Appalachian Trail 2019, Day 5: Neel Gap to Low Gap Shelter

After a much-needed night off my feet at Blood Mountain Cabins, day five was all about getting back into trail rhythm - eleven miles from Neel Gap to Low Gap Shelter, with a greasy breakfast, a nagging knee, and a stranger's trail magic along the way. Watch the video below, then read on for how the day unfolded.

A Greasy Breakfast and a Slow Start

After a good night's rest at Blood Mountain Cabins, I walked back up to Mountain Crossings around 9:10am to get back on the trail. Before heading out, I grabbed a cheeseburger and a Welch's grape juice for breakfast - greasy diner food at nine in the morning, but when you're carrying your calories on your back, you stop caring whether something counts as a breakfast food. Being able to prop my feet up the night before and actually look over the guidebook to plan out the days ahead made the morning feel that much more relaxed.

Ridge Walking and a Cranky Knee

Right past Mountain Crossings is the famous tree hung with boots left behind by hikers who called it quits after four or five days - a strange little roadside memorial to everyone who didn't make it this far. From there I settled into a long, level ridge walk, maybe a mile or more, with a cool breeze in the 70s and glimpses of mountains through the trees on both sides. I topped off water at a spring just off the trail and took an ibuprofen for what felt like the start of tendonitis in my left knee - trying to ration them a little since I only had enough to last the rest of the trip.

Cowrock Mountain for Lunch

I made my way up to Cowrock Mountain for a lunch break, with views out over the ridge lines that made the stop worth it. Somewhere around there I'd also heard warnings about copperhead snakes in the area, which kept me a little more alert than usual as I looked for a spot to sit down and eat.

Trail Magic at Hogpen Gap

Coming out of Hogpen Gap, I got my first real taste of trail magic. A gentleman named Roy was set up at the gap and offered me fruit and ice-cold water as I walked by - I was genuinely giggling with excitement, since carrying fruit yourself is heavy and not something most hikers bother with. A banana and an orange never tasted so good. Roy and I traded stories for a while - he showed me pictures from the previous winter, when the trees nearby had been coated in ice and a crew of climbers were scaling the icicles that had formed off the mountainside just down the road. He also pointed me toward Brasstown Bald for later in the trip. Small moments like that are exactly why trail magic sticks with you.

Settling in at Low Gap

From Hogpen Gap it was another four and a half miles to Low Gap Shelter, and I rolled into camp around 5 to 5:30 - about as late as I like to arrive, since I prefer getting camp set up, eating, and getting my feet up well before dark. There was plenty of room at Low Gap, and only four of us at camp that night: two guys I'd end up camping with each of the remaining nights, and a young woman planning to hike all the way to Virginia. Trail life had settled into its own rhythm by now - everyone up around six, quiet by eight, asleep by nine. An easy, satisfying eleven-mile day, capped off by good company and a well-earned rest.