May
19, 1981 - Tuesday From Gonzo!s Appalachian
Trail journal
During
the night, a tremendous storm blew in quickly catching us (young
Bill and I ) camped below Gooch Gap Lean-to. The tent stayed dry
inside except for a little dribble. Didn’t get up until around
10:00 and got going late. Older Bill decided to hang it up, and
went to Suches to get a ride home. Now down to just one Bill
and me.
We
walked approximately 14 miles to Neel’s Gap (so much for our
5 miles per day). We had made it to Neel’s gap and are very
glad, especially since there was a large supply store, and boarding
with one room left. We grabbed it for $15 ($7.50 a piece). We plan
on sleeping late and going only 5 miles or so tomorrow. I had to
learn to walk a new way to keep my blister from getting worse. I
think they may even be getting better. The fog today was great,
but views were limited until the top of Blood Mountain. Took a lot
of senic shots. I possibly saw a bear cub while on the way down
from Blood Mountain. Something caught my eye, but not sure what
it was. I had a hot shower this evening at the Walasii Inn, and
washed my shirt and socks in the basin. Saw another orchid and this
time took a picture of it. We won’t get to another supply store
for about 100 miles so we have to pack a lot of food. The owneres
of the Walasii Inn have a large German Shepherd dog that roams the
house and is very freindly. Our room seems to be connected and more
or less part of their home from what I can remember. I carried part
of a stick of Summer Sausage that I had been nibbling on from the
start of the trip that my father had made and given to me at when
I left Illinois.
(Although we did not know anything about this yet, on this date:
May 19, 1981 Appalachian Trail hikers Susan Ramsay and Robert Mountford
Jr., both 27-year-old social workers from Maine, were last seen
at a Bland County, Virginia store, about 500 miles north of us.)
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