I slept in until almost 10am! When I finally woke up, mom had me a plate of hot breakfast food waiting. We ate on the patio overlooking the river and it was the most serene. We had our coffee and talked while I worked on getting the blog up to date. It gets so tedious when you get behind.
Eventually I got too cold sitting outside, so I laid back in bed and we watched movies while I worked. We stayed like that until just after 2pm when we decided to go to downtown Sylva and walk around. Before getting there, we took a detour to Franklin so I could resupply. I got everything I needed and then we made our way to Sylva and parked on Main Street. We laughed, took pictures, went into consignment shops, books stores, and coffee shops. We had so much fun! This was the absolute highlight of my day, simply enjoying the time spent together.
We ate dinner at a fancy little place right on the Main Street strip. It was mostly very good, but the steaks were so overpriced and honestly, the quality of the meat sucked. I’ve had way better steaks for half the price. But, we both enjoyed the ambiance and the company of each other, so the fact that the steak was mediocre couldn’t deter our happiness.
We headed back to the hotel, with desserts in boxes to eat in bed later. We put on pjs and watched a movie-we didn’t have a smart tv so I couldn’t get Tijuan’s movie on the screen, and mom didn’t want to watch a movie on my phone-so we watched the regular tv, commercials and all-and I downloaded “Horror Noire” to watch on my own, soon. After our movie ended, we turned on the World Series and yelled and cheered like we were at home at the game! Braves won! We only need one more win and the Braves win the World Series! Wahoo!
We stayed up late and once the game ended our lights were out-minutes later I’m pretty sure we were both asleep. Just a perfect day. All around!
Start: Wayah Gap (AT mi 115.3). Stop: Stealth Site (AT mi 96). Today’s miles: 19.3 miles. Total AT mileage: 2097.1 miles.
Mom woke me up at 8am and we walked to the lobby for the included breakfast. I got biscuits and gravy and two pancakes. We ate and then by 8:30 we were back in our room, packing. I can’t believe our time together was over so fast! I had asked mom on Friday how she felt about leaving late on Sunday and slack packing me, so I could make up some miles. Because of the incredible woman she is, she agreed.
She dropped me off at Wayah Gap with my day pack, and the plan would be for her to meet me at Mooney Gap to get my pack and then keep hiking 1-4.7 more miles (depending on time). While I was hiking, she’d be out exploring the mountainside towns and country roads, for roughly 7 hours. It worked beautifully. After making sure she had the address of where to meet me between 4-5pm, we hugged and I was off.
It was cold and acted like it was going to rain, but it only misted here and there during the morning before robins egg blue skies showed up to stay for the rest of the day. I was shocked at how easily the terrain was going by, I never once felt winded and even on inclines per the elevation map-they didn’t really feel like climbs at all.
The morning stayed damp in the deep woods with the hint of views between the trees at times. I didn’t really get any views until almost 4pm at the fire tower on top of Albert Mountain. I finally had a reason to climb a fire tower! And I was so thrilled I did.. the views were spectacular! If I didn’t have mom waiting on me at a road crossing several miles away, I would have stayed up there longer, but knowing she was waiting and couldn’t start her 2.5 hour drive home until I got there, I got pictures and video, then made a dash out of there.
The climb up to Albert was a good climb I had forgotten about, it did make me wonder how long the climbing would last but it wasn’t hard by a long shot. However, coming down the other side was rocky and slippery from the damp conditions, and it slowed me down more than I expected it to. I had been cruising along all day at 3 miles per hour, and then that chunk made me get to mom 30 minutes after I thought I would.. still, 4:30 was within the window I told her, but I was secretly aiming for 4 so she’d have more sunlight on her way home.
When I got to Mooney Gap, she wasn’t there. I started to panic a little-then realized I had service. She was there within a couple minutes.. she had gone to get me a Mountain Dew and Reece’s cups to have as a snack before she left. It hit the spot! I repacked my day pack into the big pack, filtered water I had in my CNOC bag, and then we said our sad goodbyes. We hugged and I was off.
The terrain was still relatively easy, even with my full pack and 4 days of food in it. I decided I was skipping the first campsite a mile after the road crossing, and aiming to get to Carter’s Gap shelter. However, 2.5 miles into the late afternoon.. I saw a gorgeous stealth site with pristine views and a perfect bear hanging tree for my food. I thought about continuing on, it was close to 6pm, I had my headlamp in my hip belt.. but then I figured I should stay and enjoy this site and the sunset.. my camping days on this trail are coming to an end.. I plan to finish November 6th at Amicalola State Park, and while shortening my miles may make that turn into November 7th.. the days of camping on the AT during my first thru hike are almost over.
So, I stayed. I threw my food line first, then set up my tent. Once everything was unpacked, I put on some layers and went to cook my dinner sitting on a rock with a stunning view of some mountains. The sun was setting on the other side of the mountain I was sitting on.. but watching the colors of the sky change in front of me was just as special as seeing the sunset from the other side. I ate as the sky changed to a pink hue, then slowly changed to navy blue and then black with stars twinkling. By this point I was shivering, so I hung up my food then got strait into my sleeping bag.
I’m huddled here now, chilly but comfortable because of the heavy sleeping bag. I’m hoping my phone finishes charging quickly so I can unplug it and get some shut eye. I’m going to do my best to get up early tomorrow and bare the cold so I can get at least 22 miles in, if not a bit further. TownLegs, who I haven’t seen in MONTHS, is finishing soon (the next couple days I’m pretty sure), and her husband is in Hiawasee waiting to pick her up at the finish. They have offered to pick me up from a road crossing to slack pack me and to have dinner with them! Because of the miles I have to make, it’s a bit tricky to work out, but I’m hoping we can make it happen! I want to hug her neck so bad!
