Dick’s Creek Gap to Newfound Gap – MILE 207!

Life is good. These past two weeks have been some of the best times of my life. I have not laughed so hard so often in such a longtime. Life takes on such a cool simplicity out here. The only responsibilities I have are staying alive and making sure my hiking crew does the same.

Since Hiawassee Stan and I adopted a crew. First it was Toast, shortly followed by Boston (who did up to Fontana with us). We called ourselves the Stink Pod. Picture playing the sims when they neglect their hygiene and have that green cloud following them – that’s us.

The day we left TOG hostel we crossed our first state line! It was so freaking exciting. I crossed it with the Swiss couple Stan and I have been off/on hiking with since day one. North Carolina has been out shining Georgia in my opinion. The terrain is more of the sustained ups/downs which leaves me with more energy and is so much nicer on my knees. Also the views are unreal! And since I have found my hiking groove I feel like I have more time to really stop and enjoy the views. Like this sunset I watched with Boston and Stan on Day 9!

Highlights:

• The day we hit up Mount Albert! It was a super fun rocky scramble! It made me want to go rock climbing. Also the view was INCREDIBLE from the top and it was the 100 mile mark!

• Hiking 7.8 miles in ~3 hours to get a cheeseburger in Franklin, NC. I also hitch hiked for the first time! We basically danced on the side of the road until someone picked us up. She even sent us to a little diner where I ate the best tasting cheeseburger.
• Being in a town I’ve never heard of before and knowing everyone. The hiking community is awesome. Butter and Neil were even at the hostel. We ended up exploding our resupply on their table and drank beer. It was great.
• My first rough day. It was the longest day so far (15.8 miles) so I decided to take a wrong turn and hike an extra mile. I ran into a couple about 1/2 mile in who asked “are you hiking the AT?” “I sure am” “well you’re not right now”. That was the first time I cried..

• THE GREAT CANADIAN OLIVE OIL CRISIS. That day started with Bertha (my pack) pinning my face to ground until Toast rescued me. Then at Cable Gap Shelter we stopped for lunch only to discover my stupid olive oil (which I hadn’t even used at all..) exploded ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF NY FOOD BAG! I was so mad.

• Staying at the Fontana Hilton. It was so fun to hangout with so many thru hikers. Also I had the best a shower of my life. And what I thought was a paper towel dispenser ended up being a hand drier and scared the living day lights out of me. I’m forgetting how to live in civilization.

 

• Doing 18.7 miles and seeing Clingmans Dome on a BEAUTY day!

• “Do you sleep here?” -random kid “No we sleep in shelters just down the trail” -Toast while Blue Bandana is cooking dinner in front of a National Monument.
  

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