Blood and rain don’t mix

The strong stream of rain coming through the shelter window shook me from sleep early in the morning. The wind whipped around the outside of the shelter and came in through the open window in front of where we were. I stood there in the dark for a moment, soaking in the sound of the elements.

Rain, when it’s not drenching me in the cold night, has always been one of my favorite sounds.

Thank God we were out of it last night.

We quickly packed up, eager to warm up, eat hot food, and take a shower. Just as we were about to leave, Jesus stuck his head out the door of the shelter, dressed in all his rain gear and with a big smile on his face. He told us that the rest of the crew was right behind him and that they were planning to get off at Neels Gap.

It’s a shame we can’t spend a few more days with them, but so far it’s been great to share the road with them.

John and Justin arrived a few minutes later, all wearing similar rain gear. We chatted for a while before saying goodbye and promising to see them in the hole.

Today would be a short one, a quick 2.4 mile descent towards Neels Gap.

Blood Mountain was a slippery slope, the rocky terrain was slippery from overnight rain. We flew down, excited by the heat, the food and a dry environment. Fog and wind tore at our clothing and equipment as we ran down the mountain, jumping over rocks and roots. I had my raincoat over my puffer and could feel my back slick with sweat as we walked deeper and deeper into the gap.

Eventually the trail smoothed out and we could hear the sounds of the road below us. Chilly was ahead of me, running, when his foot hit a rock and he went completely out. Fortunately, he was fine, just a tear in his tights and mud smeared on his knee.

We laughed after confirming that she wasn’t too hurt. With the last obstacles behind us, we reach the gap… and the supplier.

The Gap caterer and lodge is located within an old historic building. In front, a large tree held hundreds of shoes thrown high in its branches, relics left by hikers who realized mid-trip that they needed something better. The building itself was made of ancient stone and thick wooden beams, solid and weathered in the best way.

We left our backpacks next to the piles of wood outside, grateful to be out of the now pouring rain.

Inside, we were greeted by the relaxed sound of house-style electronic music and the smell of fire smoke.

After walking around, looking at equipment… and food… we decided to order a pizza and relax by the fire. The door opened and J Crew entered. Soon, they also ordered pizzas and settled around us. It was all laughter and smiles as we enjoyed a hot meal and quiet conversation.

Finally it was time to say goodbye. Their shuttle had arrived. We shook hands, hugged, and wished them well, reminding them to stay safe out there.

Chilly and I decided to take a bunk and end the day at the hostel. They had finished cleaning early, so we went down to unload.

After going down the stairs, we opened the door and entered. The front room opened onto a common area and the kitchen, and a hallway to the right led us back to the bunk room, where we unpacked and made ourselves at home.

I took advantage of the free WiFi to call my family, write my blog from the day before, and respond to the countless messages that had accumulated while I was out of service. Check out brky. It felt good to be semi-civilized again.

Later in the evening, after a hot shower and a run through the washer and dryer, we headed back to the supplier to restock on food. I had misheard Chilly and bought three days worth of food instead of one…so much for losing weight before Around The Bend.

Finally, after resupplying, we headed back to the bunks. Tomorrow would be a big day and we needed all the rest we could get.

We spent the rest of the afternoon breaking into our food bags and getting everything ready for the next day’s early start. After a quick dinner and a phone call to a friend’s house, we settled in for the night.

Little by little, other hikers approached and settled. Before long, the bunk room became quiet, the kind of quiet where you could hear a pin drop. Then, after about an hour, soft snoring filled the room…

and I fell asleep.

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