No-Yo Georgia

• 01/17 We Amicalola SP 8.7
• 01/18 Th Ellijay, GA, ZERO
• 01/19 Fr Ellijay, GA, ZERO
• 01/20 Sa Stover Creek Shelter, 11.3
• 01/21 Su Gooch Gap, Hidden Pond, 14.1
• 01/22 Mo Neels Gap, Green Dragon 14.4
• 01/23 Tu Low Gap Shelter 11.7
• 01/24 We Deep Gap Shelter 22.8
• 01/25 Th Dicks Gap, Around the Bend 3.6
• 01/26 Fr Muskrat Creek Shelter 11.8

By now, some of you may have seen that I have completed the Southbound leg of my AT yo-yo. I know I said I was going to immediately turn around and head north when I reached Amicalola, but I got an offer I couldn’t refuse—a couple of free days in a cabin with a hot tub, wine from New Zealand, and a dog that would sleep with me. In light of having an empty bed for the past year (excepting some unsatisfactory trysts with mice), I couldn’t resist. 

To summarize my southbound journey, I’ll list a few highlights. I started my hike on my dad’s birthday (6/22)—he died in December of ‘22. It was his death and my divorce that pushed me out here this time. I had my college friend, David, join me for 2 weeks in NY & NJ around the end of September. Then, a former Tramily member, Bear, joined me for almost a week in late October. He was planning on a longer trip, but he managed to introduce Covid to the trail which lead to his early departure. I completed my SOBO hike on my mom’s birthday (1/17)—she died in 2019. The whole hike was just 5 days shy of 7 months. 

I might have gotten additional time staying with Clean Break and his fiancé, but I got kicked out after 3 nights. Apparently, Louie (the dog) fell too much in love with me. If I didn’t get out, his future within the household would come into question. I sacrificed my own comfort the the security of my new love. 

Officially, my Northbound thru-hike started on the same day I finished my Southbound hike—1/17, when I walked back through the Approach  Arch and 5’ back up the Approach Trail. In reality, it was then that I started sobbing and begging for a hot tub, when Clean Break said I could stay the night. I found the sobbing to be fairly effective and tried that trick for a couple of additional nights off trail. If only the damn dog hadn’t fallen in love with me, I might still be sipping wine in the hot tub. 

Our love was pure. Too pure, in fact, which cut short my stay.  It was projected to be a high of 20 the day that I was returned to the trail. It might have made that just as I passed through the arch for the last time. By the time I reached the last shelter on the approach trail, the temperature was already down to 12. 

It’s only 1.5 miles to the Springer summit from the shelter. The temperature was so low when I got to the summit that after recording a short video of myself, my phone battery dropped from 80% to 9% in just 2 minutes. I decided to get moving because I still had almost 3 miles to go to my shelter. 

About a mile into my final stretch, it got dark. I pulled out my flashlight which lasted less than 5 minutes before its freshly charged battery died in the cold. I dropped my pack, pulled out my other flashlight which promptly died as well. I was still 2 miles from my shelter and in the dark. The only light I had that was working was my thermometer which let me see the temperature was 6. I tried not to panic, and, for the most part succeeded. 

There was enough of a moon that I could mostly find my way. I decided that if I couldn’t find a blaze every few minutes, I would just stop where I was and set up camp for the night. I kept moving forward until I got water and found my shelter. It was a trick setting up my bed and cooking supper in the shelter without the light of the moon. I decided that I’d stay in a hostel the next night if I made it through this one. 

It had warmed back up to 6 by 10a when I was finally ready to start hiking. I charged my phone up enough off my battery pack to try making another video at Long Creek Falls and to make a phone call to stay at Hidden Pond Hostel. 

It was my intention to film a short “reel” every day to post on Instagram to document this leg of my trip. Once I was inside on the second night, I got a chance to look at what I had recorded. It’s been my recent experience that schizophrenic people are drawn to me. After watching these videos, I understood why—I definitely appear to be their leader. 

Those videos caused me to drop the Instagram Reel approach and to change my whole outlook on my remaining life. To all the women of the world, you can breathe a huge sigh of relief—I promise to leave you all alone. Alone is what I am destined to be from here on out. I will quit reverse stalking anyone who comments on my blog. I fully accept my earliest answers I found on this trip. 

Those answers…”dogs and prostitutes.” Dogs for companionship and unconditional love. Prostitutes for when my hands get too calloused. Louie, why did I leave you behind? 

The weather changed rapidly over the next several days. So far, in Georgia alone, on my return, I have experienced a multi-day arctic blast warming up to freezing rain, further warming to survivable warm rain. The day thunderstorms were predicted which almost led to me taking a zero at Around the Bend Hostel actually turned out to be in the mid 60s with blue skies. This gave me false hopes that the next day might be better than predicted. 

In a way, it was better. Instead of 10 hours of thunderstorms, we just had heavy rains. The rain caused me to cut my day short after 13 miles. However, the rain turned to snow overnight with strong winds. I’ve seen all four seasons in a period of 6 days…and this is just my first state on my return hike. 

EFG