Bud and Vicki Hogan's 1996 Appalachian Trail Journey
May 22
Justus Creek to 1/2 mile past Woody Gap.......................................................7 miles
Woke with the sun, ate oatmeal and drank hot chocolate. The mornings are still cool, even this late in the year, but the days are plenty warm. Broke camp early, said "so long" to the guys, and hit the trail. Waking early, and starting our daily hike early was to become another habit.
The long days of hiking were hard, but enjoyable. We were holding up quite well. Met "Wine Snob" at Gooch Gap, he was leap-frogging. Parking his camper, walking several miles in, then the same several miles back, driving to the next road and doing the same thing the next day.
Taz and Don got a later start but soon passed us. Don amazed us, he was an incredible hiker. When Vic and I finally made it to Woody Gap, Don and Taz were stretched out on their pads, under a tree, snacking on crackers, sardines and a cold Pepsi. I ask, "Where's the beer?" and he told me that the store he stopped in didn't have any. Taz had already made the 3 mile round trip to the first store in Suches for his resupply. Three miles and not one offer of a ride. (Remember his long hair, baseball cap, baggy pants, tattoo, and general "gang" appearance.)
I had planned our first mail drop in Suches to avoid carrying so much food up the approach trail from Amacalola Falls. I had read about what a steep hike it was. Good planning. But now I had to decide if at 3:40 pm, I could make it into town before the Post Office closed at 4:30. I had just done 7 hard miles and I was dog tired, but if I didn't make it tonight, then we would get a late start in the morning. Don and Taz volunteered to stay with Vicki. This took a load off of my mind and I decided to go. I hastily dumped everything out of my pack and started running the 2 miles to the Post Office (it's on the other side of town). Meanwhile, back at Woody Gap, Taz joked with Vicki that he hoped that I could get a ride, but he'd be pissed off if I did. I didn't have one offer of a ride all the way down to town.
I made it down in under twenty minutes. I was hoofing it.
I got to the post office, got my first mail drop (it was actually there, this really works) and was headed out of town with the dread of a 2 mile, up hill hike with a fully loaded pack, on my mind. This pack was heavy and it was going to be a long, hard, 2 miles. I stopped at a store to fill up my water bottles and had just started to walk when a white van stopped in the middle of the highway. The driver stuck his head out of the window and asked where I was going. I told him that I was headed up to Woody Gap to get back on the trail. He responded, "Do you want a ride?" THERE IS A GOD!!!!
I'm sure the look on my face was one of both amazement and joy. Talk about "trail magic", this was it. If I had been a minute later this van would have been long gone. I ran to get into the van before the driver changed his mind. (Talk about Taz, I didn't look too savory myself.)
On the way up to the Gap we exchanged introductions all around. There was the driver and two other passengers. I thanked him profusely for his kindness. He told me some about the trail and the Addis Gap feed, a yearly feast held for the thru-hikers. I'm really not sure what his role in it is, but I got the impression that he does a lot of work with it. I made the offhand comment that if I had known that I would have gotten a ride that I would have picked up a six-pack. He told me that it would have been impossible to buy beer because that county was "dry". Then he proceeded to tell me to help myself to one that was in the cooler. I opened the cooler beside me to find cold beer....now this is what I call "trail magic." I thanked him and told him that I would share this with my wife, where upon he insisted that I take another beer for her. I didn't refuse. At the top of the hill I thanked him again and offered to pay for the ride and the beer. He would take no money. He just made a comment about me doing something nice for someone else. No Problemo!!
He pulled away leaving me standing on the opposite side of the road from Don, Taz and Vicki, with two cold beers in my hand. Taz went ballistic. (good naturedly) I had made it into town and back, 4 miles, within 30 minutes. This was incredible time. I have a hard time believing it, myself. We all sat for a while sharing the beer. One for Don and Taz, one for Vicki and I. What a day. Here we were, strangers (except for Vicki and I), having met just the night before, and we were now old friends. That's what the trail does to people. Instant friends.
A half-mile past the road and up a hill, and we got to our campsite for that night. (we would learn that going to a road you go downhill, going past a road you go uphill...steep both ways, always.) Great spot. Great view. A rocky outcrop with a small, but nice camp spot behind it. We got a chance to know Don and Taz a little better. Great guys. We all ate our dinner out on the big, flat rock outcrop and shared the beautiful view and great company.
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