Day 7 - Feb 28
Boy was it great to sleep in a bed last night, even If it was at a budget inn. Then again, hikers cant be choosers.
We walked to a nearby breakfast place and hastily read the menu looking for the most food possible at the lowest cost. The meal I chose was the lumberjack breakfast, it is as follows: 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 2 sausages, 2 french toast, 2 biscuits, and hashbrowns. The meal came out on 3 plates, each one full of food. Sure does beat two instant oatmeals and a fruit bar.
After licking the plates clean, we went back to the room and packed up our backpacks. Since hitchhiking took a bit to long the other day, we called a shuttle service called "mountain ma's dirt cheap taxi." Think what you may from the name, but the guy who picked us up was nice and friendly. It had even began to snow and he still got us and drove 15 minutes into the mountains.
In the mountainous regions of the south, roads run through gaps. The thing about gaps is that they are at the bottom of the mountains. So, upon being dropped off, we began our climb up. We were slow at first, and I'm sure the calories were had just recently ate weren't helping out either. We also had a fresh resupply in our packs.... there was alot of weight to carry.
The next several hours can be described as bone chilling cold. A storm blew in and for the rest of the day we got pelted with snow, which thanks to the wind, was falling horizontally. The only redeeming factor was that we made it out of our first state. Late in the afternoon, after trudging through the storm, we saw the sign. We crossed from Georgia into North Carolina. Although happy, we soon remembered that we were in the middle of a storm and we kept walking. At 6 we made it into camp, and by 730 we were asleep.
We walked 11 miles or so today. Started at 1130 and walked until 6. From mile marker 69.2 to 81.1. We camped next to muskrat creek shelter.
My ankle felt somewhat better today, I think maybe the cold helped it, or maybe I was just focused on other things. My hips actually gave me a bit of trouble. But I think that may have been due to me resituating and tightening my pack differently, so it would sit as much on my shoulders.
Today was one of those days that you put your head down and walk. All the struggle will be worth it when I reach khatadin.
Goodnight,
Tyler M.
We walked to a nearby breakfast place and hastily read the menu looking for the most food possible at the lowest cost. The meal I chose was the lumberjack breakfast, it is as follows: 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 2 sausages, 2 french toast, 2 biscuits, and hashbrowns. The meal came out on 3 plates, each one full of food. Sure does beat two instant oatmeals and a fruit bar.
After licking the plates clean, we went back to the room and packed up our backpacks. Since hitchhiking took a bit to long the other day, we called a shuttle service called "mountain ma's dirt cheap taxi." Think what you may from the name, but the guy who picked us up was nice and friendly. It had even began to snow and he still got us and drove 15 minutes into the mountains.
In the mountainous regions of the south, roads run through gaps. The thing about gaps is that they are at the bottom of the mountains. So, upon being dropped off, we began our climb up. We were slow at first, and I'm sure the calories were had just recently ate weren't helping out either. We also had a fresh resupply in our packs.... there was alot of weight to carry.
The next several hours can be described as bone chilling cold. A storm blew in and for the rest of the day we got pelted with snow, which thanks to the wind, was falling horizontally. The only redeeming factor was that we made it out of our first state. Late in the afternoon, after trudging through the storm, we saw the sign. We crossed from Georgia into North Carolina. Although happy, we soon remembered that we were in the middle of a storm and we kept walking. At 6 we made it into camp, and by 730 we were asleep.
We walked 11 miles or so today. Started at 1130 and walked until 6. From mile marker 69.2 to 81.1. We camped next to muskrat creek shelter.
My ankle felt somewhat better today, I think maybe the cold helped it, or maybe I was just focused on other things. My hips actually gave me a bit of trouble. But I think that may have been due to me resituating and tightening my pack differently, so it would sit as much on my shoulders.
Today was one of those days that you put your head down and walk. All the struggle will be worth it when I reach khatadin.
Goodnight,
Tyler M.
The Lumberjack is quite the breakfast! Think they should rename it the AT'er. You boys battled through some tough conditions as you exited GA and entered NC. Reminds of a statement from Nietzsche, "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger." Great job on completing GA.
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