Date: 2106-05-23
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Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I had an interesting couple of weeks. First, my husband and I visited the small town of Haines, Alaska. I have lived all over the world- and I have to say-the sight of the snow covered mountains that surrounded the that little town took my breath away. If visiting Alaska is anywhere on your bucket list- bump it to the top of the list. Also- stepping on to Alaskan soil bagged me my 50th state.On the way home to the Florida flatlands- I got off the plane in Atlanta. C.Shell picked me up and we drove to the Hikers Hostel in Dahlonega to meet Katwalk. We planned for 4 or 5 days of hiking. I have gained 15 pounds since my hike- no matter how hard I work my body is fighting to keep that weight-(I'm still down 28) so I was nervous about how I would do on the kick-ass mountains of Georgia. After eating a pretty wonderful breakfast, we were shuttled to the gap between Sassafras and Justis Mountains. I looked at the trail, wet in the steady rain, and said "I'm back" The trail said " I don't care." We hiked out, soaked in a couple of minutes. Ah..so good to be back.The climb up Justis got my legs burning, but within 10 minutes I felt great- right at home. My pack weighed 29 pounds. Don't know if it was ever that light when I hiked thru last year. Of course, I forgot a few key things...like rain gear. No matter. We hiked about 8 miles then called the hiker hostel- opting to not camp in the rain. Next day we were dropped at Woody Gap and hiked to just shy of the bear box area. We camped out- no fire, too wet- and told stories of our trips and laughed over shared memories That night, a bear snorted and huffed and walked through our area, lingering under our very high up food bags, We listened from our tents. C,Shell heard the snorting/huffing sound- she was closer to the bags, Katwalk and I heard the not very stealthy romp around the campsite. I was not nervous- I would call my status "alert".Next day, we three old ladies practically skipped up Blood Mountain and down. Views at the top were obscured by fog that blew in very quickly. It was just as I remember it- misty, spooky, beautiful. Not a soul was up there. We enjoyed it until the little gnats drove us away- that peak belongs to them.We waited at Neels Gap for a photographer from Prevention Magazine- doing a story about old ladies hiking the trail. He hiked out with us to camp, take pictures, and see how we did things. We got a nice fire going for him in a fire ring (with the help of esbit tabs and smuggled kindling) It was a nice night- the photographer shared his stories of travel to interesting places with us. What a cool job. It rained all night after we got into our tents. We were unable to get a good summit picture anywhere with all the rain- so next day we drove to Woody Gap again and hiked up to Preaching Rock for a summit picture with rain and mist blowing hard in our faces. Rain pictures are very authentic if you are doing a story about the AT.Touching base with my hiking family was very cathartic for me. I am back home- experiencing the exact challenges, same stress and frustration I experienced before my thru hike with my small business. Sitting on the tops of mountains or in a tent in the rain gives me the clarity I need, I made some important decisions about how to proceed in my week in the woods, and had an opportunity to laugh and talk and be in the moment. That feels so good and so right.The thru hike was such a process- but I am finding that the real process is how you live when you get home. For me- I had to go partially back down the rabbit hole. Wherever you go, there you are. Except while I was hiking last year- the "me" I experienced was a me from years ago-not the "me" trying to navigate the challenges I face now. I went right back to the happy person I want to be when I hiked this week. Ah clarity. Hiking people journaling- your journal can be a valuable tool to help you when you finish your hike. Write down everything- don't forget the aha moments and revelations you have during this incredible challenge. Later, you will read back and remember-and it will help you fit this experience into your life when you return home.