Date: 2009-04-29
From: BLUEBERRY PATCH

To: BLY GAP NORTH CAROLINA
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

HIAWASSEE AT LAST! THE GENTLEMAN AT THE BLUEBERRY PATCH DROVE US ALL IT TO TOWN AND DROPPED US ALL OFF. I WENT TO USE THE LIBRARY AND I HAVE MET UP WITH A BUNCH OF FELLOW HIKERS I HAVE COME TO KNOW. MILES WAS THERE, THE ICEMAN AND A FEW OTHERS. WE'RE ALL JUST CHECKING EMAILS AND UPDATING JOURNALS. I WILL BE KEEPING THIS ONE AND WILL TRY TO DO THE BEST I CAN. I GOT SOME PICTURES DEVELOPED AT RITE AID. KOOL AID AND SOME CHEESEPUFFS AND I DOWN A CHOCOLATE MILK. I MAILED OUT SOME POST CARDS AND PICTURES AND THEN I DECIDED TO START BACK TOWARDS THE TRAIL. ON THE WAY I EAT SOME GREAT FOOD AT A LITTLE RESTAURANT IN TOWN. CHICKEN FRIED STEAK AND EGGS WITH HASHBROWNS AND TOAST. WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY OFF. AFTER WALKING ALONG THE ROAD OUT OF TOWN FOR AWHILE WITH NO LUCK HITCH HIKING I FINALLY GET A BREAK, A TRUCK FINALLY STOPPED AND I HITCHED A RIDE BACK TO THE TRAIL. THAT GUY WOULD DRIVE ME BACK TO THE TRAIL IN A HURRY. I WOULD BE HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE AS THE TRUCK WOULD TURN HARD LEFT AND HARD RIGHT ALONG THE WINDING ROAD. I WAS TRYING TO KEEP THINGS FROM BLOWING OFF MY PACK. I HAD FINALLY LEFT AT ABOUT 2:30 IN THE AFTERNOON AND I STOPPED AT THE PLUMORCHARD GAP SHELTER WHERE I THOUGHT EVERYONE WAS GONNA BE STAYING AND I ONLY SAW CHANDLER. THERE WAS ALSO SOMEONE ELSE THERE AS WELL. CHANDLER HAD TO HOLD BACK DUE TO FOOT PROBLEMS. AFTER REFILLING MY WATER BOTTLES AND HANGING OUT WITH CHANDLER I STILL HAD AN HOUR OR SO OF DAYLIGHT LEFT. I BEGIN TO NOTICE WHAT TIME THE SUN GOES DOWN AT NIGHT SO I DECIDE TO HEAD OUT TO SEE IF I COULD CATCH THE OTHERS. CHANDLER INFORMED ME THE OTHERS WERE OFF TO THE NORTH CAROLINA BORDER AND BLY GAP. I FOUND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SO I HAD TO SEE FOR MYSELF. I WOULD RUSH ALONG SOME PRETTY EASY TRAIL AS THE CONDITIONS WERE PERFECT FOR ME TO MOVE FAST. AT SOME POINTS I FELT MYSELF JOGGING ALONG. I ANTICIPATED THAT I MIGHT BE HIKING IN THE DARK FOR A LITTLE SO I HAD MY HEADLAMP CLOSE BY. I EVENTUALLY ARRIVED AT A RESTING SPOT AND WOULD REALIZE I WAS AT THE NORTH CAROLINA GEORGIA BORDER SIGN. IT WAS GETTING DARK AND I WOULD HAVE TO USE A FLASH TO GET A PICTURE. I KNEW I WAS CLOSE BY MY DESTINATION AND WATER WAS NEARBY. MY DAY OF HIKING WOULD BE ALMOST DONE. I HAD TO USE MY HEADLAMP TO HIKE THE LAST STRETCH TO BLY GAP. I WOULD FILL UP WITH WATER AND THEN NIGHT HIKE THE LAST HALF OF MILE UP A HILL TO BLY GAP. I NOTICED THE CAMPSITES AS I WOULD SEE ALL THE HEADLAMPS. I KNEW I WAS WHERE I NEEDED TO BE. I HOLLERED "HEY THAT'S ALL YOU GOT" AND CONTINUED TO HIKE ON AS IF I WAS NOT STOPPING. I WOULD HEAR A CHEER "FLETCH" AS EVERYONE KNEW I'D MADE IT. I WOULD STOP UP THE TRAIL WHERE MILES WAS SITTING DOING HIS JOURNAL AND I ASKED HIM HOW FAR THE NEXT SHELTER WAS AND HE SAID 5 MILES OR SOMETHING AND I SAID I'M NOT GOING,TURNED AROUND AND SET UP CAMP WITH ALL THE OTHERS. I HAULED 2 CANS OF SPRITE AND SOME CHEESE CURLS AND CELEBRATED LATE INTO THE NIGHT. POSEIDON CAME OVER AND INTRODUCED HIMSELF AND LIKED HOW I WAS SETTING UP MY OWN CAMPSITE LOCATION WITH THE FIRE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE HILL WHERE NO ONE COULD SEE IT. EVERYONE HEARD MY SECOND CAN OF SPRITE POP TOP GO OFF LATE AND THINKING I CARRIED A COLD BEER UP THE HILL THEY WANTED TO INVESTIGATE. I HAD TO LAUGH BECAUSE IT WAS THE PERFECT POP TOP SOUND. I FINISHED MY SPRITE, ATE MY CHEESE CURLS AND GUARDED MY FOOD BAG TILL LATE INTO THE NIGHT. I ENJOYED A NICE FIRE AND WOULD SLEEP NEXT TO IT CLOSE BY IN MY TENT. I'M BACK WITH THE GROUP. MY TRAIL FAMILY. FLETCH OUT