North Carolina, Baby!

4-29-12
AT Miles hiked today: 7.9
Total AT miles hiked: 78.6

I put on a pack and walked over 78 miles through the mountains of Georgia into North Carolina. That is awesome!

I am camped just north of the border at Bly Gap with Matt and Cherry Pie. Wendigo and Will and Missy with their dogs Tess and Molly were headed for the next shelter. Mr Coffee went into Hiawassee and Slingshot, Rainbow and others are back at Plumorchard Gap shelter, where I had lunch. It is beautiful there, too. Wendigo texted and said he is at Muskrat Creek shelter and it's a hiker reunion. He hoped I'd make it there, but I struggled to make it here. Not sure where Two Mules is.

I really pushed hard yesterday, and paid today with a tough day. If I just get to Deep Gap, there's a road and a hostel that picks you up if you register to stay. Tuesday is payday, though, so if I get very close tomorrow, I may do it. I don't know if I'll take a zero day there or hold on until Franklin, where I can also resupply. There's a bit of a reunion planned there on Weds, coincidentally trying to avoid bad weather. I'd love to make it there, but not sure I can pull out the miles, or if I should try.

If I eat lots of food tomorrow my pack will be lighter and I'll move faster. And with more calories to burn, I'll have more energy, and with the threat of not enough food, I'll have more motivation to get there. I'd love to work it out that I'm just out of food when I get to Franklin. Otherwise, I'm still carrying too much. I can get a shuttle to Franklin at mile 106. That could get me there Weds night. And then I could take Thurs as a zero day (and Thurs night, too?). I'm sure I could find somebody to share a room with me, but maybe not Wendigo. He says I snore, and he does, too.

So I gave myself a sponge bath with water and a dirty rag that is still cleaner than I am and I'm almost ready to go to bed. It's 8:30 and almost dark. If I'm going to make those miles I need to get up earlier. I was up at 6:30 this morning but dawdled in camp and didn't leave till 9:00. I got some pictures, though.

I just put some Benadryl on those bug bites after cleaning off. It is really amazing how much cleaner and better I feel with just a water wipedown. I still smell, but I hardly notice anymore unless I smell my clothes. At least I feel less sticky.