Not too long after we left camp this morning dogs started barking real close in the area and not too long after that we heard two gunshots echo close by.
We hiked 20.3 miles and we're staying at Standing Bear Hostel. We set our tent up outside along with Toad but Whiskers got a bunk inside. It's supposed to rain tonight but I'm not too worried about it. As soon as we got here we set up camp and got a pizza from the hostel. They have a small resupply store but we have plenty of food. They sell frozen pizza and drinks and after a long day of hiking both of those sounded fantastic. Splat, another hiker we've been hiking around the past few days was here and some other section hikers. Two of the section hikers were from Akron and Massillon area. It's a small world and we couldn’t believe we saw someone from back home tonight.
We are basically camping at the base of the climb up to the Smoky Mountains and it’s unbelievable. All day I was getting a little view here and there of the climb that waits for us in the morning. It looks a little intimidating but I know we will we be fine. There's nothing the trail can throw at us at this point that we can't handle and I'm actually excited to get into the Smokies. We're probably going to see a lot more bears since there's no hunting in the Smoky Mountains. I'm going to be sure to hang my food bag a little higher and a little further out for the next week.
We got up early and got out of camp around 6:30. It felt good to get up, get breakfast on, and get packed and ready before the sun came up. It was nice making cowboy coffee today too. It hit the spot before we had to start hiking for the day. When I make cowboy coffee it reminds me of being a kid and spending time at Nanny and Papaw’s house. Nanny would always make coffee in the morning for Papaw using a French press, or something similar, and make it on the stove. It would make the whole house smell more like coffee than a regular coffee pot would. When I get the water boiling, and dump the grounds in, a huge steam full of the smell of coffee hits me right in the face. It always reminds me of being younger and spending time at their house.
We crossed over Max Patch today. It was awesome to be there. I remember watching videos back home last winter of other thru hikers hiking over this section. It's a huge bald area right before the Smoky Mountains. The views are some of the finest on the Appalachian Trail. It was a little cloudy, and the wind was blowing, but it was a beautiful 360 degree view.
We're only about 51 miles from being a 2000 miler and it's just overwhelming to think about! I'm really proud of how far we've made it and couldn't imagine being here with anyone else other than my best friend, Bubbles. It's great how well we help each other out and help each other accomplish so much while being out here.
Tomorrow our plan is to wake up early and make some breakfast and get moving. The problem is it's already 1:00 a.m. and I need to get to sleep so I can get up early and not be so tired. If it's raining hard in the morning we might sleep a little longer to see if it passes. It's going to be a tough climb tomorrow but I'm just happy we start first thing and get it over with! We got to take a shower today here at Standing Bear and I'm ready to get back on the grind tomorrow. We're just trying to finish strong!
We hiked 20.3 miles and we're staying at Standing Bear Hostel. We set our tent up outside along with Toad but Whiskers got a bunk inside. It's supposed to rain tonight but I'm not too worried about it. As soon as we got here we set up camp and got a pizza from the hostel. They have a small resupply store but we have plenty of food. They sell frozen pizza and drinks and after a long day of hiking both of those sounded fantastic. Splat, another hiker we've been hiking around the past few days was here and some other section hikers. Two of the section hikers were from Akron and Massillon area. It's a small world and we couldn’t believe we saw someone from back home tonight.
We are basically camping at the base of the climb up to the Smoky Mountains and it’s unbelievable. All day I was getting a little view here and there of the climb that waits for us in the morning. It looks a little intimidating but I know we will we be fine. There's nothing the trail can throw at us at this point that we can't handle and I'm actually excited to get into the Smokies. We're probably going to see a lot more bears since there's no hunting in the Smoky Mountains. I'm going to be sure to hang my food bag a little higher and a little further out for the next week.
We got up early and got out of camp around 6:30. It felt good to get up, get breakfast on, and get packed and ready before the sun came up. It was nice making cowboy coffee today too. It hit the spot before we had to start hiking for the day. When I make cowboy coffee it reminds me of being a kid and spending time at Nanny and Papaw’s house. Nanny would always make coffee in the morning for Papaw using a French press, or something similar, and make it on the stove. It would make the whole house smell more like coffee than a regular coffee pot would. When I get the water boiling, and dump the grounds in, a huge steam full of the smell of coffee hits me right in the face. It always reminds me of being younger and spending time at their house.
We crossed over Max Patch today. It was awesome to be there. I remember watching videos back home last winter of other thru hikers hiking over this section. It's a huge bald area right before the Smoky Mountains. The views are some of the finest on the Appalachian Trail. It was a little cloudy, and the wind was blowing, but it was a beautiful 360 degree view.
We're only about 51 miles from being a 2000 miler and it's just overwhelming to think about! I'm really proud of how far we've made it and couldn't imagine being here with anyone else other than my best friend, Bubbles. It's great how well we help each other out and help each other accomplish so much while being out here.
Tomorrow our plan is to wake up early and make some breakfast and get moving. The problem is it's already 1:00 a.m. and I need to get to sleep so I can get up early and not be so tired. If it's raining hard in the morning we might sleep a little longer to see if it passes. It's going to be a tough climb tomorrow but I'm just happy we start first thing and get it over with! We got to take a shower today here at Standing Bear and I'm ready to get back on the grind tomorrow. We're just trying to finish strong!
Day: 221
Miles hiked: 25.7
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1953.9
Baby Bear: 1
Bald Eagle: 1
Bear: 1
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chickens: 15
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24
Crawfish: 1
Deer: 21
Donkeys: 2
Groundhog: 1
Grouse: 1
Horses: 17
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1
Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Moose: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Peacock: 1
Rabbit: 1
Red Squirrel: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
Snake: 3
Squirrels: 12
Toads:
Trout: 2
Turkeys: 4
Turtles: 107
Vultures: 6
Woodpecker: 1
Miles hiked: 25.7
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1953.9
Baby Bear: 1
Bald Eagle: 1
Bear: 1
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chickens: 15
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24
Crawfish: 1
Deer: 21
Donkeys: 2
Groundhog: 1
Grouse: 1
Horses: 17
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1
Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Moose: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Peacock: 1
Rabbit: 1
Red Squirrel: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
Snake: 3
Squirrels: 12
Toads:
Trout: 2
Turkeys: 4
Turtles: 107
Vultures: 6
Woodpecker: 1
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