This section of the AT is fairly unremarkable. There are relatively few vistas, but after all it’s about the hike, stupid. Within the first mile, I came to the Gooch Gap shelter. Since I have seen relatively few of the AT shelters, I am always curious enough to walk up and take a look. This one was a small wooden building with an open front and a loft area, not very inviting by my standards. It also has an open air privy, which was at best functional, but welcome at that point none the less.
I am getting familiar enough with the AT in Georgia that I am finding myself giving rather than asking for directions. I encountered a lone hiker early on, and he stopped me and asked where there was a water source (which I was able to accurately direct him to). About 45 minutes, a encountered another lone hiker who was looking for someone, After getting the description, I realized that he was looking for the guy who asked about the water, so I sent him off in the right direction.
Having now finished “A Walk in the Woods”, I am more aware of the fact that hikers often get separated. This fact was underscored by fresh writing (an initial and an arrow) in the dirt. Even as it seems there is nobody for miles, you often encounter signs like this that show just how much the trail is used.
After a moderate climb, I came to an unusual area of dense small Poplar trees. It seemed really unusual to see them so close together. I suspect it has something to do with the fact the Hurricane Opal heavily damaged this area some years back. Perhaps the Poplars sprang up to fill the gap after all the hardwood trees were knocked down (recalling succession from high school Biology).
Following the trees and a fairly steep descent, I came to Justice Creek, which marks the low point of this section. It is a large and fast moving creek, with numerous small waterfalls.
Next, I managed the steepest climb in this section, to the top of Ball Mountain. I could see FS 42 snaking around in the distance. I knew that if I made the descent to the road, I would just have to
repeat the difficult climb. That being said, it seemed like the hike was incomplete without it, so I bit the bullet and went all the way to FS 42. I ended up being glad I did, because this was one of the more scenic areas, including a cave formed by the overhang of a giant rock.After getting through the return climb, I was feeling pretty smug about the prospect of completing a 10 mile hike on my 52th birthday. That was at least until I encountered a woman at least 10 years my senior. She was hiking with her husband, but was well ahead of him. We had a good chat, and she gave me much information about the topology of the area, and the numerous trail reroutings that had occurred over the years.
As usual, I prayed at the beginning of the hike that the Lord would use the solitude to speak to me, and I spent a good bit of the time in thought, expecting some great spiritual insight. Instead, my mind kept turning back to work, and how I am trying to figure out how to market the retooled company in order to save jobs. Since I am a techie by nature, marketing is an area of great insecurity for me (I told a friend this week I knew less about marketing than about cooking, about which I know nothing). Half way through the hike, I suddenly came up with two very good marketing ideas. I then recognized that God was in fact answering my prayer asking for insight, but in a more practical way than I expected. It seems at times he has to hit me over the head to get my attention.
While I had encountered few people on the trip up, it was crowded by comparison on the way back. I ran into multiple scout troops, a family who had decided to make camp three feet from the trail, and a group of about 20 people, apparently on a trip, assembled at the picnic area at Gooch Gap.
I arrived back at my car after 4 hours and 15 minutes, a bit tired, but in remarkably good shape for a 52 year old.
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