Enough about the feet (part one).

Forty-two days later and I’m still talking about my feet, jeez. Let’s just say they’re still a mess, but I’m getting by (with a slight limp).

The last two weeks have been filled with more of the same: waking up in my tent/shelter in the morning, getting ready to hike, followed by me chasing the rest of my group (because I’m the slowest hiker known to man). The trip to Hot Springs was no exception.

There’s nothing like coming off the mountain and seeing a new trail town for the first time. The anticipation of a big breakfast at a restaurant gets trams up early every time. I wish I had taken a photo of my breakfast (although I usually don’t do that) and posted it, because it was so good. The Smokey Mountain Diner did not disappoint and four large pancakes topped with fresh apples and bacon on the side remain my favorite breakfast to date. Hikers think a lot about food and I keep coming back to this breakfast. I actually ate it the next day but this time with fresh blueberries, delicious.

Having spent the night in a hostel, with shower and laundry included, is always a somewhat exciting outing, especially with a full stomach. Leaving Hot Springs wasn’t easy, it’s a true hiker’s town, with the AT passing right in the middle of Main Street. My group lazed around for most of the day, but finally made the 2 mile hike up the steep mountain to our tent site for the night. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset over the mountains.

Over the course of the last two weeks we have been walking between 14 and 19 miles per day. You can usually find shelter within that range. You can usually find water within that range. And sometimes you can even find a “cookie lady,” someone who hands out cookies to hikers along the trail. These large cookies were so good (peanut butter) that I ate four! Like I said, hikers like/need to eat. Also, apparently there is another cookie lady in the North, we’ll see…

Most of my time on the trail is spent looking down, a few feet in front of where my actual feet are, to get my messy feet in a good position for getting on and off. If you keep your eyes open, you can find small landmarks in view. The 300 mile marker was easy to spot, it was a group of rocks right on a footbridge, marking 300 (unfortunately I still didn’t have a photo, but you get my point). Other times there are interesting signs that add to the nostalgia, like the “Big Butt Rock” one, ha!

I have to admit, honestly, there are times when I want to quit. When the weather conditions don’t cooperate and you have to wake up, pack up, and walk in the freezing rain. Or the opposite, when you go out to walk 30 kilometers for a day in the heat and sun, with your legs burning from all the climbs, sweating and rubbing in all the uncomfortable places. But overall, you get a sense of accomplishment, walking one foot in front of the other, mile after mile, after mile. Eventually, something will come along that will change your mood, like climbing to the top of Bald Mountain. For a long stretch we had been crossing the border between NC and TN. From the view from Bald, we could see two different states.

Since the beginning of April I began to notice the effects that Hurricane Helene (2024) has had on the forest and the communities. Hot Springs was still a mess and trying to recover, but the affected wooded areas really left me speechless. Giant trees, entire swaths of trees, on many, many acres completely felled as if they were nothing more than matches. The enormous amount of work needed to get the AT back up and running in these forests is staggering. A lot of effort must have gone into allowing us hikers to continue our journey. The amount of chainsaw work, felling trees and clearing roads, is unthinkable. If you ever wanted to contribute to a worthy cause and put your money to good use, make a donation to ATC, they give a lot of credit.

Part 2, coming soon.…

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