Day 8 - Bittersweet Goodbye to Camera

Walked today.

Took an easy day of about 5 miles. Of course that makes climbing up and down Little Bald Knob and Buzzard Knob seem like a walk in the park. Hot and muggy today.

Alicia says that normal hiking requires 1/2 liter of water per mile. Heat and tougher climbs require more. I carry a 3 liter platypus which is a plastic container that fits in your backpack with a drinking tube coming around for you to drink and keep your pack on. I also carry a 1 liter bottle on the side of my pack but it is impossible for me to reach without taking my pack off. I am loath to take my pack off cause it takes so much energy to put it back on. Today I also have 4 days of food which weighs a ton. High calorie food is heavy. Sigh.

As for food, I don't like the beef jerky and I do like the protein powder Lauren insisted I take. Crackers are hopeless. They just become crumbs. Peanut butter is hard for me to swallow without chocolate.

Just as I was getting back on the trail at Dicks Creek Gap after the night at the Blueberry Patch Hostel (which has a fantastic breakfast and went way out of the way to help me), 4 of the other women thru-hikers came off the trail from across the road. They stayed at the last shelter because they were tired and now they are spending day and night in Hiawasee for package pick-ups. I hope we join up again. I like them. The 5th young woman thru-hiker came down the mt with me to spend the night at the Blueberry and then decided to spend the night in Hiawassee because of a bad knee. You are not compatible with everyone walking the trail.

I feel sad about mailing home my camera, cool GorillaPod tripod the photo staff got me, the long exposure cord, and 12 discs, plus the Syncpack I carried them in. But I knew I could not carry all that and 4 days of food/water. I feel naked. I think it's the first time I've put myself in a situation to experience an adventure and not witness it. In some ways it's freeing because carrying a camera is like carrying a baby. You have to be careful to protect it from falls, weather and thieves. But still there were scenes I would have photographed today including the hillside of pink lady slippers in front of me right now.

The bugs are eating me up as I type. Yuck. Maybe 20 or more people staying at this shelter tonight. I've set up my tent.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Photos

Photos have been added to Day 1 through Day 4 posts. Disclaimer: some photos were taken by Pam and others were taken by Alicia. :)

Within each post, you can click on any image to view a slideshow of the images in that post. You can also view all the Trillium on the Trail images by clicking the link below.

Trillium on the Trail

Day 7 - Exhaustion

Today's been a hard day. That beautiful sunrise turned into a harsh, hot sun. I think I drank 7 liters of water and by the end of my hike I wasn't feeling well. 11 miles today from Tray Mountain Shelter to Dick's Creek Gap where I got a shuttle to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. Primitive place but I'm so grateful to be here. The tiny shower and toilet is an outhouse size building about 30 feet from the little building that is the hostel with about 4 bunk beds. But I'm clean and that's all I care about. It's run by a Christian couple who only take donations.

Today was my first food package pick-up. Thank you so much Lucy. You are wonderful!!!

Today is the first day when I've questioned my physical ability to do this. I'm totally wiped out. For sure my camera goes home tomorrow. Sorry to all of you that disappoints. :( The food is the problem. I can't carry up to 4 days of food and 4 liters of water at a time. Maybe a few weeks later I'll be stronger and can get it back. My kids and even a few friends insist I take the food.

I don't carry a stove which would mean carrying fuel and a pan-more weight. I eat cold food.

Hikers get water out of small streams and use some form of purifying system. I use Aquamira tablets. Takes 15 to 30 min until I can drink. Rockin Robin just drinks the water out of the stream. She thinks everyone gets sick on the trail whether you purify or not. I'm worried about her; think she's asking for trouble.

When the day is cloudy I wear a nifty hair bandanna which hides increasingly bad to worse hair days. When the sun shines brightly, like today, I wear my baseball hat to shield my eyes. I have a bandanna tied around my wrist to wipe sweat and anything else that drips. My feet have done well. It's my knees and hip that hurts.

After great debate, I decided to wear my lightweight trail shoes and they have worked well so far. My heavy hiking boots would have been terrible on my knees.

Tomorrow I'm taking an easy day of about 6 miles, but some steep climbs in those miles and I'll have a full pack of food for the next 4 to 5 days. Did I mention I'm exhausted?

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 7 - Tent

Today I walk. Tomorrow is uncertain.

I spent the night on top of Tray Mountain. In my tent in a spot where you can see both the sunset and the sunrise. Trees block the view for photographs but not for your eyes. Beautiful. And wow the stars!!! There are so many and they are so bright!

I'm increasingly impressed with my Six Moons Trekker Tent despite my kids saying it looked like a garbage bag. There was a brief shower last night and not a drop inside.

At this campsite/shelter are the 5 other women thru-hikers, and about 10 men scattered about in their tents like me. The other women slept side by side in the shelter but I think I'll only sleep in a shelter again when it's raining or I'm too lazy to set up my tent. Too confining and noisy and I like the privacy of my tent.

It might be a long hard day if I go as far as I had planned. I was quite tired after yesterday's climb.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 6 - Pay Attention

The motel owner told the taxi driver the wrong location. Note to self: pay attention where you're going.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 6 - Taxi Troubles

Got a late start this a.m. The motel offers free shuttles back to the trail but his driver just quit. (This is the same motel which has exposed rug tacks between bathroom and bedroom which I was slow to remember they were there). Being honest motel owner he paid for a taxi to take us back to trail, maybe 15 miles. When we arrived, unpacked our gear, I looked around and turned to the driver and asked "is this Unicor Gap?" No it wasn't. It's where I'll be in 2 more days. I want to walk by all the white blazes for however far I walk. All the way back to motel we went. Owner wasn't happy to pay another $25 to take us to right spot but he was nice. All this took us till 10:30.

