Date: 2013-05-26
From: Jenkins shleter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

The plan was to hitchhike to Bland with Reddup, resupply, eat some Dairy Queen and get to the next shelter. It was 5 miles to the gravel road. I pick points on my map to mark where I am and how fast I'm going. I made it there in 2 hours, Woo, I was flying. Bailey was happy because it was cool out and we were mostly in shade. I passed Reddup and Teaka and headed to my mext point. Trail boss trail. That's a funny name for a trail. I had a power bar and fed Bailey nutterbutter minis. Redup caught up and we chatted about how fast we were going and about back pain. Redup has had several bad surgeries, started thru hiking last year and broke her leg in TN but kept hiking for 40 more miles because she thought it was just a sprain. She's one tough lady!!It started getting hot and I got frustrated at the ridge line that only went up. These gradual ups were killing me. I got to the gravel road the trail went on fro .5 mile. I passed an old broken down Christmas tree with a deer skeleton one it. I hurried past because that dump site was weird. I got to us 52 and waited for Redup to arrive . Teaka came up and decided to go to Bland too. Another guy showed up and called the shuttle which would be $10. Redup and I said if we got a hitch before the shuttle came, if not a ten dollar shuttle split between 4 wasn't bad. We went to DQ first. I used my coupons I'd been carrying since Hiawasee and got 2 chili cheese dogs One was free and a midnight truffle blizzard, Mmm! I had tied Bailey to the railing next to the door next to the drive thru. There were poles along the front of the store but they were right next to the parking lot. Bailey would sometimes get scared and she slid right through the 5 inch railing right in front of the cars in the drive through. I rescued her 3 times. It scared me because she was so close the the cars. I wanted to hang to some at DQ but not with Bailey unsafe like this, so Redup, Teaka, Bailey and I hiked over to the dollar general to resupply. I only needed a few things, oatmeal, granola bars toilet pater and dog food. On our way to dollar general a guy in a truck stopped to offer us a ride and we told him we'd be done at the store in 15-20 mins. While I was in the bathroom a few mins, Teaka told me our shuttle was waiting outside for us. What It hadn't been that long. I hurried out payed for my things and quickly stuffed it into my pack. While I was fitting dog food into baggies for Baileys pack, I wondered how Redup and Teaka had gotten organized so fast. I fed Bailey probably 3 cups of food because it wouldn't fit in her pack and because I heard dogs. She will eat lots in town too. We piled into the back of a pickup truck. The driver went past where we had stopped and we protested. He pulled over and said he'd never dropped anyone off there ever. He didn't look like he was going to turn around so we let him Yellow blaze us a mile. I was a little annoyed but once I started hiking on a full stomach and Dr Pepper in the hot son I was glad. It was a steep up to the shelter and another .3 off the trail to the shelter. Cozy, SlownSteady, outside dog and sprouts showed up as well. My water was really clogged and not working well so I used a dad and daughter section hikers filter. They had a bag so I went down .3 to the water and lugg it back up. I had Parmesan cheese angel hair pasta and it was nasty. I put some pringles in it and that made it taste better. Bailey and I were in the shelter tonight because I wanted to get an early start. There were actually only 4 of us girls in the shelter. Tat never happens. I woke up at 6 and made banana n crea oatmeal and hot choc. I got going at 7:10.