Bama➡️Baxter Day 43 & 44

Day 43: zero miles

This morning I woke up in the hotel room in Franklin, NC. I was so looking forward to taking a zero day today. It’s been 16 days since my last zero so I figure I could probably use the rest. I’ve only done nero/half days of rest in the last two weeks.

We all slept in for a bit and then got up to head down to continental breakfast. I had a waffle and juice and we talked to The Wales. A couple hiking with a young kid and an infant. It was really interesting to talk to them and see what their daily routine is like.

After we ate we hung out at the room and got our laundry together. Then we walked down the street to the gear shop before going to the laundromat. I called my mom outside and talked to her on the phone while the guys were inside the shop. Then I headed inside to sign the hiker wall and walk around. A nice lady inside named Cozy offered to drive all of us from the gear shop to the laundromat so that we didn’t have to walk in the rain. That was super nice of her and we were grateful to not have to get soaked on the walk.

She dropped us off and we got our laundry going. While that washed we walked around a nearby goodwill. John got a pair of women’s royal blue shorts which were just incredible. Then we went to switch our laundry over before going to the BBQ joint next door. When the three of us sat down to eat at the BBQ place Cozy came and asked if she could sit down with us. She said that she wanted to buy us all lunch! Which was just unbelievably nice of her. We were all so grateful and felt really blessed.

I ate a delicious platter with ribs and sides which were literally to die for. The ribs were falling off the bone. I ate every last bite ridiculously fast. And when we finished eating Cozy even offered to drive us back to our hotel so that we didn’t have to walk down the street in the rain. She was truly a saint and a phenomenal trail angel.

When we got back to the hotel we dropped off our laundry and then headed over to Ingles grocery store to resupply. I didn’t need much to get me to the NOC. I just topped off on some snacks and got a couple drinks. Then we headed back to our hotel in the rain. At our room all of us lounged, packed our food away, and hung out.

While I was at the room I was texting back and forth with Nails who I hiked with on the Pinhoti Trail. He lives in North Carolina so I texted him when I got into Franklin. He offered to shuttle John, Jesse, and I back to the trailhead tomorrow morning! That was double awesome because I really wanted to see him again and we needed a ride back to trail.

Later on in the evening the guys and I went over to FATZ for dinner. That’s a local American style/BBQ type joint. I wasn’t too hungry after our massive lunch but I got a few sides. I got a side salad, side of Mac n cheese, and side of broccoli casserole. It was a delicious last meal of the town day.

The three of us headed back to the room after dinner and spent the rest of the night lounging. I did some writing on my phone and stayed up for a while. Then we all called it a night.

Day 44: 16.2 miles

This morning I got up around 7am and packed up my things. We all got situated in the room and then went down for the continental breakfast. Then around 9am Nails came and picked us up and brought us back to the trailhead. It was so awesome to see him again! The last time they we saw each other was in Dalton, GA when I was sick in the Days Inn. He wound up saying goodbye and hiking out and I took three zeros there. I really wasn’t sure if we’d see one another again so that was a great surprise.

When we got to the trailhead Crime Scene was there! We saw him the other day when we were doing the final miles to the road into Franklin. Yet another person that I wasn’t sure we’d ever see again. We all got to walking and he paced with John, Jesse, and I for a while. Another hiker Jay caught up to us and the 5 of us walked for a few miles.

After doing a good bit of climbing we came to a sunny road intersection and decided to take our first break. It was a bit cold out but felt great when you were in the sun. All of us sat on the side of the road and ate our snacks. I packed out a cheerwine soda which is a type of cherry soda down here.

While we were all sitting there no other than Cozy herself drove by! She waved out the window and recognized John, Jesse, and I immediately. She got out and brought over a bag of Easter treats for everyone. A bunch more hikers joined  in and it was a really great time.  We were all psyched to get some Easter morning trail magic.

After staying for a while we all headed out and began a long climb up to a nearby Bald. Rumor was that there was Easter trail magic at the parking area by the bald. So everyone set out and the miles flew by. We were all so excited by the prospect of some hot food and drinks.

I took the uphill nice and easy because it was about 4 miles of gradual incline. A lot of other hikers set out quickly and flew up the hill. But I had a feeling that that energy level wouldn’t last. What I’ve been trying to hone in is pacing myself so that I’m able to do those longer climbs without having to rest in between.

At the top of the climb the woods opened up to a parking area. Loads of hikers were gathered and there were a couple of cars and tables set up around them. Crime Scene, Jay, John, and Jesse were all there already. Along with a few other people I’d met. I got a beer and an orange juice and then was served up a bowl of tortilla soup. There was even fresh avocado and queso to top it with. Everyone was as happy as could be. What an amazing Easter!

All of us spent a lot of time there. I ate a bunch and had a couple of beers. Then the debate began of when we would actually hike out. Our plan was to do a handful more miles. So there wasn’t too much of a rush to hike on. But on the other hand we felt like if we stayed and drank more beer we might never leave. So eventually we decided to pack up and head out.

It was another 5 or so miles to our intended campsite for the night from there. I was definitely a bit buzzed but was with it enough to hike. I took my time and listened to music while I walked. And before I knew it I was at the shelter which we planned to camp at. There were 3 other hikers there already but it was a 6 person shelter. So we all fit in perfectly! I set up inside and then ate a bit. I was still so full from earlier than I didn’t feel the need to make dinner.

All of us squeezed into the shelter and it was a perfect fit. It’s supposed to be cold tonight so it will be nice to have all the body heat. Then after laying up for a while I finally called it a night.