Day 9

Day 9 (BMT): 25 miles

I had a serene start to the day watching the sun slowly illuminate the sky over the other side of the river. I did a quick few miles to make it to Webb Bro’s store which was a gas station, and turned out to be awesome. The food selection was fine, nothing special, but the place was cool. It was super rustic and had a cool spot right on the Hiwassee River. The worker there was also perfectly southern. For example, she got mad at a delivery driver because he cussed and she said she was gonna call his dad. The place was also extremely hiker friendly and just had great vibes and a real southern charm.

I spent a good amount of time hanging on a swing with a view over the river while my phone charged. I cooked a meal of double tuna Alfredo on the riverfront view while pounding some dr peppers. And I just sat there for a while and enjoyed the beauty, taking extra note to pay attention to the ducks in a Tony soprano fashion.

At the store, a lot of people were talking about how cold it was and said it must be tough for me. But this is perfect weather for me. A high of 60 during the day and in the 30s at night. Perfect.

I had a couple fords today and one was on a dirt road but the “road” was underwater for 100 feet. There was a house at the end of the road too. These people had a literal moat round Thor house. A drawbridge would’ve been nice so I could’ve kept my feet dry.

I’ve noticed the last few nights that near the end of the day my speed really picks up. I start hiking at or above 3mph which I don’t really do the rest of the day. Maybe I get stronger as the day goes on, but my guess is that I’m tired and just ready to be at camp already. That being said, I have kinda been consistently doing bigger miles than I expected to this early.

One thing I missed out on last year with the AT was the birds. Since i did most of it winter, they weren’t around. And when I finished the northern part in October they were all gone. But getting to hear them all the time now is a true joy. Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself if it’s even real. Even in its erratic disconnectedness, it’s a beautiful melody.