69 Miles – Day 6

We got up early, at 5:30 specifically. It was a city day and that meant leaving early to make the most of our time.

In the quiet darkness of the morning, we packed up and hit the road.

About 0.2 miles from the shelter, just beyond the familiar worn trails near Dicks Gap, we stopped for breakfast. I quickly convinced myself that I had forgotten my spoon at the store location. I ran the short distance back and couldn’t find him anywhere.

When I returned to Chilly, I discovered that my spoon was hidden under the garbage bag.

What a way to start the day.

When we reached the top of the climb, we met another hiker named Jay. He was a younger boy and he had a backpack that towered over him. We talked for a while and he reminded me that we had met at Neels Gap. He had called us «the hiking fanatics.»

Honestly, it felt good knowing that my hard training before the trail had paid off and been noticed.

As we continued, the cool morning air warmed slightly as the sun rose, but the cloudy weather kept it from becoming dominant. It was the perfect weather for hiking.

Finally, we both put on one of my headphones and listened to the morning church service.

The prayer requested was,

“God, show me how you can use me.”

And that question resonated deeply with me here.

How can I be used as I walk this path?

Who can I leave feeling better than before they met me?

We are all here for a reason, each one different, each one unique. There is beauty in that, in being able to positively impact someone during such a monumental period of life.

With those thoughts taking me quickly down the mountain, we arrived at Dicks Creek Gap.

Officially 69 miles in.

Crossing the road, a very intricate and well-crafted magical trail awaited us. The tables were filled with food to replenish themselves. Tuna, peanut butter packets, Oreo cookies, oatmeal. All.

The man running the show is named Nomad, a hiker from 2025 who lives in his RV and creates the perfect magical trail for this year’s hikers.

We settled in for a while, enjoying the smorgasbord and the cold drinks.

Another hiker mentioned that there is a free shuttle passing by that could take us to Hiawassee. We decided that a trip into the city for a hot meal, a little writing, and a little exploring would do us some good. The ferry was filled with free snacks and a father and daughter were running the show. The daughter gave us small cookies with the AT symbol.

The free Hiawasse shuttles were an amazing experience.

We arrived at Ingles Markets and spent an hour or two there charging our electronic devices, people watching, and writing. When we arrived, I looked at a chicken salad sandwich on a table next to us. After watching it for almost two hours, no one had claimed it, so I made it for lunch.

After packing up in Ingles, we decided to walk to a small family restaurant for lunch. For about $14, we ate all you can eat chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and many other foods. We became so full that the thought of walking tired us.

Next door was Tilted Cafe, which we thought was a cafe, but was actually a small bar-like atmosphere. Classic arcade games lined the walls, green lanterns hung from the ceiling, and soft psychedelic surf rock played from speakers hidden around the cafe.

We ask permission to bring our backpacks and carry our equipment. The woman was super friendly and when we asked about the coffee, she told us that they don’t actually serve much coffee. He ended up making us a special coffee that was fantastic.

We stayed for a while and then noticed they were cleaning up and getting ready to close. The waitress came over and told us that she had already closed the bill and that the coffees were free.

Shout out to Tilted Cafe for taking care of us hiker trash.

Finally, we returned to Ingles and saw a ferry arriving early. The driver said he would take us back to Dicks Creek Gap after running to a few other stops. The 5pm ferry was still two hours away, so we took him up on his offer and rode for about an hour before he dropped us off at our slot.

When we started unloading, it started to rain.

A constant and strong fall that quickly seeped into our backpacks and the clothes we were wearing.

We said our thanks and headed into the forest.

The rain fell in waves and the temperature dropped, soaking us and freezing us. Chilly and I agreed that we would go to the stealth spot around mile marker 69.8.

We walked the short distance in dense fog, the trail dark and damp. Few sounds escaped the leaden silence of the forest.

When we arrived at camp, we had a magical rest in the rain.

We set up our tents quickly, and while Chilly changed and got ready, I headed down the incomplete trail to fill our waters. The path descended directly to the source. Boulders and brambles blocked my path, and I slipped and slid as I made my way through it all.

I arrived at one of the worst fountains I had seen so far.

I filtered and filled our waters about a quarter bottle at a time. Fortunately, the rain stopped while I headed back, changed, and settled in for the rest of the night.

We hid and all the equipment we could in the tents and resisted the rain that got worse again.

The sun set behind the horizon and the light show began.

A silent, blinding light, like a giant camera taking a photo with a flash, illuminated the world around us. It was quickly followed by a loud crash and crack as thunder shook the earth beneath us.

The rest of the night was a continuation of lightning, thunder and torrential rain.

Sleep finally found me.

And I turned off the sounds and enjoyed the rest.