Date: 2015-05-09
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I got up and left camp early. I had a lot of to do and I didn't want to get o camp too late. The first part of the morning wasn't too bad. Hot and sunny. Some awesome hiking through pastures. It looks so cool! Along the trail is the Keffer Oak. It's the largest tree on the AT in the south and they estimate it's over 300 years old. It was so cool! Papalu was there so I was able to get my picture taken with the tree. Awesome. After the tree started a climb. And it was a witch of a climb. Very very steep. It was a nightmare. Finally, I made it up and took a much needed water break. I also checked for service since I haven't had much the past couple of days. I was running low on water and planned to stop at the next shelter along the way. But when I got there it was .5 miles off the trail straight down. There was no way I was walking a mile out of my way, straight down, for water. I felt like I had enough to get to the next shelter. The next couple of miles sucked. It was a walk along the ridgeline. Which is great for seeing out into the valley. It's horrible when the whole time your trying to walk across giant rocks on a steep slant or climbing over boulders on a narrow ledge. It was very slow going. And it gets frustrating too. It wears you out, plus it was hot and I spend the whole time hoping to god I don't fall and die. Eventually I got off the ridgeline and made it to the next shelter. And water!! I soaked my feet, washed off and drank a bunch of water. I went back to the shelter and had lunch. A few from the usual group came in. The conversations we have are crazy. Lol! I told the guys they were some strange birds, haha. It's like we speak another language. I was actually suprised that I was the first one to the lunch shelter. Usually some of the guys pass me during the day. I must have been moving pretty good.After lunch there was another climb. I was so not looking forward to it. And I was tempted to stay at the lunch shelter. It was shaded and in a pine forest and there was a lot of flat ground for tents. It was really nice. But still a little early in the day to stop hiking. So another 10 miles to go till the next shelter. There was no place for water or to camp until the next shelter. So once you started you were pretty much commited. Off I went. And actually the climb up wasn't too bad. It was mostly a gradual, meandering up. I powered up those 3-4 miles like it was nobody's business. It was great! At the top there was a bench!!! It was great to sit and take a break! Haha! Hiseinburg came up a bit later so I moved and let him try out the bench for a while, lol. I moved on and found another bench to sit on. Then at the WWII Memorial for Andie Murphy there were another 2 benches to sit on. What a day! The memorial was pretty awesome.Andie was the most decorated American solder of WWII and his single-handed capture of a large number of German soldiers made him a lengend. Pretty awesome. After the monument it was about another 5 miles to camp. I was starting to get pretty tired. The bad part about going up...besides the going up part...is the going back down. It was a long long down and my feet were killing me. I had to stop a few times to try and stretch out my feet. Finally I made it to the bottom. There was a road crossing and a creek. And then a measly 1.3 miles to the shelter.But since we were down that measly 1.3 miles to the shelter was all up. A very steep up. I was so tempted to camp Bybthe creek. I wanted to sombad. But I wasn't sure if anyone was actually going to be coming up behind me that I could entice into camping by the road with me. And I didn't want to camp by the road by myself. So up the mountain of doom I went. Cursing myself the whole way saying I should have just camped by the creek. Finally I made it to the shelter turnoff. And of course the shelter was about a half a mile in. Good grief. The whole way I was walking in there, passing through these nice fields, I'm like this is a good spot for a shelter...why the heck isn't it here. Why is it further in. So annoying. Not to mention the water source was another .2 miles down a jagged cliff once you actually got to the shelter. I finally made it to the shelter and set up my tent in the first flat spot I could find. Which ended up being behind the shelter. Not much camping there unless I wanted to walk back up the giant hill to the lovely fields I passed. No thanks. It was about 730 when I got to camp, long day. But when I walk down and I hear 'Hey Thistle!' it's totally worth it. It's such a great feeling walking into camp, or along the trail and people shout your name and a greeting in exuberance. I freaking love it! It always makes me smile!Sweet eyes, Wrecker and Mouse were there. Along with a few section hikers. I set up my tent, did the whole prices of getting water and finally sat down for dinner. Peck and Mighty Mouse were at the table doing dinner as well. We talked about the upcoming hiker feed. On Sunday, for mothers day theres a giant hiker feed. Dutch oven cooking and completely free. But it was a bunch of miles back. We didn't want to slow down that much to wait for it. But the hostel at 7 miles tomorrow does shuttles...so we were thinking of getting a shuttle back to the feed. And laughing at all those that slowed down to wait for the feed, haha. Off to bed. Have a bunch of miles planned for tomorrow. The question is after we eat are we actually going to leave the hostel...