Date: 2018-05-04
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Standing Indian Shelter 
Miles today: 16.7

Goodbye Georgia. Hello North Carolina! My third state line crossing. My next won¢t be till I cross from VA into WV, but that won¢t be for a while. This morning I got a ride from a trail angel named Encourager. He picked me up at the hotel at 6:45, just enough time for me to ravage the free breakfast buffet. He¢s a real nice retired gentleman and he sent me off with a prayer for my safety. Then a short way into my hike I thought about the hat I had left in the car of the couple who drove me into Hiawassee. I had told them not to bother mailing it to me, but I changed my mind and called Andy and asked him to mail it to my home in NJ so Joan could include it in the next box. Andy graciously agreed to do so. Thanks, Andy. I¢d heard so much about Southern hospitality on the trail and was experiencing it in spades.After the high of passing into NC, I refilled my water bottles, walked past the famous gnarly tree (the most photographed tree on the AT), and headed up from Bly Gap. I¢d heard horror stories about its difficulty which is good because it wasn¢t as bad as I¢d feared. It was indeed very steep, but it came in two parts, neither of which were agonizingly long. Checking the GPS at noon I¢d hiked 9.2 miles which isn¢t bad considering I didn¢t start till 7:10, 40 minutes later than I like to start on long days. I saw my first pink lady slipper today. My collection of wildflower photos is getting pretty impressive. Hop over to the photos section if you want. Thanks again to those of you who¢ve written in my guest book. I really enjoy hearing from you. One reader asked if I¢m seeing many hikers on the trail now that I¢ve jumped down to Georgia. I¢d say I¢m somewhat surprised to be seeing as many new thru hikers as I am. But still the majority are section hikers or people out for a few days. By the way I am thru hiker number 2440. That¢s on the official tag I picked up at my start at Springer Mountain. Now that doesn¢t include southbounders or anyone else who hasn¢t yet been to Springer. The ATC guy there estimates between 3500 and 4000 thru hiker attempts this year. The number grows each year. Typically only between 25 and 30 percent actually finish.Tech Moment Yesterday, when telling about my cook system I forgot to mention that I carry a two cup insulated mug. I use it for coffee and other hot drinks and it¢s got cup and ml markings for measuring water.Now onto some miscellaneous gear. My poles are Leki Carbon-Lites which I¢ve had for four or five years. They are in three sections and tighten to my desired length by twisting. They¢re holding up well. I can¢t imagine hiking the AT without poles. I carry a small bug net which I¢ve yet to use. I imagine I¢ll need it in MA and VT. My headlamp is a Night Rider which recharges via a USB port. No batteries to buy and carry. I carry an Anker battery pack to recharge my phone and headlamp. It¢s got two output ports and is good for at least three full iPhone charges. As for water treatment, I always purify my water. I use a SteriPen, the smaller model called the Adventurer. It¢s a UV light that I submerge into the water for 90 seconds. It imparts no taste and even kills viruses. It runs on two lithium batteries which last about four weeks. I¢ve tried various filtering products but have always been frustrated with them clogging. I have not tried the Sawyer Squeeze systems which are by far the most popular method on the trail. Tomorrow I¢ll cover my favorite topic: food.