Snow in the Mountains

Day 13

It's snowing out! This morning started out rainy, drizzly, and foggy. At the lookout tower on Wayah Mountain we watched the clouds roll in and out. It was such a spectacular way to see a great view, only snippets at a time. On the way down the sun began peeking out. We got to our destination and decided to keep hiking.

We made it to Cold Sping Shelter and as we set up our tents saw the first snowflakes. I must admit the snow hitting my tent sounds really peaceful! I hope I stay warm tonight!

Day 14

We woke up to 3 inches of snow on the ground. It was a chilly morning but I must admit I loved the snow. The scenery was beautiful!

We somehow managed to have a shelter tonight with just the three of us. I made a small fire and sang for a while. Singing around a campfire is just so soothing and relaxing for me!

Day 15

I was full of energy today and have no idea why. I was trilled to be hiking and was even excited about going uphill for eight miles. Today was invigorating.

I had lunch looking out over the valley we had climbed out of. The sun was warm and so relaxing. A number of us watched a bird ride the heat current up out of the valley, it was so graceful. I even took out my ukulele for a bit and another hiker sang along. I love being out on the trail.

Day 16

We had thunder and lightning last night. I do love the sound of rain on my tent. Thankfully there were long breaks between the rumblings.

We hiked through clouds for most of the  morning then had a beautiful afternoon. We arrived at the shelter early enough to dry out our tents and to claim space inthe shelter. I did some yoga, freshened up in the stream, ate dinner then relaxed around the fire. Another great day! 

100 Miles Down

I am officially a backpacker at this point.  We successfully hiked through Georgia and into North Carolina and finished over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail!

Coming from two feet of snow and freezing temperatures meant that hiking in sunny, 70 degree weather was fantastic!  On day two I was given the trail name of Ukalady.  As you can probably guess, my debate about whether or not to bring a ukulele resulted in me bringing one.  I have thoroughly enjoyed singing around camp fires at night and in a shelter on a rainy afternoon.

Here are a few highlights from the trail so far.

 

Day 2- Gooch Mountain Shelter- hikers, tent, and bear cables in use.

Day 4- Sunrise at Lance Creek

Lunch on the top of Blood Mountain

Day 5- getting out of the rain at Low Gap Shelter

Hiking buddies

Reorganizing and getting things done

Our first zero day and gear and supplies are everywhere!  Thank for putting us up and putting up with us!  It was great to shower, restock, and of course eat lots of food.  Off on the trail again tomorrow!

Blast Off!

We all met up in Chattanooga and were reunited with another fellow Peace Corps Volunteer.  We had the pleasure of seeing the St. Chatty's Day Parade in Chattanooga while decked out in St. Patrick's Day gear.  Of course Chattanooga Choo Choo was running through my head and then we saw this in one of the parks!

We got our groceries and fuel for the stoves before loading up our packs.  I was disappointed to learn that my pack was the heaviest of the three of us.  Despite the advice of multiple thru-hikers assuring me that a 45 liter pack would be plenty big, my first packing attempt resulted in hysterical laughter from my fellow hikers.  It was stuffed to the max and towering over me. We had a great at our friend's parents house before heading off to bed.

In the morning we were driven to Springer Mountain accompanied to the top by a fellow PCV and her dad. The weather was beautiful! We took pictures, said goodbye in the parking lot, and were on our way to hike the Appalachian Trail.

 

Lots of Locks Lopped Off

Yesterday I got my hair cut for the trail!  I honestly cannot decide  how much I like it yet, but I am so excited that I am thrilled anyway.  It will certainly be a lot easier to care for when I’m hiking.  

My hair had been so long that tucking it behind my ears all day made my ears hurt.  I could no longer put it up, only braid it, because the weight of a ponytail gave me a headache.  I thought my head would feel weightless after the haircut.  Oddly enough, my head feels like it going to fall forward because there is no weight in the back.  I also have a slight headache and my scalp feels odd.  Who knew there would be so many adjustments?

Last night I went salsa dancing and noticed my hair did not move or spin when I turned.  That was very strange!  I was no longer trying to prevent whipping people with a braid.  Instead I needed to hold my hand higher during turns because I am an inch taller due to the curls on top.  It is nice not to have hair in my eyes or in my mouth not to mention that is doesn’t get Velcroed to men’s facial hair! 

My ponytail will be donated to Locks of Love to make wigs for children suffering long-term medical hair loss.  This is the third time I have donated my hair to them.  Donating my hair is another reason why cutting my hair short is so exciting.  I know I have given it to a good cause and mine will grow back.  It is fun for me to imagine someone else with a head of my hair!

Two Weeks Until Day One!

I can hardly believe the first day of March is here already!  Most of my gear has been purchased, but the list of little things seems to be getting longer and longer.  Hopefully I will be able to sleep outside in my tent a few more times before I leave if the temperature goes above zero and the skunk I saw last night doesn’t come back for a visit.  Next week I will be putting together my food boxes for those few towns where purchasing sustenance reportedly doesn’t go so well.

My physical training has slowed down a bit.  Snowshoeing with my pack on has been extremely satisfying, shoveling snow from roofs and driveways, not so much.  I am planning to go 7 miles today with 25-30 pounds on my back!

Here are a number of things I’m looking forward to on the Appalachian Trail

-       hearing birds sing in the morning

-       witnessing beautiful sunrises and sunsets

-       breathing lots of fresh air

-       watching the seasons change- some trees already have red tips on their branches

-       living by nature’s schedule and not a clock

-       being physically active

-       sharing my experience with two great friends