Even with some sore knees and feet, today was a good day of hiking. We covered 16.2 miles, our longest day yet! We’re just setting ourselves up to get a ride into Franklin, NC tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow, in fact it’s beginning right now as I write this. Luckily we got into camp early enough to get our tent and tarp all set up. I’m hoping we picked a good enough spot that we won’t end up in a river in the middle of the night. We’ve got some slopes around us that should drain water away, and I’ve got the tarp angled to drain down to those slopes, so we should be okay.
Tonight’s setup Anyway, I digress, back to today. The trail was most excellent today, not too steep on the climbs or descents, which was nice on the knees. And many parts of the trail today had very few obstacles (big rocks, lots of roots, etc…) so we could keep up a good pace. We did hit one obstacle early on, however, which required a shimmy under a tree. Luckily there was another thru hiker, Cherokee, who was helping people lift their packs over the tree so it’d be easier to slip underneath. Hikers helping hikers. That’s what is all about. Good stuff.
Today was also the first day we both listened to music while hiking. I think that helped to hike through any discomfort, and kept us in a good groove all day. We really didn’t chat much, which was okay. It was a beautiful day, and we made great time.
Like I said. It’s starting to rain, and it’s making me want to fall asleep. We’re looking forward to a bed tomorrow night, but not really looking forward to the hike in the rain tomorrow. At least we have something to look forward to… including the first brewery of the trip!
So stay tuned for our first brewery report later this week!
What was on the playlist today?
One of my most favourite and vivid memories of hiking the Overland Track in Tasmania was letting my hiking partners get a little ways ahead and popping in my headphones. Every time I listen to Dave Brogan’s album ‘Thunderbird Sun Transformation’ I’m transported to a well worn stretch of exposed boardwalk along a ridgeline, with beautiful partly cloudy afternoon light streaming down as the sun sets behind Barn Bluff, and the stunning Tassie landscape all around me as I descend into a wooded valley.
Music makes everything better sometimes ????