Day: 40

Yesterday’s Goals:

Finish the Pinhoti Trail

Activities of The Day:

I woke up this morning multiple times freezing! At eight, I started packing up and was walking close to nine. IF you recall, or if you read it, my first night on this trail, my tent poles froze together. Well, this morning, I was greeted with frozen socks and shoes! Everything was packed! My stove is always on the bottom because it’s the last thing I need and is the last to come out of the bag at the end of the day. I sat there thinking of how to warm my shoes because I have one extra pair of socks. They were nice, cozy, and warm because I slept with them last night.

I saw the leaves outside my tent were wet and in the sun. Put your shoes in the sun. This is going to take a lifetime! What can I do besides unpack? Sit on them your butt is warm! Sure enough, a few moments later, I was wearing shoes and taking my tent down. What a morning! I must be at a particular place at a specific time, which must happen!

Five miles equals about four hours. I was still good! BUT WAIT! This knee is going to slow you down! When I talked to the driver, he told me to take my time and that he would be there.

I was upset. I got some encouragement through this trail sign, though.

Encouraging Sign

After I passed it, I calmed myself down, saying, it’s going to be okay, you’re ok, everything is okay, just walk, that’s all you have to do. I put my head down and started limping down the trail. I refused to look at the map, knowing it would discourage me. I couldn’t look until eleven when I should be at the terminus.

So I found you all your last Pinhoti little waterfall.

Small Waterfall

The descent down to the valley was torture on my knee; the sight in front of me made me feel better.

First MacKay Tail Sign

I took enough pain medication this morning to make a miniature horse happy. I was still feeling every twist, pull, and tug; anything that involved my knee was still well-known.

I had the incorrect thought that this would be my last Pinhoti water crossing. Boy, I was wrong!

Water Crossing

Then the sign!

BMT Sign

NONE Given At The Northern Terminus

NONE Given Starting The BMT

The Amount of Time It Took To Get Here

OK, OK! After walking around and getting lost yet again, I found THIS. Sign!

THE SIGN

Alabama, when I picture a hiking trail, THIS is what I picture!

BMT Trail

I came out on the road where I was meeting the shuttle, but no one was there! I started throwing a hissy fit until a jeep made itself known. I took off my pack, sat down, turned off airplane mode, and received one text while looking for the driver’s phone number. IF you did not notice in the pictures, my phone had very little power left. Well, I hit the driver’s phone number and poof, the phone died!

Now, I do have my tablet with me; that is what I am writing to you on. I’m old, and writing on a phone will not work for this blind guy! I sat there for a while thinking, considering, do I really want to unpack my whole pack just to get my tablet? Gear was everywhere! I was not happy! I guess it’s essential to say I would meet the driver at Dryer Gap. I pulled up the map on FarOut, and this is what I saw:

FarOut

I see a structure to my SW. I pack everything up and go downhill to this area. When I got there, I was told by a sign that I was at a campground that was not named Dryer Gap. The good news is I was able to get rid of weight by throwing away my trash. The bad thing was that I still needed a ride, and I had no clue where I was, let alone where the driver was. Oh yeah, my phone is dead! The trees started echoing my loud, obnoxious vocal cord noises! I pulled everything back out of my pack to get my tablet, but maybe I missed something. Right when everything was on the ground (less than two minutes after the trees copied everything I was saying), a truck pulled down the mountain and up to me. Hum, it was the shuttle! Guess what? He had pulled up to where I had come out of the woods moments after I walked down the mountain. I WAS at the right place! Kind of I should have walked uphill, and there would have been a trailhead for me to hang out at.

He said he has done this enough times that he knows people don’t sit still for long. He came down to make sure I wasn’t down there. What a wonderful person he is!

What’s Ahead:

I am not ready to tell you yet! As you know, my knee has been bothering me for the last few weeks. Nothing seems to be making it better besides large amounts of pain meds and not using it. At this time, I am suspending my hike. I will be back! I am not done! For the last forty days, I have been in pain in my feet, my knee, my knee. I need to have it examined and ensure I haven’t done something terrible. The plan is to heal up and get back out here. I am not thinking of the AT at this time. I want to check out some not-so-big trails. I think, like the Pinhoti, they need to be shared. I want to do that. I also have other ideas, so who knows? I know I will keep you updated. I hope to be back out there soon.

Goals:

Heal up and get back on the trail!

Stats:

Mileage of the day: 5
Mileage on Trail: 350/350
Days on Trail: 40
Number of Zero’s: 6 (no miles hiked)
Number of Nero’s:4 (less than five miles hiked)
States: Alabama, Georgia
Trails completed: PINHOTI!!!
The good: Finished the Pinhoti Trail
The Bad: Weak knees

Thank you for following along! I shall return as soon as I can!