04/11

Making a pit stop in Clayton was our best decision yet. The folks at “Outdoor 76” took their time ensuring we left with the best fitting kicks possible. Now equipped with a more supportive dad shoe, I noticed the difference immediately. Maybe pops was on to something. The shopkeeper recommended we take our time, staying around 8 miles a day until our feet become conditioned to the terrain. Great advice, and at this point, I’m happy just to be moving north. Due to some cold nights and tough luck finding the right trees, we decided to ship our hammocks home and jump into tents. Doing so shaved a couple pounds off our base weight, which only makes for a more comfortable hike. All of this had us feeling more confident in our path forward.

The GA/NC border was now only 8.5 miles away. After a quick lunch at the Cuban cafe, we skipped down the trail with enthusiasm. A cold but sunny day we took our time listening to the choir of song birds whose voices seemed to follow in the dancing wind. A truly beautiful day. That was until about 2 miles from the state line, when the sky grew dark... Billowing clouds surrounded the mountain top, engulfing us in an all too familiar haze. Our ponchos offered little protection as the hail, like BB’s began pelting us from above. With nowhere to go, we were forced to take the fair-well beating all the way out of the state.

Georgia was more difficult than expected and a bit of a reality check for what’s to come. Bipolar weather and never ending mountaineering is ultimately what we signed up for. This endless torrent of obstacles only forces you to accentuate the positive. “We could be colder.” “We could be wetter.” “We could be on a boat in the Caribbean if only we’d taken a few more sailing lessons.”

A small sign posted to a tree was our only consolation for crossing the state line. But hey, that’s the A.T. The trail is long and the reward is small.  With one state down and thirteen to go, we made camp under a twisted oak, and bundled up for the below freezing night ahead.