Date: 2007-03-24
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Campsite Past GA/NC State Line
Miles today: 8.7

March 24, Day of DelightsWoke up in Hiawassee at 7:30 a.m. ready for round two of the continental breakfast. Today I was strategic - two cinnamon rolls, two hard boiled eggs, one carton of whole milk and a bowl of Corn Flakes. That would surely give me all I would need to face the day, right? It sure did.We took a shuttle back to the trailhead at 9 a.m. and we were hiking at 9:30. The weather was already gorgeous and it would only get better all day. The sun was out which always makes me feel good. I've realized that so much of the way I feel is dependant on the weather. We flew through the first few miles to get to Plumorchard Gap Shelter. There, we had lunch with Not Guilty and relaxed a bit. It was also there that the day turned into a milestone day as well - we decided we wanted to make the push to North Carolina! This is a huge week on the trail. Not only do we get to cross one state off of our list, but we also hit the 100 mile mark. Huge.After lunch, we kept on truckin'. The day was full of big, big ups and short-lived downs. Up and down. Up and down. Certain mentioned she wanted to write a book about the AT called "Up and Down". But, that was about it all day as far as the trail goes. The day was perfect. Warm, sunny and energetic. We hiked through rhododendron tunnels and by springs. As we started getting closer to the border, my whole demeanor changed. About two miles out, I started checking every single tree I passed for the infamous "NC/GA" sign. The trail was full of excitement. I noticed two trees intertwined together - looked like they were dancing. I noticed a very slender tree bent completely over the trail - gave me the feeling of the arch in my grandparents' backyard, made me smile.So, the feeling I had as I approached the border was reminiscent of a moment in time when you are expecting a surprise of some sort but you just don't know when it will happen. It makes every moment leading up to the surprise exciting. Could it happen now? How about now? Up. Down. Flat. Through the tunnel. Up. How about now? More walking. Down. AND THEN...I saw something on a tree up ahead. It was about 15 feet in front of me and around a curve. I couldn't wait any more. I started running. NOW! It was the sign. The sign I'd seen in so many photos and in so may journals before. NORTH CAROLINA! I screamed, "woooooohooooooooooooo"! There was also a tube on the tree with a register inside. I pulled it out immediately and started reading the notes. Several of our fellow trailmates had already crossed the border. Then Michele caught up and we reveled in the glee. One state down! Thirteen to go! We took photo after photo. I couldn't help but repeat "we're in North Carolina", "we're in North Carolina","I can't believe we're out of Georgia". For the rest of the evening, everthing was better...because we were in North Carolina. The ground seemed more comfortable, the sky seemed more blue, the air more warm. One state down. We decided to camp a tenth of a mile past the state line. We got in around 5:30 - our earliest finish yet. I was almost lost with all of this time on my hands. I pitched my tent, got set up, washed my feet, searched for firewood and had dinner. I ended the perfect day with my current favorite trail meal, Idahoan loaded mashed potatoes.Turns out Not Guilty got bored at Plumorchard Shelter and decided to push on. He's here with us tonight and so is Trail Thoughts, a section hiker and publishing executive from Connecticut, and Sailor.Michele and I built a fire and right now we are sitting here having deep thoughts with Trail Thoughts. He's giving me marital advice to tell Eric (never yell at a woman) - ha! He's also working on a couple of book projects about the AT. Very interesting stuff and he gave both Michele and I his card incase we want to help him out when we're done. Super cool.Today has been a great day...I am very thankful to have made it this far. I am feeling good other than my arthritic shoulders. There are plenty of stars in the sky and I don't even need my down coat tonight!- Sound of the fire flickering and Trail Thoughts talking about his son (also on the trail). Post Trail Thoughts:Ah, Not Guilty. Little did I know it at the time but he would turn into my reference guide for the trail since he hiked in 2005. He remembered the trail SO vividly and could tell me just about anything. He had great hotel recommendations and was just a great guy! I was so excited to be warm that night. It was the first night out there that I was just comfortable without wearing everything in my pack!