I slept well last night. The camp was quiet and I woke up safely when the alarm went off. I was packing up and hiking at 5:45 as I wanted to be back at the trail junction by 6:00. Because I had taken the path from the trail to the adventure center yesterday afternoon, I didn’t really pay attention to how steep the hill was. I discovered it this morning: very steep, but short. Once I got back on the trail route, I discovered I had about a mile of trail ahead of me. Starting the day on the road allows me to move my legs on easy terrain before tackling the potential rigors of trail travel. My new drinking and eating schedule worked well yesterday, but I think I like the simplicity of doing things every hour, so I went back to that schedule for today. My goal for the day was a shelter about 14 miles down the trail.
After the road hike, of course, there was a climb, but it was very doable. A gentle slope and high-quality trail made the climb almost pleasant. Near the top of the climb, I met a fellow hiker, Yappy, who was attempting a northbound (nobo) hike on the Benton Mackaye Trail (BMT). I learned that she was a veteran of the AT and the Pinhoti Trail. It was good to see another person my age here working. And she gave me good information about the way forward. Specifically, he informed me that a coffee shop and general store I intended to camp at tomorrow night were no longer allowing hikers to camp on their property. He also said that resupply there was scarce and recommended that I head to Blue Ridge, Georgia, before heading to Springer Mountain for my last push before getting on the AT. After saying goodbye, I continued south and up the hill. At the top of the climb, I found a nice log to sit on and decided to have lunch a little early. Yappy made me curious, so while I was eating, I went into FarOut to see my options. As I did so, I discovered that the trail junction that would take me to Blue Ridge was only a couple of miles beyond the shelter that was my goal for the day, and I had been making good progress this morning.
Luckily, I had service, which is often the case on top of the mountains here, so I did a quick Google search for lodging in Blue Ridge and found a cheap motel right on the main road through town, the same road I would have to cross while on the road. Reviews on FarOut indicated that the highway was an easy hook-up point, and boom, just like that, I made my hotel reservation and changed my plans for the day. This would allow me to get the food I would need for the final four-day hike to Springer Mountain and get a couple miles closer to camp for the next day.
The walk from the mountain was smooth. As FarOut indicated, I would have to climb again before reaching US 76, the highway that would take me to Blue Ridge. At the foot of the mountain, the trail ran along a gravel country road where people built wooden cabins and very extravagant mountain houses. As the trail progressed, it was often in the side and back yards of these homes. It’s not exactly what I expect from a wilderness trail, but the houses were beautiful and built to blend into the surroundings. When I hit the last climb before the highway junction, it was a real grunt: 1,300 feet in just under three miles. However, there is a phenomenal attraction in a nearby city that gave me the energy I needed to get over the hill. The descent on the other side was quite steep, so I had to slow my progress so as not to trip so close to the end of the day. Before I knew it, I was on the other side of the road with my thumb extended. I made some mental notes about the surroundings so I could recognize where to drop off the next morning. I walked less than half a mile before a car stopped in front of me.
Chris was driving a four-door sedan and told me to put my equipment in the back and sit in the front with him. It seemed cool, so I jumped. We chatted a little on the way to the motel. I checked in at 4:30. I wasn’t worried about doing laundry, but I needed to resupply after a quick shower. Luckily, there was a Food Lion (grocery store) right next to the motel. I had already decided to eat one of my freeze-dried meals in the room to save some money and take some weight off my backpack. My resupply shop was successful and on my way back to the motel I bought a soda for dinner. I also stopped in the motel lobby to ask about a trip back to the trail in the morning. The woman working the counter gave me several numbers to try, and on my third call, I got a ride back to the trail, at 5:15. Back in the room, I used the microwave once again to boil the water I needed to make dinner. Of course, I had bought a little extra surprise at the supermarket to have for dessert. My dinner that night was beef stew and it hit the spot. My surprise dessert was a small cheesecake with blueberry topping. Yes, I ate it all and enjoyed my Mountain Dew fountain. Since I didn’t have to worry about dirty clothes, I was able to pack my backpack and go to bed early. Or so I thought. After checking in at home and brushing my teeth, I went to bed at 9:00 because I wanted to wake up at 4:30 so I wouldn’t be late for my trip back to the trail. I was restless. At 10:00 I still wasn’t sleepy. At 11:00, I started to worry about not getting enough sleep. I tried all my tricks without success. Finally, just before midnight, I had the feeling I was going to fall asleep, so I made sure my alarm was set for 4:30 and closed my eyes for the last time of the night.
Happy trails. . .
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.
