This is Luke (NoseHose if you're thru-hikin') typing from the Macon County Public Library in Franklin, NC.
It's been 70 miles on the trail since we last posted. What a 70 miles! 3 days of straight rain, along with some of the most beautiful days ever! There is so much to fill you all in on...
First night out on Friday, we got wet. The condensation on the inside of my tent soaked my sleeping bag and Caleb struggled with the rain in the bivy. We hiked 17.8 miles (our most to date) on Saturday in the rain and reached the shelter on Albert Mountain where we were drinched and hoping for a miracle -- two open spots in the shelter. The other nights the shelters had reached sleeping capacity around 3 PM and Caleb and I wanted to hike later, so we've been camping on our own. But with the rain, we were dreading setting up camp. We approached the shelter and tents were set up everywhere -- a sure sign that the shelter was full. There was a campfire in front of the shelter so we tried to gain some warmth before taking off down the trail and searching for a nice, dry campsite before it got dark. Once I began talking to the people at the campfire, it turned out that the tents were from a troop of Boy Scouts that had hiked a mile up the mountain to spend the night and that there were 3 or 4 open spots in the shelter! A miracle! Caleb (aka HillRaiser to thru-hikers) and I darted into our sleeping bags and grabbed a spot in the shelter to thaw/dry out. What was better, is that the Boy Scouts made too much food and we had all-you-can-eat chicken pasta! AND, another hiker offered to put up our bear bag! What a great night! To bring us back to reality, the wind was terrible and blew rain into the shelter that night and we still got wet, but we had full bellies to deal with the wetness in the morning. We were also in a lot better shape than the other hikers (both mentally and physically)in the shelter which gave Caleb and I some much needed confidence.
Meeting the people involved with the trail has been awesome! Right now, I give thru-hikers and section-hikers about the same amount of credit. The only difference between the two is what they say they are going to do, not what they are actually doing. People that have been on the trail in this weather are dedicated and interesting people. From college students on Spring Break, to out of shape middle-aged men, to Boy Scouts, to thru-hikers, they are all awesome!
The trail magic has been great! Some people who care about thru-hikers will do favors for them during this time of year. One hiker, travelling south, asked if I was thru-hiking and when I told him that was the plan, he handed me a ten-pack of kit kats. A man who has always wanted to thru-hike but who could never find the time found Caleb and I at Dick's Creek (the road into Hiawasee, GA from the trail) and asked us if we were thru-hikers. We told him we were and he said he had some magic to give us. He walked us over to the trunk of his car and told us to help ourselves to what we wanted. He had enough food there that I resupplied out of his trunk for Franklin, NC, saving us a trip into Hiawasee. He could not have been more generous. This morning, as we were waiting for GMA Beth, my mom, and blakeley's mom to pick us up in Franklin, a church group had a table set up at the trailhead with hot coffee, hot cocoa, and all-you-could-eat snacks. They were great company while we waited on our ride. Not to mention all the effort my family has put in for me while I've been on the trail. Thank you so much, family.
The good news for me today is that I got into law school at UNC-CH! I'm pretty pumped. Now I just need to make sure I graduate in May...
Check out the pictures and videos Caleb has added. He's done a great job documenting the trip. I'm definitely glad he has come along. We hiked separate one rainy day and it made me appreciate how much more fun hiking is with caleb to joke/freestyle/talk with.
We'll update this in another week or so. We are moving at close to 15 miles/day now and are planning to be at Fontana Dam, NC on Sunday to begin hiking the Smokies. Hot Springs will follow a week after that! We are excited to dry out tonight and get a good nights rest, but are itching being indoors on a beautiful day like today.
I have so much more I could type, but need to go. Thank you all for following us on this adventure!
Don't work too hard out there in the real world,
NoseHose
p.s. - We miss you, Chris.
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Luke yall keep going up there. Enjoy your time on the trail! Sounds like a great walk in the woods. congrats on UNC....Uncle T
ReplyDeleteLuke! This is Hoover, it's good to hear y'all are having such a good time. (Caleb, I'm Justin Hoover, nice to meet you! If you're a friend of Luke's, you're as good as family). Your tales are incredible, and the hospitality y'all have encountered makes me feel good about humanity again (too much CNN will drown your spirits). I wish I could be with y'all! The photos are amazing! You are some tough SOBs, I don't know if I could handle the rain for days on end, but you guys are sticking it out and I'm proud of ya.
ReplyDeleteLuke, congrats on UNC! That's huge buddy. Although it would ruin my spirits if you chose UNC over WM, I will be happy for you either way. You have worked hard, and it has paid off. I'm sure it feels good, enjoy it. You have achieved what a tiny percentage of mankind can say they have. What's more, we don't need anymore good lawyers, we need good PEOPLE, and you will certainly fit that bill.
But I BEG YOU, keep us updated as you hear from schools and where you are in your decision process. I couldn't be more anxious to hear where you will be headed next year. No matter where you go, you will succeed; but WM is by far the best law school in the country. But I'm not biased.
Boys, have fun out there, but most importantly, stay safe. Keep the stories and updates coming, and trust that you have a significant amount of Luke-Caleb groupies hanging on your every word. Y'all will be in my prayers. Until next week, good luck, and God Bless!