Day 2

Hawk Mountain Shelter to Gooch Mountain Shelter 7.6 miles – AT mile 15.7

Card of the day – Page of Swords

So last night at camp was really good.  Everyone was friendly on the whole.  What was nice was that we were early enough in camp to hang out a little.

Before you knew it there was a roaring fire.

Just before we lost the sun, I hit the sack.  The thing about the evenings is that they have been really cold and nights down to almost freezing (don’t forget to sleep with your filter, folks).

With dinner I was able to enjoy the can of IPA which Goldie had gifted me.  There were a number of happy hikers at camp enjoying the same!

Is there a Bear?

At about 12:30 p.m. there was this loud shout of “hay!”

So that’s it, I think there is a bear in camp and I start to panic!  Then I remember I still have my lip balm in my bag pocket, and even maybe some Werthers original!  I’m defiantly getting eaten by said bear and it’s only day one!

Turns out the shouter was just sleep shouting.  No bear, no drama!

In the morning, camp was set up and all ready to go just before 10:00 a.m.  A number of people greeted me by Cool Breeze, so it’s starting to stick.

Today’s walks can only be described as ups and downs, forests and streams!  Today’s highest point was just under 3,350 ft.  The weather has been perfect hiking weather, not to hot, not to cold.  The steep sections were hard but over real quick.

This day will be one of those days that I look back and remember as being one of the good ones.

As we were hiking, we met Firefly, who is on the last leg of her Triple Crown, and Grommet, who is from Bognor Regis.  Firefly gave some really good advise, enjoy the sunshine because it will rain and stop hiking when you’re done for the day.

We met a guy called Mike who was giving out free Snickers bars, thank you Sir.

At the shelter

Finally, we made it to the shelter, it was just after 3:00 p.m., the sun was shining, and we decided to stay, after all, we had been told to enjoy the sun when it shines, and you don’t take the advise of a triple crowner lightly!

At the shelter we ran into Goldie. “Hay Cool Breeze, did the trail name stick!”

I was so happy to be able to tell him that it had, and he beamed!  He told me that he had not given any one a trail name on his thru-hike and he would text Gangster and let him know.  He was giving out Orieo’s and taking hikers’ trash out for them!  What a hero!