Date: 2021-09-16
From: Long Branch Shelter 

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain started yesterday evening at 5pm and it rained steadily all night. My tried and true hammock set up kept me warm and dry and well rested. I rallied out at 6:30 am and all of my packing practice paid off as I was all buttoned up at 7. The rain had let up by then and we waited for sunrise before heading out.We immediately started up Albert Mountain, a nice way to warm up on a chilly morning. Two miles in I passed the ¢100 to go¢ mark and took a moment to reflect on that fact. It¢s a bit overwhelming. Like many things in life, sometimes it seems like I¢ve been out here forever and sometimes it feels like just yesterday I was being dropped off by my friends Jason and Tony outside Troutville, Virginia. Sadly, the last fire tower I¢ll pass on the trail was atop a socked-in Albert Mountain, so no views to be had. The 400 ft descent off the mountain was a steep and rocky trail that was like walking down a hill of live snakes. I was super paranoid that I¢d fall after just going sub-100 miles. I took my time and didn¢t take any chances on the rocks. Shortly after it began to rain and continued to do so for the next 90 minutes. As you faithful readers surely know: I love walking in the rain. Yesterday was a bit of a blah hiking day but the rain today recharged my hiking batteries and I had a blast. I was in no particular hurry, but the miles still piled up almost effortlessly. I took a short break at the Cooper Gap shelter around 10:30 and had a bite to eat. I had a bit of an audience as o noticed two mice sitting on the ceiling crossbeam, watching me eat my s¢mores Probar. Just after leaving the shelter I passed the second milestone of the day as I went over 2100 miles hiked on the AT. That number is also a bit daunting. I still vividly remember when I hiked my first 10 miles and realized I was .45% done. Reality is sinking in. Continuing on, the trail began the long ascent up Standing Indian Mountain, which was our third milestone of the day: our last 5000-footer. There were several blow downs on the trail and it was overgrown in spots, but trail crews have been out clearing weeds the last few days. Because this area is in the Southern Nantahala Wilderness, power tools are not allowed. So all weed-whacking must be done with scythes. I applaud the efforts of the volunteers out here, it¢s not easy work. I caught up to Quiksilver near the summit of Standing Indian as he chatted with a section hiker. Once past the summit, we blew by the shelter where we had planned to rendezvous and hiked on another 5 miles to the Muskrat Creek Shelter, arriving just as three NOBO section hikers walked in. For a change, they weren¢t from Michigan but were from Quiksilver¢s hometown of Charlotte, NC. We spent a pleasant hour or two with them taking trail while everyone ate dinner. A short while ago No Bad arrived as well. He¢s staying at the same hostel as Quiksilver and me tomorrow. We¢ve got another milestone in the morning as we¢ll be crossing the North Carolina - Georgia border and entering our last state!  It¢ll be a ¢nero¢ for us as we have only 12 miles to the road at Dick¢s Creek Gap and then a half mile road walk to the Around The Bend hostel outside Hiawassee, Ga.  It¢ll also be my last Friday on the trail!  Yikes!!!