrents began.  Hellfire storm, with protracted lightning flashes, thunder, sudden hail, and, I kid you not- machine gun fire.  So, as I’m laying there, another hiker walked by and saw my light on in my tent and asked over if the machine gun fire worried me.  Nope. ” Why, do you know what it is?”  Yep.  “What?”  It is U.S. Army Ranger School, Mountaineering Phase, in progress this fine evening.  You see, 35 years ago, to this month, I was myself a student at this very school, training in this very stretch of the Chatahootchee National Forest,  and they still train right here and you just heard a Raid in progress.   The kid was amazed, and stood outside my tent asking me all about it for awhile.  We had a good laugh and he ambled on.  Fitful night of sleep due to the cold (still haven’t caved in to getting a ‘puffy’ jacket) and my legs adjusting. In the morning as I went downhill to get water for the day’s hike, I passed this same guy’s tent and we talked in the morning light for awhile.  His name is Nate and he is an Outward Bound Instructor for the Everglades portion.  Of course I pumped him all about that course and what he does there -it was fascinating, and he wanted to know more about my Army training,  and we talked all about the AT as well.   Then I was off . . .