Week Two, 2022
Sunday
March 6
Today was a good day. Eli and I got started about 07:30 out of the Blue Mountain Shelter and hiked about two miles to Unicoi gap. Trail angel Bouncer was there again feeding through hikers. We sat and talked to him while we waited for my friend David Scott. David came up to give Eli and I a ride to resupply our food. He also brought ham biscuits! It was the first country ham biscuit Eli had ever eaten, bless his heart. He liked it so well he ate another. We went to Ingles for supplies and then went to a place in Helen for lunch. I got a calzone for the first time in probably 20 years. I don't normally eat cheese because just don't like it. Today I ate one and it was very good!
When we got back to Unicoi we said goodbye to Dave and started walking again. We went over Rocky Mountain and then Tray Mountain. We wound up at Tray Mountain shelter after a total of 8.1 miles. Tray Mountain is tall. It is actually divided into three sections by a road. I like that because you can measure your own progress.
Monday
March 7
Eli and I are full on hiking partners now. We discuss strategy, distances, upcoming mileage on days when we need to be at a specific point. I am sure we make an odd combination. I am almost three times his age. He holds his own, however. He is articulate, polite and listens. I believe he will go far in his lifetime. It is funny to hear people ask if we are a father and son hiking team. We have been asked three times already.
We left Tray Mountain shelter at 07:45 this morning, heading for Dick's Gap and the highway that runs to Hiawassee. We are racing against a coming rain storm and we want to be in the dry when it arrives. This stretch of trail is mostly above 3,000 feet with some peaks reaching a little above 4,000. We are gaining our trail legs now. Each day seems to be a little quicker or we can hike a little farther before we rest. We are not there yet, but we are gaining on it.
The trail was light on traffic today. We only saw three hikers. I guess everyone has the same idea about the rain.
We made the eleven mile trip to the road by about 1:30 p.m. it had just begun to sprinkle. Eli and I had decided to walk another half mile toward Hiawassee to reach a hostel and see if we could hire a ride to town. As we stepped onto the road, a man in the parking lot asked if we needed a ride! We almost shouted yes as we piled into his truck. He took us to the motel where we are staying the night. When we pulled up, I asked if we could pay him for the service. He said, "I just do it for donations. Whatever you feel like is fine." We gave him $20 and asked if he would take us back to the trail Tuesday. We are scheduled to leave at 08:00.
Now the order of business was this: Shower, wash clothes, EAT. We did all three with military precision.
At about 4:00, Dawn Johnson showed up to help out. She had originally been scheduled to pick us up at the trail before the rain came in early. Instead she came and took Eli and I to Ingles for a resupply and then we ate AGAIN at an all you can eat buffet. Eli and I are and will be calorically full for tomorrow's hike. We plan to finish the 78 miles in Georgia and begin to work our way through North Carolina. We plan to stay in a shelter somewhere in NC tomorrow evening.
Tuesday
March 8
Today was a hard day . Eli and I left our motel at about 7:45 and started hiking again at Dick's Creek. We made good time through the lower half of our eleven mile day. We ate lunch at the state line. We then started to climb the 4,000 foot elevation gain to get to the shelter. It was a very hard climb, but I am proud we kept pushing and made it to the shelter. Eli and I got the last two spots inside. That was fortunate because the rain started just as we walked up. Tomorrow we plan for a 12 mile hike to the next shelter. There is also a 100% chance of rain..
Wednesday
March 9
The forecasters got it right. It rained at the shelter Tuesday night all night long. When we woke up, everything was damp. Eli and I ate, put on our rain gear and left. We wanted to make twelve miles to Carter Gap shelter as soon as possible. We walked for about three hours and decided to eat lunch at a shelter we were passing. it was cold, but we were pleasantly surprised to find we had already completed more than five of the twelve miles needed today. In the middle of the twelve miles was Standing Indian mountain. It is a very large mountain that I believe tops out at more than 4,000 feet. Our trail legs were working as we went up one side and down the other with not too much trouble. We completed our twelve mile day at about two thirty. When we got to the Carter Gap shelter we saw a couple of hikers that we had not seen for a couple of days on the trail. I like how the flexibility makes the crowd expand and contract with people every day. Tomorrow I think we are going to go for ten miles so that we can get off trail early Friday and take our first zero day in Franklin. We should pass the 100 mile marker as well.
Thursday
March 10
I thought a lot about my mother today. It was exactly six years ago today that she died. She was an unassuming lady with a quick wit and a love for her family and her Lord. I miss her a lot, but I know i will see her again one day. I did not wake up with that on my mind, however. When I woke up the mountain was in a cloud and everything was damp to wet. The weather news up and down the trail was that Saturday was going to be frigid. Eli and I had decided that we were not going to chance a twelve degree night in a tent. We left Carter Gap shelter at about 08:30. We discussed adding another zero day to our schedule and jumping out today. With that plan, we needed to complete sixteen miles today. We decided that was now our plan and set out to get our highest mileage day yet. In the middle of that track was a a large obstacle called Albert Mountain. It is over 4,000 feet and very wide as well. It actually looks a lot like fire ant hill. We walked up for about two hours and reached what can only be described as a crown of very large rocks. To cover these it was almost a hand over hand climb. Once over them, Eli and I were rewarded with a view of the Albert Mountain fire tower. The fire tower is the 100 mile marker on the northbound track of the Appalachian Trail. We ate lunch there and then set off again down the other side toward Winding Stair gap about ten miles away. In the meantime, I made a call to Claire Guitton, a wonderful family friend that happened to be in the area enjoying the mountains. She agreed to pick up up when we got to Winding Stair. Stopping once for water and once for a quick rest, we got to Winding Stair gap at about 4:30. Claire was a real trail angel Thursday. She brought snacks of every description that Eli and I ate while she delivered us to the hotel. We are going to stay until Sunday morning when we will once again be headed north.
Friday
March 11
Today is our first zero day. It is also the first day in almost three years that I have not recorded some kind of walking activity of at least a mile. It is kind of strange, but I am ok with letting that go.
When Eli and I got to the hotel last night, we decided just to order a pizza and eat it at the hotel. Remember that this is after we had eaten all of Claire's snacks. We did that and were asleep by 8:30 p.m.
This morning we decided it was time to get up at about 08:00 and eat again. After waffles, omlets, and lots of sausage we decided we could last until lunchtime. At eleven thirty we decided to go and wash the trail out of our clothes. I was watching the washer work and the water was actually brown.
I find it fascinating that hikers can pick out other hikers. Further, it is standard practice just to go up and start a conversation with another hiker as if you had known them all your life. Not to diminish Veterans' service to our country in any way, but I used to see my dad and other Veterans do this at the VA hospital all the time. Two or three would be sitting in a waiting room and within five minutes a casual observer would think they were old friends. Hikers are like that too. I can only assume it is the common bond of shared experiences that leads to a familiarity. Also, most hikers are just nice people.
Saturday
March 12
Saturday is gray and snowy. The high for today is to be 27 degrees. My sister Laura is supposed to come and shuttle us to the outfitters and to Ingles for a resupply. I confess I am not looking forward to hiking tomorrow. The low tonight is predicted to be 12 degrees. Monday afternoon is supposed to be in the low fifties. I hope that is true so the snow will melt quickly. Sitting in a hotel for three days makes me jittery. I like to have a task, and I like to work toward the finish of that task. There is no end to just sitting around. I suppose that is one reason why I do not like the beach.
