Kevin's AT Thru Hike

Day 7, Wednesday, 3/23 – I did not thrive in the rain last night, it really stormed. A good amount of water made it into the tent. The ground was compact, so the rain would hit the ground, and bounce into the tent. I also realized I should pick up a footprint for the tent. Ground water was making its way up through the tent floor. I’ll give it a few more chances, but I may need to explore a different shelter. Fortunately, I was dry and warm.

After throwing all my wet & muddy gear into my pack, I hiked 4 miles in the rain with Grizzly, Kyra, Brian, Julia, and Kyle to Dicks Creek. From there, Grace gave us a ride in her pickup. There were too many of us, so I rode in the bed with Kyra and Brian. Apparently this is legal in Georgia.

We got dropped off at the Holiday Inn where the crew I was hiking with had a room. The room wasn’t ready yet, so we put all our gear in an unused meeting room. This is when I realized how bad we all smell. Its like a wet musty dog smell. It’s awful.

We went over to a supermarket and I overbought food. I intended to get 4 days, but I ended up with about 5 days worth of food. I also stopped at an outdoor store to get fuel for the stove and went to a hardware store to get a drop cloth for the tent. My pack is super heavy now, probably 30-35lbs.

Steven and I went to an all you can eat buffet. The food was mediocre, but it only cost $10, and I easily ate two thousand calories. I definitely got my money’s worth.

I was offered a space in the room with Grizzly, Kyra, Brian, Julia, and Kyle. I declined. My gear was all wet and I wanted to set it up to have it dry off. Also, 6 people in a room is a bit cramped for me. I also feel like an outsider. Those 5 are forming a Trail family, and it just doesn’t feel like a match for me and I don’t want to force it. So I decided to get back on trail.

Grace gave Steven and I a ride back to Dicks Creek. It hadn’t rained the entire time we were in town, but the minute we got out of the car, it started to rain. Steven and I hiked 4 miles to Plumorchard Gap Shelter, which puts me at mile 73.5. Only 4 miles until I’m out of Georgia.

Still no trail name, but it will come. It’s typically bestowed on the hiker by another hiker based on a personality trait or funny story. But sometimes people choose their own.

Check back later for photos!