Wonder Woman and Snow Monkey were even moving when we woke up today around 7:30a! The guys decided to start a new tradition, morning pushups. They did 20 this morning while the girls were all gathered around watching them.
We left camp around 9:30a. No one was really looking forward to today. Although we had seen harder climbs in Georgia, we still had a doozy ahead of us. We spent the morning hiking as a loose group. We normally hike like that. Some move ahead, others fall behind. Usually we meet up at the break spots. Today was the same.
We climbed up a bit, then back down, then the hard climb. I’ll be honest, I sort of freaked out a bit. I don’t really know why. Again, we’ve climbed harder mountains. I just didn’t really feel like it, but knew I had to do it. I likened it to sea sickness: You are out on the boat feeling sick and there’s nothing you can do but ride it out. You have to go through it and that’s why panic sets in. It was the same today. I knew I had to climb the mountain. I didn’t want to, but there was no other option. I just warned Warthog that I would need a lot of breaks. He was patient. We fell behind the group for most of it and then met back up with them for the last mile or so – just when I needed the motivation of being in a group in order to finish.
Once at the top, we hiked through some open meadows. It was sunny, clear, and blue. We were heading to a pond that we hoped would second as a swimming hole. As soon as we got there I knew I wasn’t going in. The water was still, half of the surface was covered in growth of some sort. It was pretty, but I would bet there are leeches in there. So I stayed happily in the grass.
We planned to eat lunch there. Everyone sat in the sun. I took the footprint of our tent, put in the poles for the tent, and then the rainfly to make a sort of sunshade. It worked well for me. We stayed there for a couple of hours – a ridiculous amount of time. However, we knew we weren’t going to make big miles today or for the next few days, so we were okay with wasting away part of the day. Again, the trail isn’t about the miles you walk. Instead, it’s about what you experience during those miles and who you experience them with. An impromptu relaxation in a meadow next to a pond is just want we needed.
Finally, late afternoon we decided to get moving. We still had about six or so miles to go to where we planned on camping for the night. On the way we passed by a shelter that had once been a cabin for a fire warden. It was a unique shelter. It had four walls, a door, and windows. The views into the valley below were spectacular. I considered staying, but we decided to press on.
Photo Above: Hooks in the shelters used for hanging backpacks so the mice won’t get in them.
Just a few miles further took us to our site. It was at a road crossing. Those usually make us nervous, but it’s a small dirt road. When we got there we enjoyed a little hiker to hiker trail magic. Guys named “Grateful” and “Chip” were there handing out Mt. Dew sodas and candy. They are thru-hikers too. We’ve met them several times. Instead of camping and sleeping at shelters, they hike to and from road crossings. They swap the keys when they cross paths and then the one picks up the other at the end of the day. I’ve met other hikers who do that. However, it’s not really common. It was nice to sit and chat some. I certainly appreciated the treats!
Just up the road was our site. You could see their truck from where we camped. It was such a nice day that Warthog and Snow Monkey set up a camp shower. They used two rainflies tied to trees, our footprint as the shower floor, Snow Monkey’s large water bag and our shower camp shower head. We would boil water and mix it one to one with cold water. It came out to be the perfect temperature. We all proceeded to take turns getting clean. It was what Warthog refers to as a “combat shower”; you turn on the water, get wet, turn it off, soap up, and rinse. It was pretty chilly when you weren’t under the running warm water, but it left you feeling clean and oil-free.
Soon, a local stopped by and joined us around the fire. His name is Tim and he’s a dairy farmer. He stayed for most of the evening. He was friendly enough and we enjoyed meeting him. However, we were still sure to keep a close eye on our surroundings in case he wasn’t as friendly as he seemed to be. All was well and he left happy.
It was well into the night when we went to bed. As we laid there the owls started to call to one another. They were far away and then started moving closer to us until they seemed like they were right on top of us. Two would call out. Then every now and then a third would join in. Unfortunately for the third, it’s tone was totally off. It sounded more like a monkey than an owl. Everyone in the camp started laughing. We were up because of the owls, but at least we could get a chuckle from it all.
At one point we stuck our head out of the tent because Lotus commented on the stars. Up in the sky were millions of flashing lights. It was absolutely incredible. I always forget how bright the stars can be until I’m in the country. Then, when the sky is clear, I feel like one of the luckiest people on earth to get to see such a thing. It reminds me of the Moulin Rouge song that goes, “Never knew, I could feel like this… like I’ve never seen the sky before.” It’s something I love about being out here, the awe of the night sky.
– ansel