Date: 2011-04-27
From: Cove Mountain

To: North of Thunder Ridge
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: light rain

04/27/2011 WednesdayFraser FirSection Hiker from Georgia to MaineThis is my eighth year moving in an overall northerly directionThis is my third day out on this new section of the trailCove Mountain to North of Thunder Ridge (23 miles)At points last night, I was moving around three miles per hour as I was hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway.My feet feel pretty good in my new trail runners. I have these super duper long shoe laces that keep your feet nice and square inside these shoes. The laces are yellow and stand out from a mile or so away.say goodbye to my cell phone. The moisture in the air destroyed the key pad so I can only call by ¢feeling¢ around for the digits.no more texting or recording data for my journal on my phone. no problem.as I will discover as I hike north on this leg of the trail; very few thru hikers have a cell phone or media device and I do not believe that many of the hikers that I have met so far are keeping an on line journal.I am just sectioning and I am wiped out. If I were doing this whole trail at once, I would keep a voice journal only and transcribe it when I got home(as I am doing now)At 10:30 am, I am wanting to be at South Creek. I am yearning for water. I am hot and have not had a really good ¢fill up¢ since last night at the quick stop at the overcrowded shelter.Before lunch, I make it to South Creek and see a few fishermen out for the morning. It is getting warm quick. Trash is everywhere. I am tempted to pick all of it up but I remember that I am already carrying a bunch of trash and do not have room for more.I walk to the forest road that will take me to the Middle Creek Campground and push hard to get there as soon as possible.Once I am at the campground, I visit with a couple of thru hikers that were at the shelter that I passed last night.I share my elevation profile maps with them and chow down a big lunch and additional drinks like coke and full throttle.The hikers give me some left over fries and I fill out post cards to Bryson and Siler and get them off in the mail.I had two voice mails earlier from the boys and in one of them, I believe that Siler told me that he jumped off the diving board at swim lessons last night.so, naturally, on his post card I asked him if he jumped off the diving board. That is awesome because he just turned three in February and he like freaked out the first few times that he took basic swim lessons to the point that he did not even want the teacher to get him in the water. Way to go Siler!!!There is a young dude that is shuttling hikers back to the trail and I ask him where the next waypoint or intersection is with the A.T. going north.He is uncertain. Not to criticize the young guy because if someone asked me something about, say Atlanta or how to get to the gold museum in Dahlonega, I would not know.I talked to his mom or whoever the lady is that is running the grill and the gift shop and she does not really know either so I take a stab at it and thank goodness take a two mile blue blazed hike that intersects me back with the Appalachian Trail just north of Bryant Ridge.I missed about two or three miles of the A.T. but even if I could get a ride back to the trail, I figure, I¢ve walked this far in a northerly direction, why go back??As I am searching for the trail, I hit a ¢fork in the road¢ and thank you God, I chose the correct way.I confirm my decision when I see a car with a Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail decal on it.Not five minutes later, I run into some trail volunteers and thank them graciously for their service!I told them that I ¢cheated¢ and did not go back to the A.T. at Middle/South Creek.One of the maintainers told me that I earned ¢my wings¢ because the climb that I did to get to Bryant Ridge was no walk in the park.It was great to get back on the Appalachian Trail and it was great to have a huge lunch.The Appalachian Trail is like a super highway. The tread is so nice compared to some blue blazed trails.Of course, I would not want to ever complain about trail conditions, blue or white blazed until I get out here and actually do something about it. These guys/gals are awesome and put in thousands of hours in making it possible for folks like me to take a nice little walk.entry one on the day.thanks for reading my journal.