AT '18 "The Florida Boys"
Day #7 Whitley Gap Shelter to Blue Mountain Shelter
March 15, 2018
Last night was so, so cold. And I was so uncomfortable laying on my foam pad on the hard shelter floor. I tossed and turned most of the night, trying to alternate which hip was throbbing/freezing. Knope and I just laid in our sleeping bags for awhile this morning, not wanting to get out into the cold and start the process of packing up just yet. It was incredibly windy today and it's exhausting to just be pummeled endlessly in the face while you are already tired and trying to exert yourself. I can see how the wind could possibly turn someone insane.
All of a sudden though, about halfway through our day today, we turned a corner and there was sunshine and NO WIND. We collapsed by a small waterfall and ate lunch, moaning somewhat inappropriately the entire time. The sun soaking into my black leggings and warming me up was bliss.
We were taking another break later when the ridge runner for the shelter passed by us. Her name was Kate and she was really nice and said she'd be seeing us there later that night. We asked if there was any room at the shelter when she left and she said there was, but a group of guys called "The Florida Boys" were ahead of us and might take the spots in the shelter. Knope and I rolled our eyes and jokingly gagged at the thought of meeting men with the name "The Florida Boys".
With about twelve miles done we got here to the shelter and just as we thought, there was no room. Knope offered to let me stay in her tent tonight since she has a two person and it was to be in the 20s again, so hopefully our body heat would help.
We cooked dinner in the shelter and met the Florida Boys. They are a really funny crowd and we get along well with them. Their names are Cool Dude, Sparky, Cobra, Johnny Cash and Free Spirit. A guy named Encourager and his wife Linda brought us our FIRST TRAIL MAGIC!
Oranges, apples, bananas, little Debbies, chips, and pop. Nothing has ever tasted so good.
We spent the night laughing around the campfire telling our favorite movie plots and took a group pic before Knope and I headed to bed. It's windy (of course) so lets see if I freeze to death tonight.
A fateful day indeed!