attroll

22 March 2010, Neels Gap
I convinced Hopper to stay one more day and slack pack me again. Hopper had to pick Ben (her dog) from the kennel though.

Hopper put me and another thru hiker named Dave who is from CT in at Woody Gap at 8:30. It was so peaceful and quite out in the woods with snow falling during the day.

Buddy (my troll on my pack) did not hike with me for the last two so now that means he is going to be known as a yellow blazer, that no good backpack free loading miniature troll.

Some time before Blood Mountain Shelter I came across an older guy with a fairly large tent. He was standing on the side of the trail with an axe in his hand holding it down to his side. He was definitely not a thru hiker. He gave me the creeps. I walked by him and was very careful and asked him if that was Blood Mountain up ahead, his reply was that he did not know. I picked up speed as soon as I got by.

When I got to Neels Gap today I ran into Lobsterman, Dave, Uncas, Gipc Girl, Trooper, Geo, and Mad Mike. I was so happy to run into them here because that means that when I get dropped off at Neels Gap tomorrow I be right back in with the same group I left off with. I will not have to pick up any miles to try to catch up with them now.

Joey now known as Ass Kicker was also given his trail name by me a couple of days ago after he left Hawk Mountain Shelter. He had his sneakers hanging from the bottom of his pack by their shoe laces and they kept kicking him in the butt. I told him we were going to name him Ass Kicker and the next thing I knew he had signed one of the registers using that name.