Day 5 Sunday
We finished our first 5 day section in good time: we arrived at Neel’s Gap in time for lunch - and to claim one of the 4 remaining cabins. The last stretch, although only approximately 12 km, was tough: The name Blood Mountain sounded ominous enough: but the elevation profile was scary. Everyone seems to have started a little earlier, knowing that the cabins were limited in number and the hostel first come first serve. Starting out gently with a few kilometres of contour paths and the sound of quite a few industrious woodpeckers, we eventually arrived at the bottom of Blood Mountain, the third highest mountain in Georgia (4458 feet) and the highest on the Georgia AT section. The name Blood Mountain commemorates the battles between the Cherokee and the Creek on the slopes of the mountain. The name of the creek at the bottom of the mountain, Slaughter Creek, even more so. The ascent was tough, but way more gentle and less technical than the descent. We took a welcome break at the top, with awesome uninterrupted views of the surrounding mountains. The Blood Mountain Shelter is located here. With its fireplace it seems like a good spot to stay over, but regulations state that hikers without bear canisters cannot camp here or anywhere in the five miles between Jarrard Gap and Neel’s Gap. Bear canisters are expensive and extremely bulky and we decided to avoid the problem by hiking through the section instead of camping there.
After a long and technical descent we rounded the last mountain and saw the hostel around the bend. As we approached Kate and her buddy “Tune Up” came down the steps and we followed them to the cabins. At reception we were greeted by friendly and patient staff and a cosy fire. We ordered some pizza and unwound with some coffee. A bonus: one load of laundry included in the price of $72 for a very neat and totally equipped cabin for four with lovely views over the surrounding mountains and still stark trees. It must be awesome to stay here in autumn. We looked forward to a great night’s rest and some serious business at the hikers’ outfitters early the following day.
Kilometres completed: 65 km
Blisters: none
Bears: none
Squirrels: one
Turkey vultures: two
Blue birds of happiness: one