Our second day on the road was a shorter drive so we took the time to make a few stops. We traveled alongside two popular rafting rivers, the Ocoee and the Nantahala.
Late in the afternoon on Saturday, we arrived at Uncle Johnny's Hostel where we would be spending the night before heading out on the trail.
We would cross this bridge at the end of our 50-mile journey.
Spotting a white blaze that marks the trail.
Katahdin in Maine is the northern terminus of the AT. Just a measly 1822 miles away.
Springer Mountain in Georgia is the southern terminus of the trail.
A much shorter 337.9 miles away.
Time to hit the trail.
Sunday, June 7
9:05 am.
Stopping for lunch on Doll Flats.
Climbing the balds.
This climb was my favorite of the entire 50-mile section. After hiking for miles in the woods, you come out to these open mountains. The wind blows the long grass so that it looks likes waves in the ocean.
Overmountian Shelter
"The Barn"
Sunday, June 7
We hiked over 9 miles.
No Service
The privy at Overmountian Shelter.
Hanging our packs in the shelter so the mice can't get into them.
The funny looking trees on Roan High Knob.
Hughes Gap Campsite
Monday, June 8
We hiked over 12 miles.
It rained ALL night!
After a LONG day of hiking, we finally had a teeny tiny view.
Cherry Gap Shelter
Tuesday, June 9
We hiked over 12 miles.
Letting all of our sleeping gear dry out.
We stayed in a shelter on Sunday night with a thru hiker who had mentioned some trouble with a bear the previous night at Cherry Gap Shelter. The bear didn't want to seemed picky and decided to give us some grief too. Around 2:30 am, we heard the bear trying to get our food. I will never forget the sound of the bear clawing at the bag. Dad and another guy who was camping at the shelter got up and chased the bear off by throwing rocks at it. After getting up another 3 times, the bear finally got the hint and took off. We lost a lot of food because the bear was able to puncture the bag with his teeth and crush and slobber over things. Luckily, there was a bag of food my dad had been carrying in the middle of the bear bag that survived so we didn't have to spend the next 2 days with rumbling tummies.
Signing the shelter registery at Cherry Gap Shelter.
"Mad props to my dad going 33 in 3. Not bad for a 67 year old. Might be his last time on the trail, so glad I finally got to hike with him."
Our last night on the trail.
Curley Maple Gap Shelter.
We hiked over 13 miles.
4.4 miles to go.
Crossing the train tracks. Almost to the end.
The bridge!
We did it!
50 miles in 4 days and 1 hour.
Thursday, June 11
10:00 am
Our last blaze!
Trail grime.
Poppie requested a cheeseburger as his first off-trail meal.
Request granted.
Recovering in the hot tub at the hotel.
Catching up on my 202 emails.
You know you are in a hiking town when the hotel has a designated, and formally labeled, hikers box for folks to take things they need and leave things they don't.
Poppie taking a post-trail nap.
This piece of paper served as our guide to mileage, shelters/campsites and water.
Our last night before making it back to Little Rock was spent at David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, TN.
1800 + road miles.
Poppie left Mimi a map and itinerary so the kids could follow us.
This trip was definitely an adventure and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. I loved being able to spend time with my dad doing something that he loves. Although after hiking double digits 3 days in a row, it might not be something he loves doing with me.
HAPPY TRAILS!
