Only 1914 miles to go? Awesome...The past few days had us hiking over 30 more miles of the NC/TN border. We started out at Pigeon River and climbed over 3,000 feet over 6 miles up into the mountains. It was a pretty steep and brutal climb, with few few places to catch your breath, made even harder by a 10 degree rise in the temperature and what felt like a 100% increase in the humidity from the thunderstorm the day before. It was well worth it though, when we got to the top of the climb and were rewarded with some pretty fantastic views.
Look, a Sonic! Oh wait, that's just the air traffic control radio on top of Snowbird Mountain. Dang, I really wanted a cherry limeade...
Climbing up Max Patch on the morning of Day #2...
Look, a Sonic! Oh wait, that's just the air traffic control radio on top of Snowbird Mountain. Dang, I really wanted a cherry limeade...
Climbing up Max Patch on the morning of Day #2...
...to another great view.
One very happy camper.
We met an interesting character on our first day out, a bald gentleman with a fabulous handlebar moustache, who looked to be about 6'3", 250, and in his mid-50s, out by himself. He stopped and chatted while we had lunch. I think he was starved for conversation. Turns out, even though he looked like a Hell's Angel, he was a high school guidance counselor from Georgia. He congratulated me on my recent graduation ("...now is that from high school or college?..."haha...), laughed and said that being a chemistry major would've been "so far beyond him" and lamented that more students at his rural GA high school didn't pursue college educations. It made me very thankful for the opportunities I've been given, including this chance to celebrate the past 4 years with a journey up the East Coast. It rained all day the second day we were out, but I had on my new boots, which are indeed waterproof, so I was a very happy hiker. The rain cooled things down and things didn't get too soggy, so all was well.
Log Bridge to keep your feet dry.
Tunnel of green for your umbrella.
We hiked over 16 miles on day two, and by 7pm I was so ready to stop that Daddy and I made camp on the side of a hill. Literally. The tent was probably at a 40 degree angle. It was like sleeping in a recliner, and it's an absolute miracle we didn't slide right off that mountainside. Chalk one up to Daddy's good old fashioned physics in the tent set-up. We did so well on the second day that we had less than 6 miles to go to get to our next rendezvous. Hot Springs, NC is the epitome of a "trail town," since the AT actually runs right down the sidewalk of it's main road, which is a rather generous statement, since there's only one road and no stoplights in the whole town. A neat place, nonetheless. The hiking down into Hot Springs was relatively easy, and very green and beautiful. We even passed a grave. No really, Greg Gragg is buried on the side of the AT. There's a headstone and everything, even though you can't read it very well anymore. Apparently he died in 1940 and is "absent but not dead." Great. The AT is haunted too...
They literally paved they way for us!
Made it to Hot Springs in time for a hot lunch and some relaxation with the Trail Angel and the Trail Sister. It's always good to get to a rendezvous after a 3-day stretch of hiking. Interesting tidbit: Hot Springs has been a destination of choice since the early 1800s, when people came to partake in the healing waters of the geothermal springs here, hence the name of the town. There was even a Civil War battle fought here. The battle of who gets Hot Tub privileges, I suppose? The springs are still here, and you can still get in them. I haven't, I chose to just jump in the river instead.
Log Bridge to keep your feet dry.
Tunnel of green for your umbrella.We hiked over 16 miles on day two, and by 7pm I was so ready to stop that Daddy and I made camp on the side of a hill. Literally. The tent was probably at a 40 degree angle. It was like sleeping in a recliner, and it's an absolute miracle we didn't slide right off that mountainside. Chalk one up to Daddy's good old fashioned physics in the tent set-up. We did so well on the second day that we had less than 6 miles to go to get to our next rendezvous. Hot Springs, NC is the epitome of a "trail town," since the AT actually runs right down the sidewalk of it's main road, which is a rather generous statement, since there's only one road and no stoplights in the whole town. A neat place, nonetheless. The hiking down into Hot Springs was relatively easy, and very green and beautiful. We even passed a grave. No really, Greg Gragg is buried on the side of the AT. There's a headstone and everything, even though you can't read it very well anymore. Apparently he died in 1940 and is "absent but not dead." Great. The AT is haunted too...
They literally paved they way for us!Made it to Hot Springs in time for a hot lunch and some relaxation with the Trail Angel and the Trail Sister. It's always good to get to a rendezvous after a 3-day stretch of hiking. Interesting tidbit: Hot Springs has been a destination of choice since the early 1800s, when people came to partake in the healing waters of the geothermal springs here, hence the name of the town. There was even a Civil War battle fought here. The battle of who gets Hot Tub privileges, I suppose? The springs are still here, and you can still get in them. I haven't, I chose to just jump in the river instead.
One very happy camper.Quote of the Day: Just stay out of other people's trash. Seriously, if you're going to eat garbage, at least eat your own. - Wise words to live by from Mamma
No comments:
Post a Comment