Slack pack, day two! We were shooting for an 8a start, it was really more like 9a. Atlas’s dad dropped us off. First, we were able to convince him to stop by Burger King for breakfast. You know, so we could be fueled by well balanced, nutritious foods. Just kidding. It may not be healthy, but it’s filled with calories and we certainly need to put as many calories as we can in our bodies. The breakfast was amazing. We felt lucky to start our day off with it.
Of course, the fast food got things moving and the first thing I had to do when we got on the trail was back track to the cool shelter and use the privy. Otherwise, it would have been a long day. I’ve been avoiding stepping into the overgrown woods to take care of business now that we are seeing so many ticks.
We had nine mile of uphill to start. It was the perfect day to slack pack. Surprisingly, even with slack packing, we were still getting passed by thru hikers. It kind of made me feel a bit bad. But I wanted to enjoy the day, so I didn’t sit on the thought too much. We kept leapfrogging with Lotus and Atlas. We didn’t see Kirby until lunch. He had been there for at least an hour and a half at that point, sitting in the shade of a weather tower. There was a curb at the top of the mountain near the weather tower that made for a great seat.
As hot as it was today, a lot of people saw rattlesnakes. We did not. Warthog even started to wander off to look for them. I called him back because, you know, I like having him around and complete with all appendages.
Once we were at the top of the mountain, the last six miles for the day were easy. We got to go under a rock formation called, Guillotine Rock. So named because a boulder is precariously wedged in between two larger boulders and the trail passes right under the smaller one. I don’t expect it to fall anytime soon. However, I also didn’t linger to further tempt my luck.
Later, we took a break at an overlook that had been made in the 1930’s or so by the Conservation Corps. A local arrived while we were there and we chatting with him a bit. He was kind. When we told him how nice everyone in the area has been, he said he was glad for it. However, he warned us to be careful because not everyone likes thru hikers here. He didn’t go into any details, but we’ve heard stories about farmers hanging fishing hooks from tree limbs and other kinds of horrible things. I don’t blame the sore feelings. Not since a lot of the tail was taken under Eminent Domain. We really haven’t had any negative run-in’s with the locals, so I’m thankful for that.
As we pushed on, Kirby, Warthog, and I talked about the holidays and our different family traditions. It made my heart warm thinking about family and home and the holidays.
At 6p we were at the road crossing where Atlas’ parents were picking us up. They were already waiting for us when we arrived. We missed a turn and had to take a long winding road back to the hotel. Almost everyone was car sick by the end. I know we are extra sensitive to riding in cars, but I really don’t know how locals can drive that road every day. If I lived in the area, we would do everything we could to avoid it.
After our stomachs settled, we went to dinner. Atlas had some private family time (as needed I’m sure). Kirby, Lotus, Warthog, and I sat on the patio of the hotel and ate in the warm evening air. It was absolutely lovely. Tomorrow we go back on the trail. But right now, we get to have a civilized night sipping on cocktails and eating delicious foods. I’m so glad we got this time. I’m so glad for the slack packing. I’m so glad for friends to share it all with. Basically, I’m glad. And it feels good.
-ansel