We began our sixth day of the trip by waking up at Whitley Shelter. The sunrise was beautiful and the perfect way to start the day. We made oatmeal and added some dried fruit that a fellow hiker at Neel Gap gave us. While we ate breakfast and filtered the water, we watched as Turk chased his tail and chewed on sticks. It’s very nice to see her full of energy. She is doing very well and that makes me very happy. After breakfast with Billy Goat and Timothy, we packed up and were on our way.
Trail Magic with Chill Out and Austin
We arrived at Hogpen Gap and saw some familiar faces, Chill out and Austin! We met these two at the top of Springer Mountain when we started the trail and have been riding on top of each other ever since. 
Not only did we meet a trail family, but we also got some trail magic! There were some trail angels who loaded their cars with goodies and it was amazing to see. They even got us Chick-fil-a! The backpacking community is wonderful and we are lucky to be a part of it.
Find the camp
After our family reunion with Chill Out and Austin we continued down the trail. They finally passed us because they were aiming for a 19 mile day! We kept at our pace and had a nice day on the trail. The weather improved and the trail was kind to us. There wasn’t much elevation gain this day, which was a nice change of pace.
We finished our 9 miles and camped at an unmarked campground. Just when we arrived our friend Billy Goat was not far behind. We all set up camp, had a snack, and took an afternoon nap. Around 5pm we made dinner and Billy started a fire for us. It was a wonderful way to end a wonderful day.
Hard night in the store
Before moving on to the seventh day, it is important to talk about the night of the sixth day. Remember that snack we had in the afternoon. I ate something another hiker gave me. It was just cecina, mango and habanero cecina. 
I ate it without thinking much about it. But that night I paid the price. Let’s just say I didn’t sleep much. And in the future I’ll be a little more selective with what I accept from other hikers haha.
Heading to town
Now, day seven. We start the day excited! Today was the first day we were going to the city! Finally, after six days on the road, without showering, without washing clothes, without air conditioning, we can return to civilization. We had to walk 7 miles to Unicoi Gap, where we could catch a shuttle to Hiawassee. We packed up and started walking. We arrived at Unicoi Gap around 11:30 and had 30 minutes before the ferry arrived. What better way to spend this time than participating in some magical trails. A local Baptist church had arrived at Unicoi Gap and was making hot dogs for hikers. So we ate some dogs and talked to some lovely trail angels. Once the ferry arrived, we headed into town.
Urban tasks and battery recharging
They dropped us off at the Ingles in Hiawassee. Luckily, the local outfitter, Trailful Outdoors, was located right across the street. This is where we send our first mailing. Everything went very well, I picked up the Mail Drop and Alex did the replenishment at the supermarket. 
We met up just in time to be picked up by Gracie, our driver/host. We headed to our little cabin and took a much needed shower. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and finishing up some laundry. We ordered a pizza and watched a movie before going to bed. It was a much-needed reset.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
