It was a unique morning, one where our schedules allowed us to slowly wake up and break down camp. The plan was to get on the trail at 9a. That start time would still put us at the gap an hour or more before we needed to be there, but if rain came (as there was a small chance of it), we would have our hiking finished with. Of course, we would still be sitting on the side of the road waiting. So I wasn’t totally sure what difference it would make.
It was a “town day” but this time we didn’t have to hike into town. Instead, mom and dad Warthog were coming to pick us up. We only had 3.7 miles from the shelter to the road crossing. The miles were easy. Only a 600+ foot push in elevation then 1,100(ish) feet down over that stretch. We started off in forest, crossed a stream, went up into some boulders with an overlook onto the valley below, then we went back down into the forest. We haven’t seen a lot of wildlife on this journey so far. This morning I took some time to stop and watch a bird. Later we crossed paths with another garter snake. It was a similar size to the one we saw yesterday.
We arrived at the gap about 20 minutes earlier than expected and about an hour or so before Warthog’s parents and his sister arrived. We were talking to another couple, “Check List” and “Trail Name”, when their car pulled up. As soon as our hugs were exchanged, mom and dad turned to the couple offered food and sodas. Soon, “Aqua Man” and “Sapphire” were there too. Their hands were quickly filled with blueberry coffee cake, other snacks, and sodas. Aqua Man had me take photos with his phone of his hands overflowing with food gifts. We sat and chatted a bit, giving our family a chance to socialize with other thru-hikers. When it was time for the hikers to push on, so did we. Only, they were about to climb a mountain. Warthog and I just had to climb into the back of a Ford Explorer.
We were headed for Johnson City, TN. Making our way out of the backwoods, we hit the highway and slowly the trees melted away into concrete and buildings. First thing first… food. We stopped at a restaurant called The Firehouse, where we filled ourselves on Johnson City traditions. I left full and happy.
After lunch, we headed to an outfitter store. Warthog is convinced I need to get out of boots and into trail runners. We spent a while there as I tried on shoes and we perused their aisles. We left with new trail runners for me, a new quilt for Warthog, and socks. It was like Christmas!
After that, we checked into our rooms and spent the evening visiting – enjoying the company of family and the sangria they brought. It was a fantastic night.
-ansel