Almost There, GA

We are at mile 20 (to Springer)! Scary and exciting.

We got rained in at Neels Gap, and zeroed at Pirate's hostel there — good for staying dry, although low on Warm Fuzzies (except for his cats). Today we hiked over Blood Mountain (where I had to curtail my photographing of the unlimited icy beauty as my fingers lost feeling and mobility), and decided to call it a short day and have another hostel night (forecasted low of 23 tonight at elevation: good timing for another night indoors and a better last-hostel experience). We are currently (the only guests at) Hiker Hostel — presumably it can get away with that name because it's the first one on the trail for northbound thru-hikers.

Our agenda for today included / will feature (after hiking! and lunch!) a movie (Shakespeare In Love, liberally mixed with a book about sources of A.T. landmark names, and popcorn), and probably our last pizza for the trail — and warm beds.

I may or may not post some pictures. I halfway want to not Leave Everyone Wondering — but if I wait less than a week (!!), I can use my own computer, and upload Real Pictures. (I'll post updates here as I [re-]process and post photos, though they may go on Umbrella, or a yet-uninvented sub-site like I made for Thailand. Or some of each. And maybe some for Wiki Commons, or Journeys, too? But, later.)

Once at Springer, my Uncle² Bob (my mom's uncle) is picking us up; we spend the night, and then Amtrak it back to our respective parts of the country. (Jo has a 50 hour train ride to MN; my 15 to PA seems rather paltry by comparison.)