Ups and downs (duh) – The Trek

Day Three: Gooch Gap to Wood’s Hole

A storm woke me up at 4 in the morning. I dreamed that I was taking a test and I ran out of time and the rest of the class made fun of me. Uh oh, is my subconscious thinking too much about Katahdin?

Samwise and I walked together during the day to Wood’s Hole Shelter, about 12 miles. The pellets of mouse poop in the shelter made us wonder if we should take our tents for a spin.

«Someone’s going to have to sweep that up,» I said.

“In my culture, women sweep,” Sam said before quickly continuing with “IT’S JUST A JOKE.”

«Well, in my culture men make fires, so let’s get to work,» I laughed.

Sam spent the afternoon stoking a desperate fire while I attempted to carve some dry, fibrous wood into a shape that looked like some sort of guitar. Both projects ended unsuccessfully, but we enjoyed each other’s company and tried it anyway. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, two more hikers showed up.

“Are you Sam and Charlotte?” the tall man asked. He had heard about us from two hikers we met in Springer. Man, word on the trail spreads fast. After officially introducing ourselves, he told us the story of a “hawk hitting” two mice that were trying to get into his store the night before. I tried to create a trail name that could live up to the story.

“Whack a mole?” I suggested. In the end he decided that he was a goalkeeper.

The other hiker was a woman named Laura, the only other hiker I had seen who was about my age. We dined in good company and were proud to be part of «the bear gang», since we all wore one.

Day Four: Low Gap Lows

The day started with Blood Mountain, which Sam and I trudged up before meeting up again with Whack-a-mole. The three of us took in the views and fed off the excitement of Neel Gap waiting for us. When we completed a steep, rocky descent and I heard the first sound of cars, I couldn’t help but jump into Mountain Crossing with a big smile.

We stocked up on junk food (and an orange!) before completing our 15.7 mile day. Sam and I never seemed to run out of things to talk about: why we were here, how absurd it felt to be here, and the gratitude we felt for something as simple as walking. Although I was not always happy and grateful. The last four miles had me making promises to my body like it was a car on the E that just needed to turn the corner to the gas station. Please, body, if you take me to this shelter I will eat a huge dinner, I swear!

Just as the car was breaking down, Sam pointed to a sign that said «shelter» and said, «I hope you’re proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.»

Whack-a-mole had already set up camp, but before I could greet him, I found myself distracted by two horses standing next to the shelter.

«Alright, Amish friend, you take it from here,» I said to Sam. As we got closer, I noticed four dogs, an older man and a little girl. The vibrations were strange to say the least. After a brief conversation in which the two seemed uninterested, they took off with the horses, leaving behind a giant pile of horse shit next to the only water source. Excellent! As hikers walked in search of water, we advised them to go upstream.

Ignoring the encounter, I started making the dinner I’d been thinking about all day: a plant-based Southwestern burrito. Mountain Crossing had not disappointed me with the refill options and I had my omelet ready for a hearty scoop of hot beans and rice. Hungry and delirious, I aimed for the omelet but my wrist knocked over the pot of boiling water. Silence fell over the picnic table as Sam and Whack-a-mole rummaged through their first aid kits to find something suitable for a burn.

I was more bothered by the dinner break than by the fact that my left hand was on fire. I put it in the stream and then resumed my meal, eating the wet tortilla out of spite. After reading the log book, it seemed that many people had trouble sleeping here. Just when I was starting to think this place was cursed, Laura appeared at the top of the hill like burning sage ready to cleanse the place. We try to update it.

«Laura, you missed the horses. And Charlotte burned her hand.»

“I think you guys are making things up,” Laura said, plopping down on the picnic table with us. As proof, I showed him the new scar on my hand and pointed out the memory the horses left behind. «Oh. How did all these interesting things happen before I got here?»

The four of us sat and talked for hours as the sun set. Laura informed us of her plan to stay at the Around the Bend lodge the next night, and given how my night was going, I was on board. Whack-a-mole was also convinced after hearing that the Celtics would be playing the Sixers that night in Game 7, which they told me was a big deal.

The night quickly became one of my favorites of the trip so far. We all knew how to make each other laugh and the excitement of a day at the hostel was taking over us. A recurring conversation Sam and I had was about how intense emotions can be on the road. Still, we both agreed that swapping the mundane of the “real world” for the ups and downs of the OT was a no-brainer. A day of hiking is a day well spent.

Total AT miles traveled: 43

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.