“One more night in Georgia”

AT Day 3

Miles: 15.84

Total Miles: 78.71

(Hiiawassi, GA)

[Green Dragon Hostel]

It’s something so familiar, being on trail again. The AT is also becoming a lot of what I hoped it would be. It’s been interesting meeting so many other hikers (far fewer than I expected) and having a continued feeling of admiration from them in learning that I’ve hiked other trails.

It also feels good to feel strong. I’m more experienced than before, but I’ve also prepared for this trail particularly well. The AT scared me when I was thinking about it for the last 8 months. But now that it’s underfoot it’s like heaven. I keep saying that over and over again–“it’s just like heaven.” I sang The Cure several times as I bounced up trail today.

—

I set an alarm for 630 this morning, but immediately turned it off and slept in for another hour. I wasn’t quick to trail.

Last night I had planned to possibly come to the next trail town to resupply on food, then head back to trail, but then upon looking at my food more closely, I felt like it didn’t need resupply yet. When I woke today however, I started rethinking and decided to hitch into the town of Hiaawassii, GA. No, that’s probably not how it’s spelled, but I’m giving it my best. So many of the town names have been weird out here. Many of them memorable. Dick’s Gap. Gooch Gap. Butthole Gap. Swinging Dick Gap. I’m only making up one of those four…

It was kind of comical when I got to the road crossing to hitch into town. There was a dude–who clearly didn’t look like he was associated with the trail–literally cheering in my direction. I literally didn’t think it had anything to do with me. He said “way to go! You did it!” As if this part of the trail is some kind of turning point or important crossing. It is in fact neither.

He welcomed me across the road and offered some candy and water–neither of which I needed. But when I asked about where to stand to hitch for a ride into town, he immediately said, “done.” And drove me the frew miles in for resupply.

I signed the thru hiker wall at the outdoor store, bought an AT town shirt, and bought groceries for the next stretch of trail. Along the way however, someone mentioned the Green Dragon Hostel, which I’d read good things about before. After hearing that they had showers and laundry, I was sold.

I’ve been with hikers at the hostel most of the afternoon. We went to town and I had an amazing 16oz ribeye. I ate as much fruit and hard boiled eggs as I could. Oh, and so far I’ve chosen to stay away from alcohol. Maybe for the full trail. I had 4 non alcoholic beers while the others drank. Considering that I use other medicines on trail pretty liberally, I feel like refraining from drink is a nice demonstration of my claim that I’m not just out here to “get fucked up” all the time. I’ve actually felt much better having refrained. And rehydrated from the NA beer.

I also got to do some bodywork on one of the other hikers, which I’m progressively enjoying more and more.

When I walked into the hostel, one of the hikers immediately commented on my legs. I thought it was funny. When we talked some more he said that he’d heard of me from others on trail. A few people have talked about my milage as well as my being a massage therapist–although over and over people confuse it for physical therapist. Whatever.

I do have a pain in my left Achilles today that was not there yesterday. And a persistent knee pain. But the knee feels better when I stretch it out, even just for 30 seconds on trail, and it’ll continue to keep an eye on the heel thing. It’s expected to be hurting at least somewhat at this point.

Tonight will be my last night in Georgia. I’ll have breakfast with the other hikers and the owners of the Green Dragon (who are fucking fantastic, by the way!), then back to trail at 8. I wanted earlier, but I’ll live.

My favorite moment today was meeting a hiker and her dog, whose name I forgot because I was too detracted by trying to devise a plan to kidnap her pup. I literally cried after we parted ways.

Wormwood