My knees are hurting a lot. Just took Advil. Don't like to do that but oh well.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 5 - Flashlight

Forgot to mention the light in the hotel bathroom doesn't work and the office closed right after we checked in. So Tom's flashlight saves the day again.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 5 - Budget Motel

Today I walk.

And a difficult day it will be with long steep climbs up and down.

Yesterday made it to Blue Mountain Shelter by 3:30. I was getting water about .1 of a mile from shelter when another hiker came along and said "did you see the bear in the tree about 1/2 mile back on trail?" It was just sitting there watching him pass which means it was just sitting there watching me pass.

The shelter was very nice but the privy was disgusting. You open the lid and hundreds of nasty flies were buzzing around and flying out the opening.

I was also disgusting after several days with no shower. Why is it that human beings smell so bad when other animals don't?

Packman and eventually 5 other women were spending the night. The Ridge Runner then joined us. His job is to walk up and down the whole AT Georgia trail for 6 months looking for problems. He told us that at the road crossing in 2 more miles we could call Gene and get a ride into Hiawassee about 15 miles away. Now that 2 miles is down a difficult steep decline. I thought it was too early to stop and the thought of a shower gave me energy. Packman wanted food and decided to come too but the other women were too tired. So we packed up our stuff and left the shelter for the hour and half decline. On way down we met 2 boys and their fathers coming up. They were all excited because they just saw a baby bear running down the trail. No doubt scared by Packman and me. So walked rest of way knowing a momma bear was nearby. It was fine with me that Packman never stops talking.

We got our shuttle to the Budget Inn (and well named). While I took a long hot shower (greatest luxury ever invented) Packman went for an "all you can eat" dinner. We are sharing the room. I ate at Subway and then washed my clothes while wearing my rain gear cause only have one set of clothes. Then we spent a pleasant evening on chairs outside our rooms talking with the 5 churchmen who had been on the trail with us but 4 were going home while the 5th will be walking with us with his newly arrived son for another week.

Never knew Georgia was so beautiful. Maybe prettiest place I've ever been.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 5 - Wild Leeks?

I think what I thought were wild leeks are really lady slippers not yet in bloom. If so, I'm shocked at the thousands and thousands of them! Allen Bush will be ashamed of me. :(

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 5 - Stay This Moment

Taking an easy 7 miles today from Low Gap Shelter to Blue Mountain Shelter. Beautiful walk in the mist. It's magical and mystical. I prefer to walk alone and take in the beauty around me and then spend the night with other people. I don't like to talk along the trail and others do like to talk. I keep seeing beautiful scenes with lovely sounds of dripping water and birds singing. To borrow a phrase from Sam Able I wish I could "stay this moment" - i.e. hold the vision forever but it's fleeting.

From the beginning the woods have been covered in poison ivy. Think about the inconvenience of that.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 5 - Night Life

Today I walk. Tomorrow is uncertain.

Sounds of last night: sweet singing of the small stream 20 feet from shelter. Late evening birds. Thunder in distance. Thunder closer. Thunder overhead and big downpour. Storm passes and left with sounds oif dripping leaves in breeze. Men starting to snore. People turning over on loud plastic mats. Men snoring in 4 part harmony. Deep bass 2 feet from me. Never stopped all nit. His poor wife. Early morning birds I can't ID. Everyone getting up in early morning fog. Quite lovely.

Not fun getting up in middle of nit to walk half a football field, up a hill, with Tom Hardin's flashlit, to privy with "bears active in the area". Saw nor heard no bears on three trips. Yeah.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 4 - Pack Weight & Camera Decision

I have a decision to make. Do I want to walk a long time or do I want to take professional pictures? I can't carry the weight with 3 to 4 days of food plus 3 to 4 liters of water. I'm trying hard to eat the 3 to 4000 calories a day but it's hard because it's too much food. I've been solving that by continuously eating as I walk;  constantly grazing. Still it's too much weight and I can't finish my day's allotment of food. Not hungry and it's more than I ever eat. Everything else I'm carrying is extremely lightweight and nothing I don't need. Fact: I'm not taking professional pixs anyway because the job of the day is to walk. I will decide in 3 days when I reach the Blueberry Patch Hostel if I will send my beloved camera home. Perhaps I can pick up a cheap lightweight amateur camera just to record the adventure.

Spending the night in a shelter with five church men and one other woman all sleeping side by side with sleeping bags touching. Church guys are leaving trail tomorrow. There are also five other female thru-hikers in tents around the shelter and several couples. Lots of hikers!

Beautiful day to walk today. Bright overcast and cool. It hailed and stormed on other side of mountain but missed most of us.

My method is to walk continuously all day. I don't like to take breaks. I just stop for quick pictures, for nature calls and to open up a new meal bar to munch on. When I pass hikers taking a break I might visit for a few minutes but not for long. I go slow but steady.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Thank You

My daughter, Lauren, designed the blog and manages it. When I can, I'll mail my photo discs home and she will select appropriate pixs for the blog. She also is managing sending my packages of food. Lauren and her husband, Jamie, are keeping everything in order at home. All this takes a lot of time and they are busy parents. Thank you Lauren and Jamie.

I've received many messages of love and support from many people. I'm amazed and humbled. I can't respond to all of you but know I read them and I'm deeply moved and encouraged. Truly you don't do something like this without a lot of support.

Thank you.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Day 4 - Cloudy & Slack Packing

Today I walk. Tomorrow is uncertain.

Weather is threatening rain mid-morning. Nice and cloudy for better woods pictures than harsh sun of last 3 days.

Hope to do 15 miles today but hips and knees a little sore. Alicia is slacking packing for 6 miles where I will meet her at a country road and then she heads home. What Godsend to help me ease (?) into this. On a mountain top now so sending message while I have cell signal.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.