Ice Cream at Neel Gap

Two days into my hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT), I found myself in the middle of Winter Storm Fern, hurtling toward the trail path. I was in North Georgia immensely enjoying the beauty of this environment with its mountains, forests, variety of birds, campgrounds, and the few people I had met along the way: a trail ambassador, two section hikers on the Benton MacKaye Trail, and a trail maintenance volunteer.

Mountain Crossings (MTX) Outfitters and Lodge in Neel Gap

I arrived at the famous MTX Outfitters and Hostel in Neel Gap, near Blairsville, GA. The first thing I saw when descending Blood Mountain were dozens and dozens of shoes and boots hanging from a large tree, which has become an iconic image of this first part of the AT through a northbound hike. Apparently, the shoes and boots came from hikers who may have finished their hike at Neel Gap after about 30 miles of trail, or from hikers who continued on but decided their current footwear wasn’t working for them and needed to be replaced, or maybe even from those who just wanted to throw their shoes up a tree for no particular reason…

Fern

Here I was at Neel Gap, the first stopping point right on the AT, maybe for a hostel stay or some gear changes/upgrades or a resupply or pack check to re-evaluate the load. Neither of these options came to mind and I was planning to hike to the Hiawassee, GA area, about 40 miles by trail. Then I found out about Fern. The largest ice storm projected for this part of Georgia in over 10 years. People from the outfitters and some professionals from the national forest service explained the risks and consequences of continuing to walk during a storm of this magnitude. I listened and decided to ride out the storm there. I checked into the hostel and that’s when my hiking experience really took off.

Pre-Storm Walk

Hiker Hostel

The hostel was very clean and felt comfortable. I thought I would be the only one there since I hadn’t met any other hikers in the two days I was on the trail. Then, Sam walked through the door. He was from Arkansas and was on his first hike. He checked in the day before and had just walked 14 miles round trip on a somewhat busy road to buy groceries and other supplies at the Dollar General. We started talking and we got along well. He was such a kind person that he shared with me some of his food that he had just walked 14 miles to buy. The next day, Steeltoe, Annika and Emily showed up; all through hikers. Again, super nice people who really clicked. We hung out, ate instant grits, told stories of trail adventures, misfortunes (losing gear on the trail, broken gear, stumbles and trips), and laughed a lot.

MTX

Throughout, the staging staff (Broadway, Six Pack, Pep Talk) at MTX were incredible and attentive. I found your compassion for the current storm situation very genuine. They checked on us, wanted to know our plans, and provided us with backup water, food, lighting, and fuel when the power went out. We hung out in the operation part by the wood stove when it was cold. I can’t say enough about their kindness and assistance. Plus, Pep Talk’s homemade casserole was possibly the best I’ve ever eaten!

Fern’s reality

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Fern was a very scary, dangerous and destructive storm for numerous people and communities. As a small example in our neck of the woods, we had previously met a hiker named Liam and his dog Sadie who were camped on the AT about a quarter mile from MTX. During the heart of the ice storm, we walked to where they were camped to check on them. That was a pretty sketchy event with trees creaking, branches breaking, and ice falling along the trail for the short distance traveled. The good news was that everyone was safe. They returned with us to the clothing store and were put up for the night. However, on our way back, a huge tree broke and fell on the path where 20 minutes earlier it was clear. Oh!

Group of hikers visiting our friends camping near Neel Gap

Moments

Fern slowed me down, which was fortuitous since I met these cool hikers that I probably wouldn’t have encountered. We got to know each other, reveal parts of our lives, play guitar and ukulele, share meals, and exchange trail stories. Let’s hope local communities and people stay safe and recover from this storm. I’m a lucky guy to have been stuck in the lodge for four days because I was able to meet and interact extensively with hikers, National Forest Service professionals, and experienced MTX providers who cared enough to explain the realities of this storm in the context of the AT and the extended weather forecast, which helped me (and I think all of us) decide to hold off and wait for the ice to go away.

With Emily and Annika walking after the storm

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