Date: 2017-05-03
From: Hawk Mountain Tentsites

To: Woody Gap/Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 13.3

Day 2Wednesday, May 3, 2017 Hawk Mountain Tentsites (Milepost 7.5) to Woody Gap (20.8)Miles: 13.3 miles total in 7.5 hours hours with two breaks2017 AT trip miles: 20.8Total AT miles to date: 1314.9Weather: Clear skies, warm to hot all day, high in the upper 70s?Dinner 1: One Pot Taco Dinner/Dinner 2: Corn ChowderHikers: Many hikers and according to a south bound running guy, I was #81 (at 3 p.m.) that he passed that day, eight of us here at the hiker hostelFell asleep to a cacophony of Barred Owls. And helicopters. I forgot the Hawk Mountain is close to some military base where night time maneuvers are practiced. I had fallen asleep well before 9 to the sounds territorial owls and the knuckleheads breaking an otherwise silent campground with raucous laughter, but was jolted awake by the buzz of overhead choppers. At one point I just decided to pretend it was thunder. My night was still restless even after the M.A.S.H. episode ended and was awake before 6 a.m. But 6 a.m. here is still dark. I did some writing, took my time making breakfast and before you knew it, it was 7:45. And I still was one of the first hikers out of camp, passing by the Florida couple who were in the midst of packing.The trail again was really pleasant. I'm liking Georgia thus far¢even with the first few Pointless Ups and Downs (PUDs) named Sassafras and Justus. I even heard a proverbial tree fall in the woods. It did make a noise. The rest of the day was spent leapt frogging three guys and two of them are staying at the same hostel tonight. I hadn't seen many other people until the last mile or two, including the guy who looked to be post-70, impressively running down the trail, in the opposite direction, with a pack, and telling us how many people he's seen today as he passed by. It got hot this afternoon, but I gotta say I still feel remarkably good starting out with the miles I've covered these past two days. And now I've probably just jinxed myself, but I'm gonna give credit to Glucosamine. I started taking it a month before I left and am finishing off the bottle as I hike. Thus far, legs and back feel good. Feet? Meh. A little. In January I finally visited a sports med physician who ruled out any stress fractures¢so only a little overuse. Also, I apparently have the beginnings of claw foot, which might explain the tendon issues on the top of my left foot last year. But that's genetics not the AT.The hostel here is full tonight¢with a mix of characters. Because it is located closer to Springer Mountain by road than trail, people often start here after arriving from their home states¢and two people are heading out tomorrow. There¢s a woman who started on Sunday after school finished, and is here to take her finals online tomorrow, a father and daughter doing a section together, and an older man, who started 10 days ago and is averaging 2-5 miles per day. He took a zero yesterday.I'm happy to report that my One Pot Taco dinner is as tasty as I remember it and I'm pleased I packed one in each of my food drops. At least for now. In theory. So. Another fine day in the books. As my friend David would say, ¢Lucky.¢