At97.3cwmI've I've been running into the same group of young hikers for the last few days, and we all ended up at Betty Creek campground. These guys (only one of which is in the picture) are super positive about the hike and fun to be around. But on the trail everybody hikes solo most of the time so they maintain their own pace. They only group up for camp. DateTime from image = 2021:03:22

At63.3mThere are lots of places along the trail that look like this. Rhododendrons towering over the trail from each side closing it in. we're still in winter here so I imagine this will even be more lush and green in a few months. DateTime from image = 2021:03:21

At56.3cwmLeaving Helen was my first transport challenge. After working on my web page for a bit at the library and chowing down a pizza the clouds began to part.I went back to the hotel to see if Craig was ready to go but he'd already found a shuttle to the trailhead with some other hikers. I tried getting a Lyft, but there were no drivers in the area so I walked to the edge of town to try my thumb but before I could a restaurant owner asked if I needed a ride to the trail. I said sure and jumped in his suburban. Then he turned the wrong way. I said I was going to Unicoi Gap and it was the other way. He said the trail was closer his way, but that would have made me re-hike a dozing miles. So he turned around and we headed toward Unicoi Gap. We were about two miles from the trail head when he suddenly decided that was as far as he could take me and let me out. Yep miles of road walking later I was back on the trail. It was getting late though so as I passed through the Cheese Cake camp site I decided to call it a day. Glad I did too because the next camp opportunity was Tray Mountain Shelter which was a thousand feet higher and much windier and colder. As it was, this was the coldest night of the trip so far.DateTime from image = 2021:03:18

At56.6cwmThe day heading to Deep Gap have me my biggest atitude challenge of the trip to date. Everything was wet from the storm and the day was cold and gray. Found myself thinking of bagging it. Then it started raining. It dropped below freezing again that night, but I stayed slightly warmer because I wore all my clothes. Woke up to cold sunshine so that raised the spirits.DateTime from image = 2021:03:20

At73.7cwmWoke this morning in the sunshine, and after a few minutes of hiking I warmed up and snapped out of the funk I was in the day before. Hiked to Dick's Creek Gap and then a half mile down the road to Around The Corner hostel where I took a shower, washed my clothes and hoped a shuttle to Hiawassee for a quick food resupply and lunch, then back to the hostel. I repacked my pack and Bear, the hostel manager have me a ride back to the trail. Now four miles later I'm back in my tent getting ready for another freezing night.DateTime from image = 2021:03:20

At56.3cwmWas going to go to Tray Mountain, but this spot told me to stay. It's the flat spot I've set up on so far. Getting here from Helen was fun though. I left Craig at the hotel to work on my website at the library, then while eating a pizza rain stopped and the clouds started parting. I went back to the hotel but Craig had already found a shuttle to the trail head. I tried Lyft but there were no drivers around. The owner of a restaurant offered to take me to the trail but about two miles from Unicoi Gap he said that was as far as he could go and dropped off. Had to walk the last two miles to the trail. Lots of people making their way out of town though. I want the only one walking part way.DateTime from image = 2021:03:18

At52.5HFwmAs I reached the parking area at Unicoi gap, Rerun and Craig where piling into Roy's car. Roy was Reruns husband and had driven there to pick up his 70 your old wife to take her off trail for a couple of weeks. They offered me a ride to Helen in I took it.Craig and I split the cost of a hotel for three nights where we waited out a very severe thunderstorm system. Helen is a bavarian style tourist town much like Leavenworth Washington on only smaller. Not a lot to do their except shop and eat. Especially in the rain.DateTime from image = 2021:03:16

At38.2am Bobby (pretty one) & Mitzi (the brains) Bobby said he had cancer, and went for a hike on the AT where he felt a wave of God flow over him. He is cancer free and now him and his wife spend their weekends serving up homemade pork & been soup with potatoes to thru hikers. It was awesomely delicious.DateTime from image = 2021:03:14

At31.1FwlcmNeel's Gap is the first "civilization" on the trail. It's also the place where a lot of people quit. The shoes hanging in the trees were thrown there by people giving up. There's a hostel here but it's closed because of the virus do no shower today! That's unfortunate cause I stink! They do have food though. I ate an entire Red Baron pizza by myself when I rolled down from Blood Mountain just fifteen minutes before they closed. I'll resupply my food bag when they open again in the morning.DateTime from image = 2021:03:13

At28.9lmBlood Mountain shelter is the only shelter on the at m made of rock, and it's also the oldest shelter. Got here just in time for a small rain cloud to float over, and waited it out in the shelter on a windowsill.DateTime from image = 2021:03:13

At27.7amA local church set up these tents and have out a couple hundred hotdogs and chips and pickles. Delicious!DateTime from image = 2021:03:13

At15.1CwmShort day, early camp. Lots of tents here (maybe 20?). About half the hikers were also at Hawk the night before.DateTime from image = 2021:03:13

At8.1wcmDateTime from image = 2021:03:12

At0.0lmThe 8.5 mile approach trail follows this creek to the top of the falls and then on to Springer mountain (the official start of the AT). For some reason a lot of people choose to avoid the stairs and skip this part and take a forest road closer Springer.

First step on the way to Main. Took a Marta train from the Atlanta airport to Sandy Springs yesterday and found a hotel for the night. Also found an REI and picked up some fuel anda rain parka, then hit a grocery store and loaded up on food. This morning I shipped my civilian clothes home, then took a Lyft here. After listening to an ATC member giving a rundown of dos and don'ts and what to expect on the trail there was nothing left to do but hike.

My backpack and I both made it to Atlanta. Took a train North to Sandy Springs, got a hotel, found an REI half a mile to the left to pick up my fuel, found a grocery store half a mile to the right to load up on food. So I'm ready to go first thing in the morning. Or, make that whenever I wake up. The only thing that sounds better than getting on the trail is sleep.

All packed up and ready to fly to Atlanta tomorrow.