One State Down...

So we made it to North Carolina! It feels so weird and great to know that we have completed the GA section of the AT, and what a section it is! We had some really great views, the winding trails through the hills are great, but man, is it rugged! So much up and down! Besides the first few miles into North Carolina (as anyone who has done it knows, it's NOT an easy welcome to the state), the terrain has been SO nice. Many miles of the days so far include leisurely strolls through valleys and around mountainsides. So much of this includes gorgeous walks through tunnels formed by rhodedendrons and/or mountain laurel. At some points it feels like walking through a rainforest, especially with the damp weather we have been having.

Yesterday we passed the 100-mile mark. WOO HOO! Today we got up at 6am, before the sun, at Rock Gap Shelter and hiked 4 miles to the road to get a ride into Franklin, NC. Last night and into this morning the temperature was probably around 30 degrees and we had to wait an hour for the "9am" shuttle, brrrrrr! Tonight is the kickoff for the annual April Fool's Hiker Bash/Trail Days in Franklin. We are staying at the Budget Inn to do laundry, etc. The shower was moderately warm, but I have learned to not even care, a shower is a shower. The sun is finally out too!

Injuries: Jetpack is still battling blisters while my joins are failing me! It all started last week with my left hip getting some dull, deep pains in the joint. Once that started to wear off, my right knee really started to hurt a couple of days ago on downhills, causing me to wince at every step. I have been taking it easy and babying it and it is slowly getting better, only to cause my right achille's tendon to flare up. Oh well! Vitamin I (ibuprofin) to the rescue! I'm sure this time off in Franklin will help immensely. I am definitely learning the truth behind former thru-hikers' comments along the lines of "every day, something hurts" and "if it's not one thing, it's another". It feels good to push through it and build some endurance, like I said before, learning what I'm really made of.

The trail community is like nothing else I have experienced. Everyone out here gets to know one another so quickly and every lunch stop or night at camp brings laughs and stories around dinner circles and campfires. We have a great crew heading north, always providing plenty of entertainment. Pictures are finally going to be added today!!! Thanks Budget Inn for a computer that can handle image uploads!!! We need to head out and stuff our faces though, the appetite is growing!!

Happy Trails,
I'll-Eat-It "Eats"

Oh yea, make sure to check out our links up top under the header.
PICTURES ARE UP ON THERE!
Also, read about the charity that we are hiking to support, it's such a great cause and ANY donation will help