Start: Middle Creek Campground (AT mi 758.5). Stop: Wilson Creek Shelter (AT mi 741.5) Today’s miles: 17 miles. Total AT mileage: 1451.6 miles
I got up around 645 and headed to the bath house.. the cabin didn’t have running water or anything. So, I headed there to handle my bathroom business, change clothes, brush my teeth. All the guys were already awake and mostly packed. One had already taken a shower!
I came back and was all packed by 7:15. I took my stuff over by the general store area to sit and hangout until they opened at 8 for breakfast. Butterfingers did the same. We had good service there, so I updated the blog and chatted.
Everyone else made their way over closer to 8.
8am on the nose we walked in and set to ordering our breakfasts. I got biscuits and gravy with 2 fried eggs. I feel like they should call it “biscuit” and gravy, because it was just one split in half. If I had known that, I would have gotten 2 orders, happily, because this meal didn’t fill me up like I had wanted it to. I won’t complain though, it tasted good.
We ate and promptly loaded into one of the worker’s trucks. She drove us back to the trailhead much sooner than we had expected, the way it was said yesterday. We were thrilled! We got started on the trail at 8:45, and it was already getting hot. The first 5 miles of the day would be a slow climb upwards, just not as continuously steep as The Priest was.
I was pouring sweat before 9am, literally just dripping! I was last in our group of 6 though, so I endured not one single spider web. I was ecstatic! I followed behind Blueberry and we talked about all kinds of things, life, running, family. It was such a welcomed distraction from the climb. It also had me thinking about Grant, an avid runner I met several years ago when I joined my dear friend Alice on my first ever relay race.
He told a story on social media recently about inadvertently encouraging a man to run his first ever marathon.. he didn’t even realize he had made an impact on this man while chatting with him during a volunteer project (they were both volunteering) last year. This year when volunteering again the men were all talking and it came out that this guy ran his first ever marathon because of Grant’s incredible accomplishments with ultra running. He originally didn’t even recognize one of the guys he was talking to WAS Grant himself!
It really resonated with me, because I relate so much.. I tend to downplay the things I’ve done, places I’ve seen, accomplishments I’ve made-and it’s a weird sense of not wanting to look like I’m bragging, or like I think I’m better than someone or a know it all on the subject.. I tend to shrink myself to not “take up too much space.” And this was exactly what Grant was saying to NOT do in his post, because you never know if the person listening is the one that needs to hear of those stories and accomplishments to get inspired to start creating their own.
All that to say, too, that I also hope by following this blog you get a sense of adventure and also see and feel the importance of finding and creating your own adventure or journey.. ya know? I pray I find the courage to be bold and proud of my accomplishments-and still not in a boastful bragging way, but in a “if I can have the courage to do and try and learn this-so can you.”
Anywho- back to the trail.. once we made it to the top of the mountain, I followed behind Blueberry a bit longer.. but once I didn’t want to keep his pace anymore, I gently asked to pass him and then put in my earbud. It was podcast time! I resumed where I left off on the podcast named “Serial.” It’s so dang good! Also, I’m all ears for other recommendations, too. (Side note: when I get done with this thing, I’m happy I have some new outlets to crochet to, audiobooks and podcasts.. haha).
The trail winded downhill for a bit, then it would hit the Blue Ridge Parkway, cross over and go up a little bit before coming down and doing the same thing all over again. It was easy, rolling hills all the way to the shelter. There were several of the road crossings.. at one, I ate my lunch, at the next one there were TONS of people parked along the lookout, looking for hawks! One lady gave me some water, which I was very grateful for because finding water today has been terrible. The streams are dry or very tiny trickles that take way too long to fill up at. I sat in the grass with Butterfingers, Soundscape, and BookWorm, soaking in the beauty of the day, the luck of the water.
The next road crossing only had a few people, one guy gave me a soda and I stood chatting a while with him. Then a girl drove up and offered us apples! Her name is Giggles and she was a NOBO hiker this year and summited the day after these guys did! So awesome! I didn’t take an apple though, I don’t like biting into hard things like apples with my four front teeth being crowns. Lol the last thing I need is to have a crown pop off while I’m hiking.
I carried on while some stayed and chatted. Butterfingers and TwoHats got to the shelter a while before I did. They already had their tents up when I got there around 4. I set mine up and then made the trek to get water. It took forever! I had to make a little leaf funnel to get the water to trickle into my bag.. my bag that still has holes in it so I have to do a liter at a time, filter it, then restart the process. Man it sucks. The Amazon app is still out of stock. Booooo.
By the time I got back, Soundscape and BookWorm appeared and started setting up their stuff. A couple thats on day one of their section hike is here, too. We all ended up sitting at the picnic table, eating dinner and swapping stories. Blueberry appeared around 6pm and got his hammock set up before trudging off to get water. I was hoping my leaf funnel stayed in place to make it a little easier for him.
A bit more talking and a small campfire built by the day one folks later, we all retired to our tents. It’s almost 830 now. Two dudes appeared a little bit ago and are setting their stuff up in the dark. I’m interested to know their story and to see if I know them, but I’m not interested enough to get up to find out.
Tomorrow will be 11 miles into Daleville. I already booked my hotel, and I know it’s ridiculous, but I’m happy about it! It’s supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday apparently, with Wednesday being worse.. so Butterfingers and I may see if we can arrange a slack pack on Tuesday and then zero on Wednesday.. I need that zero and I need it in a nice, clean hotel with a room all to myself. So, I think this will be the perfect time and place. Sadly, Tuesday would be when I’d do Tinker Cliff and McAffee Knob, 2 of the 3 triple crown hikes. Everyone talks about these places and the views from them-so if it’s raining I’m going to be annoyed, but also it would make sense, it does tend to rain on the perfect views for me.. minus Katahdin thank the Lord.
Anyway, we’ll make a definite plan tomorrow when we get to town, we booked the same hotel.
I’m excited about the idea of the BBQ and Mexican restaurants in town! More excited than I should be, I think.. since I haven’t really been eating much trail food this week anyway. Oh well.. you only live once, I might as well enjoy as much of it as I can! And with that, I’m off to sleep, to dream of chips and queso. Hmmmm.
Sweet dreams, y’all!