From Left to Right: Nick aka 'Bear Slayer'; Hope; Owl
Yesterday I met Nick, Hope and Owl on the AT. I mentioned that I met Hope and Nick at the top of Albert Mountain then met Owl when we climbed down off of the mountain. We ended up all going to the same shelter last night, Long Branch, and Rat and Goose met us there. It was quite a trip, to say the least! I don't think I wrote too much about Albert Mountain Yesterday (typing on the phone isn't anything like typing on a computer, takes MUCH longer). Suffice it to say that I took the LONG way to climb and went straight up the side of it. It involved a little bit of mountain climbing, to the point that I had to let my trekking poles dangle from my wrists and actually use my hands as though I were climbing a mountain! It was foolish vanity on my part wanting to actually do the whole trail. Had I listened to some trail workers (will talk about them shortly), I could have skirted around the difficult climb and had a gradual slope up the back of Albert Mountain. In the end, though, the view was worth it! I posted a picture from the top yesterday. It was, quite honestly, an awesome and majestic view! There was a fire tower at the top you could climb part of the way up. I looked at the tower and as I was thinking of climbing it, my legs and my mind instantly shot back to the 601 steps up to the top of Amicalola Falls. Which immediately made me, unequivocally, say "NO!" Hope was kind enough to snap the picture of me at the top.
Trail work sign.
On the way to Albert Mountain, I ran into a trail maintenance crew doing work on the trail. And they were *WORKING*! I mean, hard, backbreaking work replacing a part of the trail. I was astonished by how hard they were working to make the trail more passable! They were digging out trenches, splitting logs in half, anchoring them in the trench, filling it with aggregate and then recovering with soil to form the trail. It was amazing watching them do it. One of the trail crew asked me if I was going to go up Albert Mountain and I said yes. She said I could bypass the steep climb if I took the forest service road around. I responded that I needed the exercise. She replied, very quickly, too, "You're going to get it!" I should've listened to her!
Trail work sign.
Work the Trail crew was doing on the trail. This is MINOR work compared to some of the stuff they were doing.
Once I arrived at Long Branch Shelter, I realized it was an awesome shelter! It was built two years ago and had a loft. Five of us stayed there last night and I had the entire loft to myself. I actually broke out my tent and set it up in the loft of the shelter. In hindsight I didn't really need it, but after Standing Indian Shelter, where I froze my butt off with the breeze blowing into it, I wasn't going to take any chances! Owl got sick last night, I think she has a bug. There's some debate over that. Hope thinks she was dehydrated, I think it was a stomach bug. She's feeling better now and looking better, so that's good.
This morning we got up and headed down to the gap to catch a ride into Franklin, NC. I got here shortly after noon and got a room for the night. It's not that expensive and the hotel gave a hiker discount, which makes it even better! I went down to Mulligans Sports Bar and had a buffalo chicken wrap for lunch. I came back up here and am getting ready to just chill and relax for a bit. I need to do laundry, too, and I'm craving a coke. For some reason this hike has made me crave coke. So, I guess I'll have one or two while I do my laundry and then I'll chill for the night. Tomorrow I'll determine if I'm going to zero day it and let my blisters callous over, or if I'm going to suck it up and get back on the trail.
Hope everyone out there is doing well! Keep trekking!
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