Deuteronomy 1 - 12
Today marks the end of the first two weeks since we started at Amicalola Falls. The time has gone by quickly, but at the same time it also seems like we’ve been hiking for months. The physical challenges have been a little tougher than expected, especially the uphill climbs - and they all seem to be uphill climbs. The mental aspect has been remarkably good. No doubts, regrets, or thoughts of quitting. As of today, I’m still in it for the long haul. One thing that I’ve noticed is that to appreciate the awesome scenery that the trail embodies, I have to make a point to stop and actually look up from the trail. It’s a lot like driving a car through the mountains on a windy road. You can’t take your eyes off the road (or trail) for a minute or risk hitting something or falling.
Anyway, we left out of the NOC around 9:45 after a leisurely morning in the center. The first 5 miles included over 3000 feet of climb, and was tough. We stopped mid afternoon for lunch after cresting Swim Bald at 4700 feet. We ran into Crash and the Kid, who were with us at dinner last night. They were planning on doing 15 miles today. We planned to stop after 10 or 11 miles.
We reached the top of Cheoah Bald early afternoon. Amazing grassy spot there with million dollar views. Apparently others folks thought so as well, as there were about 8 local weekend hikers there looking to set up for the night. We moved on and passed a couple of more weekenders with the same idea.
We passed Sassafras Gap Shelter around 3 and decided to move on to Licus Grove Gap for the night. Arrived about 5, set up camp, cooked dinner (fried Spam) and called it a night.
All told, 10.7 miles ending at mile 147.5, with over 4000 feet of climbing.
Until next time...
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