Tuesday, October 19, 2010

At Day 6

Everyone wakes up early and mills around, waiting for breakfast to be ready. We're invited too eat on their porch-it is a gorgeous place, you can see the mountains outside and the table is a rock-steady wood table (old, too I think) and the room is just beautifully decorated.

It's an amazing breakfast, pancakes, sausage, eggs and hashbrowns. It'll definitely keep me going for most of the day. Afterwards, they give us envelopes for the donation-where some of us hurry back to get the cash out of our packs. Natalie and i talk about how much is appropriate, since there's no set amount.

After breakfast, we all squash into Gary's jeep, stowing the packs on the top. When we reach the trail head, i am the first up into the woods, followed shortly by Silver, Branch & Appleseed. I let Silver pass when he catches up, about a half-mile to a mile in. Branch and Appleseed catch up a little ways later and I step over to let them pass-Appleseed is surprised, she was happy to be hiking behind me. But it soon becomes clear these two are born to hike. they're moving at a very good pace. Silver and I-somehow I'm keeping up relatively for the time being-pass an older man who says it looks like the two in front of us are flying, feet not touching the ground. We agree.

At a certain point, it seems as if we are doing the out, around, back that becomes so familiar on the AT for a while. And a few hours in, Silver having pulled ahead, I catch up with him, eating a snack at the GA/NC sign. w00t! Done with one state, twelve more to go! I take a picture and as I'm getting ready to leave, after eating a snack, Isabelle and Natalie show up. I offer to take their picture, saying i don't need to leave immediately.

I pass the old tree that looks funny-someone had mentioned it to us-and another trail. There didn't appear to be broken trail, but i found out later that Rooster & Snowwhite and some others must have used the trail, because they had to evac. a girl with an injured ankle. Rooster got his original name because he broke trail down that trail-Snowplow.

Eventually, I reach the shelter. It is a quite pretty location and I have  a feeling it would be even prettier in the full bloom of spring. Rhododendrons, the stream flowing nicely and the shelter itself isn't in too bad shape. Chat with Silver.

Everyone filters in-Branch and Appleseed took a side trail to the top of a mountain-and we meet a man going by Reverend-his nervous tic is crossing himself, he's not religious. He's charming and fun, but a smoker. He's thru-hiked several times already and just felt like getting back on trail. We meet Shakes soon after-an older guy with a slight potbelly who shakes when he laughs-which is often. Also a wonderful person. The shelter is full with Shakes tenting.

We discover Reverend is a  snorer. Dinner is full of camaraderie.

I should note that I remember the section between Hiawassee and franklin with some of the most fondness-the snow wasn't horrifyingly hard to hike in and everyone got along really really well.

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