Speaking of friends that have finished recently, I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned those that have.. Curmudgeon finished last Monday I believe, and then TBird finished the day after him.. Towelie finished today! Then it will be TownLegs followed by me, then Lizard. As long as FarOut’s knee cooperates, she and Sauce will be finishing not too long after that! Finch is finishing sometime soon too, he’s ahead of me by a day or 2 I’m pretty sure. I swear I want GPS trackers on everybody so I can find them when I want to! Lol Cactus, Butterfingers, Sounscape and Jerzy are all a day or so behind Lizard I believe, so they’ll be finishing up in November, too.
Ok. I think that’s everything for today. I’ll be done in 6 days! SIX DAYS. Just.. wow. Also, I cross into Georgia tomorrow! My goodness, I cannot believe it’s coming to an end. It feels like just yesterday that I started, and also like I’ve been out here for years simultaneously. Ah, anyway..Goodnight, y’all. Sweet dreams and stay warm!
Start: Stealth Site (AT mi 96). Stop: Plumorchard Gap Shelter (AT mi 73.7). Today’s miles: 22.3 miles. Total AT mileage: 2119.4 miles. States Completed: Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina
It was a cold cold night, and the wind was constant. I was able to sleep well, though, snuggled deep into my sleeping bag. I tried to make myself get up at 6am, it didn’t happen. I did finally get up to grab my food bag at 7, and marveled at the sun starting to rise.. all I could see was a deep orange glow meeting the inky darkness of the sky. The moon was just above it.
Sunrise through my tent
I ate in my tent, and watched the colors intensify, then packed up, pausing briefly to catch pictures of the sun itself making its appearance. I was on the trail by 8:04 and I loved all of it. Because I was cold, I started out in my rain gear, eventually shedding all of it, plus the fleece before noon.
The biggest climb of the day was Standing Indian Mountain, and I don’t recall feeling very strained by it. There seemed to be lots of ups and downs and signs for tons of “gaps” but I was engrossed in another audiobook, so I took everything as it came and never felt winded or worn out. The miles just seemed to pass by, not necessarily fast by the actual time, but by the distraction. I still soaked in all the beauty of the deep woods and the occasional picturesque viewpoints.
I ate lunch at a shelter, alone, not passing many people at all. I’m back to the bagels with salami, cheese, and spicy mustard. They just fill me up better and I don’t really care that it’s so much heavier. I actually sat and enjoyed my lunch at the picnic table, shocked that I had already gone 12 miles and only had 10 more to go. If I kept my pace I’d be in camp before sunset, which is always the goal. Now, looking back, I wish I could have paced myself better before the flip south-to get better miles then, but the terrain was so difficult I don’t think I could have made more miles than what I pushed. Anyway-easy to look back and say what you should have done. I know if I do another long distance hike, I’ll be more prepared for long hiking days and making the most of all the day light I have access to.
I started to get sore feet in the late afternoon and my pace slowed just a bit. I crossed the North Carolina/Georgia border and got so excited I cried! I knew it was coming, but seeing it just flooded me with emotion. I was in awe the rest of the day. Thinking things like “these are Georgia pines” and “this is Georgia trail” and “I’m basically already home.” It was an incredible feeling that I’m still floating on even now, laying in my tent.
I got to the shelter just before 6pm and scouted out a spot to put up my tent. A man, Jonathan, was already here, set up in the shelter.. he’s also a nurse and he attempted his thruhike this year and had to get off twice due to injury, and the 3rd time due to a heat stroke. He figured he didn’t have time to complete it all, so he quit while he was ahead and Is already planning his next attempt for next year. I hope he makes it.
After I sat up my tent, unpacked, put on warm clothes, and got water to filter, I went to the shelter picnic table to cook and eat dinner while talking with Jonathan. He said his trail name was almost Chatty Cathy, and I see why. Haha. Never was there a lull in conversation, mostly one sided conversation.. until Twig showed up. She’s a SOBO that started in July, and she gave CC a run for his money, because she’s quite chatty, too.
Then, her hiking buddy appeared-none other than MudLantern!! I met him back in Maine, in one of the shelters where we were all packed in like sardines.. Blubs, Scout, Steak, Proton, Texas, and so many others.. two days before we went into the Mahoosuc Notch and Blubs and MudLantern continued southbound! He’s literally been doing mostly 30 mile days this whole time! (CC said that’s his plan for next year, too.. hmmm..). We all four chatted a while about the trail and everything that’s happened since early August. It was fun reminiscing.
Then, sort of abruptly, I realized how cold I was and that I was shivering, so I put my food in the bear box and said my goodnights.. I was too cold to stay out there talking. It was time for me to get horizontal, warm, and write up this journal. All day today I had horrible service, so I couldn’t get pictures uploaded to post yesterday’s journal entry, but hey-at least im actually typing them all out instead of only notes to type out later! Lol
Tomorrow, I plan to get to Dicks Creek Gap and get picked up by TownLegs’ husband, Jon. He’s going to drop me off at Unicoi Gap and I’ll slack pack back to Dicks Creek Gap and get a hitch into Hiawasee, if he and TownLegs aren’t back that way yet. I’m going to stay with them tomorrow night at a hotel in town, so I can go to dinner with them to celebrate her finish!! Because.. SHE’S FINISHING TOMORROW! I’m so in awe with this group of people I’ve met and hiked with and kept in touch with.. so many of the people in my tramily and extended tramily have all completed the trail or will complete it soon.. much more than the average in my opinion.
Anyway, I think it’s bedtime. I would say I plan to get up early tomorrow, but we all know that’s a crock. Goodnight, y’all 🙂
