Days 6-8

Blairsville to Hiawassee



Rain, Rain, Fog, and Rain in the Fog!

Day 6, April 7 (Eclipse Day)

We got a late start out of Blairsville because the shuttle back to the trail was 1 1/2 hours late.  The trail was steep and rocky, but it was actually a pleasant day. 

It was an interesting experience hiking during the eclipse.  It became visibly darker, cooler, and dead silent.  The bugs and birds must have thought it was bedtime.


"Titanium" in the Rain


Rocky and I tried to make up a few miles and hiked into the evening.  We ended up stealth camping (camping in an undesignated area) along the trail.

Note from Sally:  Dan could send texts where he was stealth camping but not call.  This is the text I received the next morning (Day 7):

We're sitting in the tent waiting for the rain and wind to calm down so we can break camp.  I wish I hadn't hung the bear bag last night.  All of our food and COFFEE is hanging in a tree in the rain.


He got it down!


Rocky uninterested in packing up


 Day 7, April 8

Today was interesting.  It rained all day with a few brief interludes of drizzle.  We ended up getting a late start because we waited for a lull in the rain.  While we waited, I ate half a bagel with cream cheese, and Rocky ate a granola bar and cheese stick for breakfast.  I quickly tore down and stowed the tent.

Hiking in the rain wasn't terrible.  We were either in a downpour, in drizzle or fog, or staring at the clouds in the valley.  We did get cold pretty quickly if we stopped for long.

It was a long day.  Both of us managed to take a spill.  I stepped on a slippery root that was hiding under wet leaves.  No damage.  I swear Rocky was laughing at me.  Rocky sat back on an incline and rolled backwards, head over heels, three or four times, and couldn't get up.  His pack acted like counter balance.  His feet were flailing around, and he was whining.  I flipped him over, and he was very happy.  No damage, but his pretty orange pack is now covered in mud.


The trail meandered along the ridge line.  What was interesting is that the trail on the east side of the ridge was far less rocky and fairly easy hiking while the trail on the west side was real rocky and hard to navigate.  We were on the west side most of the day.

We hiked to Blue Mountain Shelter.  When I arrived, the shelter was full.  I didn't want to pitch my tent in the rain, so I pitched it under the awning.  Everyone was good with that.  We ate a cold dinner of tortillas and cheese sticks.  Rocky ate 3 and a couple of slices of chicken jerky.

Note from Sally:  Rocky has a tendency to skip meals whenever he is in a new situation or anything seems weird to him.  Here, he seems to have finally decided that he better eat in this situation!

Blue Mountain Shelter (50 miles in on AT)
note all the "drying" gear


Day 8, April 10

"Titanium" Sticks as a Trail Name

Note from Sally:  Dan has begun to develop a "tramily" (trail family) of people he keeps seeing on the trail.  They are calling him by his trail name, "Titanium" (for his titanium knees), so I guess we should too.  

Back to Titanium's and Rocky's Day:

I've been in full rain gear for the past three days, and rain just keeps falling.  Last night we were notified that there was going to be severe weather Wednesday night (4/10) through Thursday and to seek shelter.  I took that to heart and hiked out to a trailhead, catching a shuttle into Hiawassee, Georgia.  On the shuttle were several folks that I had been leap-frogging with along the trail.  One of them took this video of Rocky and me in the wind and fog:



The shuttle driver recommended that we try the Hiawassee Brew Pub for lunch.  It was definitely a good choice for lunch, but the conversation was even better.



There are a number of folks I've met along the way staying here.  I guess I'm not the only one that needed to dry out and hide from the storm.

When Rocky and I were checking in to the Holiday Inn Express, I asked for some old towels so that I could clean up my dog.  Before I was done with my sentence, a lady from the maid service was handing me a pile of towels.  We were totally soaked and covered in mud.

I cleaned Rocky first and then proceeded to clean Rocky's pack, me, and my gear in the shower.  When I got out of the shower, Rocky was peacefully asleep on the very white bed.  Now my gear is laid out to dry, and we're watching TV.





Comments

  1. Please explain the shuttles more. You have managed to find a shuttle 2 times in the boonies to get to an in-town getaway. Are these special AT shuttles that only run for a few weeks of the year when ATers are trekking through? I thought you would have to thumb it into town.

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  2. We are using the FarOut app. FarOut has a full GPS tracker coupled with the AT map. It shows road crossings, water, shelters, trailheads, and other things. It has a drop down menu with shuttle service, hostels, local towns, and available services. It's a great app. Maps are available for all sorts of trails and trips. Check it out.

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