Days 6-9

Day 6

Addis gap to plumb orchard shelter

10 miles

Sleep did not happen last night due to some lovely bear visitors at our tent site. We were the only two tenting here and did an excellent PCT bear hang with absolutely no smellables in our packs or tents. I was having a hard time falling asleep when around 1:40am I hear sticks cracking and at first I’m like “oh it’s just a squirrel” because of how silent it was without any wind but then it gets louder, and louder, and then the lovely black bear grunt appeared. I know they are just black bears but that didn’t stop me from being absolutely terrified. I woke Kevin up by repeatedly saying his name until I finally heard a “huh” from his tent. He heard them immediately and got out with his headlamp and we started yelling at them to go away. They ran right off grunting as they went. However for a solid hour and a half after they ran off we could hear them wandering around near by. I did doze off from about 4-5:45 but that was all the sleep I got. After we packed up camp we started the hike to dicks Creek gap where our lovely friend Deb was meeting us to take us to hostel around the bend to charge up our devices and so that I could get an inflatable pillow (and some Snickers bars). She took us out to lunch as well (thanks Deb!!!) and then hiked with us for a bit up the trail. We made it to the plumb orchard shelter which was a really cool shelter. It has three floors and Kevin and I slept in a shelter for the first time, there were only two others sleeping in the shelter that night and it was definitely the best sleep, aside from the hotel of course, that I got on trail. Tomorrow we pass into NC!

 

Day 7

Plumb orchard to Muskrat creek

7.3 miles

Today almost immediately after we started hiking my stomach was not having it. I threw up many times throughout the day and was struggling to hike. I could walk for a couple minutes and then needed to sit down. I was on the phone with my mom when some section hikers went by and they must have heard me because they turned around to say they were physicians assistants and gave me some anti nausea medicine. Not exactly what I was hoping for my first trail magic encounter to be, but it was very much appreciated. We passed into NC and it unfortunately didn’t feel as good as I had hoped due to how sick I was feeling.

I finally met two other women today who are both 25 and from Maine! It was good to talk to them for a bit and I hope I’ll meet up with them again soon. We finally got to camp and then another woman thru hiker showed up and I was telling her about how I’ve been sick all day and she said her friend was picking her up 4 miles from here to take her to town tomorrow and that we should hop in so that I can get off trail for a bit to feel better. That was so unbelievably kind and I accepted the offer. I got sick again after trying to eat dinner and was shaking uncontrollably for a couple hours, and then was sweating. I think I must have had a fever or a bug, which is not ideal trying to sleep in a tent. I’m hoping that after a nero (near zero mile hiking day) and zero day I will feel better and we can go onto Franklin NC .

 

Day 8

Muskrat creek to deep gap

4 miles

I set an alarm for 6:30 so I wouldn’t hold up the kind woman and her friend since I knew my pace would be much slower than hers I wanted to get a head start. I made it to deep gap by 9, and she showed up about 20 minutes after. It was a 45 minute ride to the hotel in Haiawassee, and I got a shuttle secured for Monday to take us back. We couldn’t check in right away to the hotel since it was so early, but I was more than happy to sit in the lobby and enjoy the wifi. I plan to do nothing today and tomorrow and rest up.

 

Day 9

Holiday inn express, Haiawassee

0 miles

Today was much needed. I drank a whole liter of Pedialyte, ate bananas and crackers, and laid in bed. I can’t tell if I’m feeling much better or not yet, I think tomorrow hiking will be the test. If I’m not doing better by time we get to Franklin I will head to an urgent care because it’s not sustainable to be hiking this many miles while feeling so sick. I’m hoping my body will be adjusted soon! Thank you all for checking in on me, I will be back with more updates in a couple days!

Here are some photos from the last few days: