The one with the dragon – Day 4

Today I stayed at the Green Dragon Hostel. Since I was 13 I have loved The Hobbit. A few years later I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I was hooked!

When I found out there was a LOTR themed hostel in AT, I KNEW I wanted to stay there.

The Green Dragon Hostel

I can’t say enough about this place. Donna and Bill are tremendous. I loved my stay there. Bill went out of his way to pick me up at Unicoi Gap so I didn’t have to wait for transportation.

The amenities at The Green Dragon are amazing – they really cater to hikers and what they need. However, it’s not the amenities that make this place special. What makes it special to me is the love and compassion Donna has for hikers. She is truly a gem!

Quick tour update

Last night I stayed at Low Gap Shelter. Well… I actually camped in Low Gao next to the shelter. IT WAS FULL! Luckily I arrived early so I could get a decent spot.

I broke camp before dawn. This is starting to become the norm. There is no way I will ever get tired of seeing sunrises when I walk the trail.

I walked 9.7 miles to Unicoi Gap and Bill picked me up at 10:30 and took me to the Green Dragon.

Replenishment

I had never reapplied on the trail before. I was a little worried about finding things I could and would eat. However, it was a piece of cake. English doesn’t exist where I live, but they had everything I needed for my two and a half day resupply.

I ate at Broncos, a burger and BBQ place, in Hiawassee, GA. I had BOTH!

Birds and Plants

I began to really enjoy listening to the birds in the mornings. The Merlin app identifies them using your phone’s microphone.

I also enjoyed identifying plants on the trail. There is another app for that. You take a photo of a plant or flower and identify it. Isn’t AI wonderful?

Anyway, I think I’ll start adding a segment to each post highlighting a different plant and bird I find.

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