Usually when you hike up a mountain you are rewarded with a great view and then all difficulties disappear as you take in the immensity of Mother Nature’s beauty.
I said normally. The next leg of my hike had views of dense fog. Although I admit that I love the misty forest atmosphere. My northeastern witch soul lights up at the mixture of fog and greenery.
However, sleeping in soaked clothes does not illuminate my witch soul.
Cue the hostels:
I decided to walk to Jarrard Gap and stay at Hidden Pond Hostel. Getting picked up in Jarrard meant a long walk down a dirt road (which is closed) to get to the main road where Olivia could pick me up. In the gloomy twilight, not sure if I was on the right path, this walk seemed like the beginning of a horror movie. A naïve Canadian is hiking in the southern Appalachians and takes a wrong path to a terrifying private property. Or point out any of the scary Appalachian myths… Needless to say, I was getting nervous and was extremely relieved to see Olivia.
What I liked most about this place were THE DOGS! There are three sweet puppies, one of which, Samson, a large white standard poodle, reminded me a lot of my oldest son, Luigi. There was also a little Pomeranian, Paddington, and a beautiful Australian Shepherd, Jane.
The puppy’s hugs healed my nostalgic heart a little. And there were also baby chicks, turkeys, a variety of chicken species, and a funny rooster!
Olivia was very sweet and accommodating and there was even a boot dryer so I was able to dry my shoes!
The lodge was also unique for its religious character. There were Bible verses and figurines decorating the inside, and Olivia let me know there was a table with free Bibles if I wanted to use one or take one. I’m not a Christian, so I didn’t do it, but I thought it was a very charming and sweet representation of southern Appalachian religious tendencies.
Olivia also offered pickles and fruit for the hikers:
Loose packaging up to Neel Gap:
The next day I packed up from Jarrard Gap, headed up Blood Mountain to Neel Gap (Mountain Crossings). Packing loose was a great pleasure! I will definitely do it again.
Unfortunately, my view from Blood Mountain was pure fog, but it was cold to see the stone shelter at the top. I admit that the shelter gave me a Blair Witch Project feeling, so I probably wouldn’t want to stay there, especially alone.
Arriving at the iconic Mountain Crossings store was an exciting experience. I saw the tree with the shoes on it and was grateful that my shoes weren’t on the quit tree.
I decided to spend the night at the Mountain Crossings lodge.
It’s a minimal bunkhouse, but you have a shower, laundry, and a dry place to rest. They even had a gluten free pizza! The woman working (I don’t remember her name, but her route name is Broadway, and it’s amazing!) was very attentive when I told her I have a gluten allergy. He put the pizza on a tray instead of on the rack where the other pizzas go and left the pizza uncut for me because the cutter was used on regular pizzas.
Better. Frozen. Gluten free pizza. EVER! Honestly, this was a highlight for me because I didn’t think getting a pizza here was an option for me. I was so happy to eat that pizza!
The next morning I got an early start, hitting the trail at 7am and hiking to the Low Gap Shelter, where I luckily camped with another woman I’ve been making progress with along the trail. Thank goodness for friendly faces!
I am grateful for the people I meet on the trail, the scenery, and my body for walking these miles!
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