Late Bloomers and Trail Magic

I am taking two zero days * (March 15 & 16) in Hiawassee, GA -- where the Serendipity Walk-in Clinic boasts the “best blister clinic in the state.” Sounds about right. I don’t have any blisters 79 miles into my trek (I'm including the approach trail at Amicalola Falls in my totals… most hikers avoid that section because of the “@&)(?!/ stairs)… but I did ‘em, all 604 of 'em! I will return to Dick’s Creek Gap Thursday morning via shuttle to carry on, and could actually cross into NC before the day is done.

Drying Out at the Budget Inn

Waddaya do on a zero day? Walk to the post office to get your resupply box, walk to the coin laundry to flush away 8 days of funk, walk to the pizza joint… dry out your stuff, SHOWER!!!!!!, and otherwise make use of plumbing. Am staying at the Hiawassee Budget Inn. They were not being modest when they said budget!

Grace, my shuttle driver, thru-hiked the A.T. in 2016 upon retiring as sheriff’s deputy in Tampa. Grace told me she likes this gig because it reminds her of work -- she drives around for 12 hours a day picking people up, only “… y’all are happy to see me and I don’t need to cuff ya!” Grace told me Georgia is the third hardest state to hike after New Hampshire and Maine.

The Kentucky Krew

I experienced my second dose of trail magic this morning ** -- a krêpe kourtesy of the Kentucky Krew. This family comes down from south of Lexington KY for about a week or until they run out of food! The crêpe was stuffed with a hotdog and garnished with peanut oil and sriracha! Deeelicious. Plus coffee, fresh fruit, homemade cookies and other treats. Very special and generous people, to put it mildly.

Speaking of people, all kinds of interesting folk. One dude this morning looked like an extra from a Pirates of the Caribbean casting call: filthy (I should talk) dreadlocks shooting off in 13 directions and so drunk he could barely stand. Another hiker actually carried the remains of a 6-pack 3 miles for him! Solo hiker, Late Bloomer, is 71 years young and hobbles like she had a double foot transplant earlier in the day… but she’s doing it just the same.

"Oh, you mean 14 degrees FAHRENHEIT!"

I almost perished in a storm over the weekend… about 14 Fahrenheit (-10 C)

overnight with wind gusts 60 mph. Spent Saturday night doing calisthenics in a mummy bag (all night) and thinking about the different blankets in our home. Nevertheless, I am very lucky to be out here doing this. I have time to have deep thoughts, as well as more shallow ones like: “The next time your neck is itchy, don’t scratch it! Hiking pole in hand hits the trail-side tree with the tip, jabbing the handle of the pole into your neck, just like the time playing hockey when you were very young and you went into the boards with the butt end of your stick jabbing in your midsection...” STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. I don’t think a lick about Covid, but the Ukraine weighs very heavily. No bears yet, too cold for rattlers, and songbirds are few other than juncos, nuthatches, chickadees, and Barred Owls at night. Coyotes yipping this morning. Nothing in leaf yet in canopy or understory but do run thru what I presume are stands of rhododendron on a daily basis. Had a 30-minute chat with Miss Pam earlier today so feel good. Robbie, I miss you but you need to know dogs on the A.T. must carry their own gear. You have it made just where you are, sweet boy.

Signing off,

Sponge FOB  

(Some hikers think my trail name, Father of the Bride, is too long. Others, such as Cyclops (a lookalike for Jack Elam), thinks it isn't "badass" enough and they worry that it'll get shortened it to Bride. I remind 'em "My trail name was pretty much sanctioned by 2 branches of the military," and they back off. Others have taken to calling me Sponge Man because of a sponge strapped to my pack for mopping up condensation on my tent. End result: my two trail names have been mashed into one: Sponge FOB).

Made it to the North Carolina / Georgia State Border at 2:50 PM, March 17

* A zero day is hiker jargon for a day off from hiking.

**At Unicoi Gap, Trail Angel Paul drove from Atlanta GA to set up his grill and prepare cheeseburgers for hikers. After surviving the snow storm, this was pure trail magic!