Day 19: Floating Mountains and Emergency McDonald’s

I woke up to a rainy, foggy morning and a surprise roommate.

A spider.

Inside my store.

Now, obviously, when you choose to sleep outside every night, bugs are part of the deal. I understand it logically.

Emotionally?

It’s a little different when the first thing you see when you open your eyes is a giant spider hanging inside what is essentially your temporary studio.

Fortunately, we reached a peaceful agreement. I didn’t bother him and he didn’t bother me.

After the death march that was the departure of the NOC yesterday, what else did I start the morning with?

More uphill.

At this point, I truly believe the Appalachian Trail would collapse if it ever stayed flat for too long.

But I finally climbed my way to Cheoah Calvoand every miserable step was worth it.

The mountains were completely covered by a sea of ​​clouds below.

They looked like floating islands.

Like something straight out of a fantasy movie.

I had heard hikers talk about inversions before, but this was the first one I had seen in person and it absolutely lived up to the hype.

I stood there for a while just staring.

Moments like that are why people put themselves through all this.

Unfortunately, my day started to go downhill immediately after.

And I mean that literally and figuratively.

My body began to suffer severe cramps.

Specifically my stomach.

And since we’re all friends here, it was that time of the month.

I don’t think people always realize the logistics of dealing with that while walking.

At home, you can crawl into bed, grab a heating pad, watch a comforting movie, and wait for the world to stop being terrible.

Out here?

Not so much.

You are still expected to climb mountains.

You’re still carrying a backpack.

They’re still raining on you.

And unfortunately there are no heating pads available in the middle of the Nantahala National Forest.

I sat on a rock for a while waiting for the cramps to pass.

They didn’t do it.

At that point I was already struggling physically and mentally.

Narwhale had gotten ahead of me earlier in the day, but Pirate finally caught up to me, passed me, and then caught up with me again.

I was a mess.

At one point, he was basically crying on the road when the two decided enough was enough.

The original plan was to keep walking.

The new plan became:

«Let’s get a hotel.»

A significantly better plan.

Pirate even carried my backpack during the final stretch to the city.

As we walked, another hiker passed by and joked that he wished he had a carrying Sherpa, too.

Without missing a beat, Pirate responded:

«Well, then get yourself a tram.»

And honestly?

That made me smile for the first time all day.

We finally managed to hitchhike into the city.

I contributed very little to this process because I was mainly focused on not bending in half due to cramps.

We ended up staying in the Graham Motelthat had just opened its doors.

And let me tell you.

This place was a hiker’s paradise.

The room itself was fantastic, complete with a waterfall shower that may have permanently altered my standards for all future showers.

But what really impressed me was the hiker’s hostel.

They had:

• Hiker Supplies






• Appetizers






• Living areas






• a fireplace

Basically everything a weary hiker could want.

As if the day couldn’t get any better, there was a McDonald’s within walking distance.

Now, I hadn’t eaten McDonald’s since I started the trail.

And when you’ve been walking for weeks, your eating standards become completely different.

So, naturally, I asked for the usual:

• Two Big Macs






• Two medium fries






• A 20-piece McNugget






• Three Hot Buffalo Sauces






• One of the new reviews

A perfectly reasonable amount of food.

For a growing hiker.

Surprisingly, I didn’t even finish it all.

But I was close.

And honestly, I have rarely felt happier in my entire life.

Before I end this post, I have to share one more story.

Especially because my friends won’t let me forget it.

There was a gas station in town with a statue of a giant rooster outside.

I was excited because it reminded me of Key West, where the chickens basically run the place.

So I tried to explain this connection.

Tried to be the key word.

Somewhere between my brain and my mouth, something went terribly wrong.

Because instead of saying:

«That reminds me of the chickens in Key West.»

It turned out to sound much more like:

«That reminds me of riding dick in Key West.»

Which is not at all what I meant.

Not even remotely.

I felt terribly embarrassed when Pirate and Narwhal laughed at me so much.

I would like to put it on the record that I do not, in fact, participate in cock riding activities.

The day started with a spider roommate and one of the most beautiful mountain views I have ever seen.

Then it turned into one of the hardest days I’d had physically in a long time.

But somehow it ended with good friends, a warm hotel room, a mountain of McDonald’s, and a story that will probably haunt me the rest of the way.

Honestly?

I’ll accept that trade.