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.
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