Date: 2009-04-18
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We spent the morning getting ready for Bon Bon's departure, splitting up our gear, and mailing things I had loaned her back to Calilfornia. While in the PO, Bon Bon chatted with a Cub Scout and his mother and grandmother, learning he had just come from voice class. She asked him if he would sing for her, and he promptly filled the building with a rousing gospel song! We are definitely in the Bible Belt as I should have already figured out since the largest building, by far, in Hiawassee is the Baptist church.Bon Bon's sister, Jo, and her pal, Holt, arrived in the early afternoon to pick her up and wisk her back to Atlanta, but not before kindly taking me back up to the trail, dropping me off about 1:15 pm to hike on alone.It was a bit of a shock to be alone after two weeks with Bon Bon. Her strength and support not only on the trail, but also over the past 2.5 years as we have planned this trip, have been invaluable. She proved to be a strong hiker, good camper, able to roll with the many punches nature and the trail sent our way, and an endless source of lore, nature, and history of northern Georgia, where she had grown up. We both agree neither of us would have been able to do this early portion of the AT alone. Together we hiked up over 17,000 feet (and back down the same amount). Bon Bon should be proud that she hiked over 3% of the entire AT and 88% of the Georgia section! All in all, a great experience!I hiked the short 4.5 miles to Plumorchard Gap Shelter, wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts for the first time, arriving about 6 pm.After setting up my tent, I cooked dinner at the shelter and had a nice conversation with a whole new bunch of folks ... Ice, Koop, Bobby, a well-behaved bunch of Boy Scouts and their leaders, and a remarkable young lady named Moe! who is headed to Maine alone. A couple of others built a nice fire by the shelter, the first real campfire I have experienced since starting out. We were all in bed by hiker midnight.Bon Bon's Farewell:Farewell to the trail. I had wanted to hike the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail since my college days at the University of Georgia. So when my friend Route 66 said he was going to hike from Georgia to Maine, I said, "Count me in!" After 2 years of prep and anticipation I have just completed my dream hike! I am at the Hiawassee Inn, tired, thrilled and filled with great memories of the trail and the people we met, sheltered with, camped with, bunked with and hiked with. A diverse, wonderful bunch!! Some we met once, some we met multiple times. Nano kept showing up everywhere! I want to say first a big thank you to Route 66 for making it all come together, and a big hooray to his hiking strength after daunting physical setbacks. Next, snug hugs to all we met, including, but not limited to, my sister Ginnie and her husband Trip who housed us for two extra days during the snow storm before we set out, Ashley and Ella for taking us to Springer, the Clemson boys, Cat, Old Hobo, Richard the psychiatrist, Matt and Kate, Phatmandu, Penny, Doc, Nano, Mo Mike, all the people at Neel Gap, the delivery truck fellow who took us to Helen, Cindy and Eileen for returning is to the trail, and Robin and Dave for the ride in to Hiawassee. Last but not least, the people here at the Hiawassee Inn and my sister Jo for retrieving me. I am blessed and lucky to have had this incredible experience!!!!! Bon BonPhotosMailing home Bon Bon's gearMo Mike, Bon Bon, 66Bon Bon's sister, Jo, and friend, Holt, who picked her up in HiawasseeOff on my own Somaly, a college student out for a weekend of backpacking with her buddiesPlumorchard Gap ShelterMoe!