Appalachian Trail Section hiking: Highway 60 to Seely-Woodworth Shelter

Highway 60 to Seely-Woodworth Shelter
Day Three, Wednesday, April 1, 2015
13.1 miles

Our 7:30 breakfast at Three Springs Shelter consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and yogurt/fruit.

We were not looking forward to the 1 mile hike back over the same ground we had last evening from Highway 60 to the forest service road, but we found that the gate was open after all so that Oma could drive up to the top where we stopped hiking last night. That was wonderful news. Nothing lost.

So by 8:45 a.m. we were on our way on up 2 more miles to the top of Bald Knob. The name is deceiving - it is not bald. And it was a hard climb. We knew that we had made the right decision last night - it would have been very difficult to accomplish this climb as tired as we were. Plus, the Cow Camp Gap Shelter is .6 off the trail and we would not have wanted to do that extra 1.2 miles in and out.

The next mountain was not so bad, it was about three switchbacks up Cold Mountain with a nice resting place at the top of each one with a great view. We came out on the top of the mountain into apple orchards and balds. Beautiful! The views were magnificent on both sides. We saw a TALL mountain on our right that might be the Priest, where we are headed.

We were really needing water by the time we got to Hog Camp Gap, since we did not go into the shelter where the only water supply was at the top of the mountain. We crossed the USFS road, went through a stile and saw the sign and the blue blaze to water. Wait-up hiked WAY down the blue blazed trail to get the water. The next water supply indicated was 6 miles north.

After Salt Log Gap, the next 5 miles were very pleasant--the trail didn't go over the mountain, but went along the side of the mountain--nice and level.

We walked through a low-lying forested area then up and over a little knoll and saw Seely-Woodworth Shelter right on the trail in the middle of the forest. We arrived at 6:00 to find the shelter full of a group of 4 or 5 young men, a hammock hanging, and another group at a tentsite. Later another young man came and set up a tent. Lots of folks here. We set up our tent behind the shelter.

The night was chilly (around 38 degrees) and windy.