Day 10-108: 3/4s from the way to Georgia!

We start the day walking separately. Most of the days, we walk together. Today I was craving a slower morning and some loneliness, so I let Nick move on while taking my time. It was a beautiful day everywhere. We walk on the ridges most of the day, in the tunnels of Rododendro and the usual foliage of the green tunnel you would see.

Our Woods Hole refueling was almost complete, less breakfast. The only breakfast carbohydrate left for the purchase went to Grits. I took a little earlier this morning for breakfast, and will not resist my usual breakfast and cereal.

We had a walk of a road and a half to arrive before reaching the path again, and in a parking lot it was one of those small free libraries, but with food for hikers. I looked inside, and a Berry Life cereal box without opening and without winning I was looking at me. Score! No more semolina for this girl.

Some ladies in a Cadillac Escade stopped to ask about our trip and where we were staying. I don’t think it’s much sense for them because they kept asking what city we were staying in. I tried to explain our camp plans, but did not click. I understand that this is a confusing effort unless it is directly connected to the path in some way.

We stayed a little more before arriving at our shelter at night.

One through Hiker named JJ was already in the shelter. We met him two days before at Woods Hole. We spent a while and talked to dusk.

The next morning, we left the camp before 8, which is great for us these days. The sun does not rise until after 7, so it is difficult to start as early as before.

We had planned to get to Burkes Garden Hostel, which is about 0.5 miles from the path, for lunch and a four -day replenishment to take us to Damascus. As soon as we arrived, our original walking plan 25 miles became a 9 -mile day. Nick was delighted by the property, and was excited to rest in a field covered with grass under the sun.

After we finished lunch and bought food for a few days, JJ appeared. I was planning to stay here anyway; He has been using his car to help him through turn, so it was good to have an additional company.

After the three we had washed and shower, we joined the JJ car and went to the city for an early dinner. Each of us had a couple of beers, shared snacks, and Nick and I have the fish and fries. It was a perfect meal. And to top it off, JJ treated us to dinner! Such a kind gesture of the magic of the path of other hikers. We were so grateful.

When we returned to Burke’s garden, our old Pals Sam and Will, Tennessee’s brothers, had just entered. They had taken a zero day the same day we continued walking from Woods Hole, but in another shelter. As sobos, at least for us, it is rare to see the same faces often. So, having these two boys is always a pleasant surprise.

The next day, Nick got up and made Gofres in the self -service gofres manufacturer. The owner of the shelter, the bags, carried the four without JJ, and left us at the beginning of the path. I have never seen anyone drive so fast on such a washed road.

We immediately get on a hill and give ourselves our clothes and fruitless showers. At the top of the climb, we arrive at Chestnut Knob Shelter, a closed stone building. Inside, it seemed like a dungeon.

We walk through refreshing open fields with fantastic views. Eventually, we went down to a road around lunch time and we would stop at the Bear Garden shelter to drink some drinks and lunch. I received a rib sandwich, two soft drinks and an ice cream sandwich. Nick obtained the same, but a chicken sandwich instead of a rib. These were only bulk frozen sandwiches, but they surely exceed the usual peanut butter and honey tortilla that we have at hand in case we want a dedicated lunch article.

After lunch, we walk through some pastures and above at least four stiles.

Going to one of the last climbs of the day, we approach a sign … 3/4 from the road to Georgia! It seems that we just reached 2/3 and half on the way. I can’t believe we are so close to the end.

I took my time during the last five miles while Nick continued. I had a phone call that I needed to do, and I also met a hiker, and we talked for a while.

My new day -end routine includes rehydrating my dinner before the last two miles of the day. In the last two weeks, we started buying those meals of lyophilized backpackers. We have avoided it to this point because they are a bit expensive, at $ 10+ for food. But since we are approaching this walk, we said «what he hears» and we have had almost every night, we don’t have food from the city.

If you remember, we leave our stove in New York, so we have to use water without heating to «cook» these meals. It is not as bad as it seems; Simply take much more time than the suggested chef time of 10 minutes.

When I arrived at our tent at night, Nick and Tennessee’s two brothers were chatting around a fire ring.

Just before we all came back for the bed, some weekends (although it was not the weekend) appeared and immediately began to play music at full volume, smoking all kinds of things and trying to light a fire with what I can only assume that it is the body spray of the ax. After several unstopty aerosol attempts, they gave up. Phew. I wasn’t waiting for a night next to this disaster.

The next day, we woke up a little earlier than usual and break the camp, and immediately start walking. There was a 1.5 mile service station from our camp. We arrived just after Sunup and drink some coffee, breakfast and some additional snacks. I left my food bowl and my titanium spoon in Burkes Garden, so I also bought a campbell microwave soup bowl to eat and later I used it as my cereal bowl until I reached Damascus. I contacted JJ, and he kindly left them with an outfit that some shoes sent me since I was heading to Damascus anyway.

I felt quite little energy for much of the day. I think this was caused by the mediocre breakfast of the service station I consumed.

We stopped for lunch at the Mount Rodger visitors center because they have an vending machine and bathrooms. Each of us received a Gatorade and enjoyed our lunch in a beautiful bank.

The rest of the day was a fairly easy land, and we walked through a final grass. This one had cows directly in the center of the path! I was trying to follow the white flames and got too close to comfort these great creatures. However, it was great! No one stirred me, fortunately.

The last bit of our day spent ending at the Trimpi shelter. We go into my feet with my new cork ball and enjoy a dinner of liophilized Chile. A perfect cap for a very pleasant day.