Date: 2017-04-07
From: Hiawassee

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 10 on the Appalachian TrailApril 7Miles Today: 0Total Miles: 52.6I slept in till 8am this morning. It was great, and very refreshing knowing that I could sleep in a bit and not rush to get gear ready and start heading down the trail. Just about everything in the room was dry by the time I woke up. We probably could have gone without the extra day but it ended up being well used. A long shower started my day off right. Following my shower, I broke out my guide book and determined how many days it would be till we got to the next town for resupply which would be Franklin, NC. I came up with 6-7 days from Unicoi Gap where we will be starting back at tomorrow morning. Could be less, definitely won't be more than 7. Hardest part of the 7 days will most likely be tomorrow morning when we have to climb up nearly 3,000ft right off the bat. After determining how many days, I went through my food bag and figured out what I would need at the grocery store. Dinners were all set. I had more than I needed. The extra 6 ramens I had went to the hiker box. Originally I planned to have a ramen every day for lunch. I've decided that I don't want to stop and take the time to cook a lunch. Wraps with tuna are easier and faster. Before long, my dad and I were off to Ingles, a grocery store. I walked through the aisles and perused at the great selection of resupply options. I went with poptarts, granola bars and slim jims for breakfast and wraps with tuna or salmon packets for lunch. Both of these options have been working well so far on the trail. After picking out resupply food, we went over to the deli where they will whip up food for you. I got a 12" Italian sub that put any sub I've ever gotten from subway to shame. It was massive and had nearly everything you can put on a sandwich on it. We walked back to our room and I devoured my entire sub. Feeing stuffed afterwards, I sat down on my bed and began thinking about purchasing a tarp/poncho. It made perfect sense and had 4 different uses. Multi-use items are crucial on the trail and this one ended up being a no brainer. This tarp/poncho would allow me to 1) setup my tent underneath it so it will stay dry until I'm able to get my rainfly on 2) wear it as a poncho 3) use it as a footprint for my tent and 4) use it as an alternative shelter system. I walked over to the Mountain Crossings outfitter and picked one up for $100. Should be well worth it if I put it to use like I expect to. The afternoon was completely free and to pass the time I went through my entire pack. I had bought a bunch of ziplock bags at Ingles to organize my gear a bit better and lump my breakfasts and snacks into individual, daily baggies that I can just reach in and grab every morning rather than sift through my bag looking for what I want. After going through my bag and organizing I ran over to Rite-Aid and grabbed a muscle roller, some sunscreen and a bottle of melatonin to help me sleep better at night. Since then, I've just been hanging out and working on journaling. It's been a good day of housekeeping. I'm feeling more prepared for the trail than ever and I'm looking forward to the next couple days. The first state line is coming up soon which will be a huge milestone to check off the list. Soon after crossing the state line into North Carolina, the 100 mile marker isn't far off. To top everything off, the weather is looking great for the next week. All is good in the AT world right now.