6/24-7/4 pics.

This is the sidewalk in Hot Springs, NC - the trail actually goes right through the center of town - a small town 600-700 people, but still seemed wonderful to us woods-dwellers. The first thing we found when we get into town around 9 am on a saturday was a bake-sale. It was perfect.

In case you didn't know - you are on the AT.

Random tractor we found on the side of a road - took a break, ate something, thought about hiding in the cab part if it started to rain...

Ok - this was our first real run-in with rain. The first day out of hot springs. I had been using my raincoat to sleep on - and since Loz was insisting that we not walk till the rain stopped... (?) I wanted to keep my sleeping material dry. SOOO I sacrificed my already wet pack-rain-cover and converted it into a rain jacket. When I bent over to pee, I must have completely looked like a blue-shelled turtle. lol.

It was cold somedays! Thank you daddy for sending me a beanie - really wish I woulda had it in the Smoky's - they were brutal at night with just a 50 degree sleeping bag.
run little buddy!!
HA - this is still that rainy day - the first one out of Hot Springs. Loz kept insisting she didnt' want to wak in the rain. Pinkfire left around 11. I laid around till one and then couldn't take it and left - Loz wasn't pleased. I just went to the next shelter (7 miles) and planned to wait for her the next day - but she showed up and was like, let's roll - so we did 15 miles that day by 8:30 - we must of FLEW because the last 8 miles were done in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Loz's boots are on the left, covered by plastic bags and my calves are on the right - covered in mud because I kick my calves when I walk.
Awww... we ate lunch with Tyler on top of a beautiful bald - and leave it to Loz to catch the balds on fire as she cooked lunch - with a park ranger watching her no less. LOL.
They were pretty balds...

Ah yes - on the way off the bald - Loz decided she didn't like walking with healthy ankles, so she tripped on perfectly flat ground and turned her ankle. Luckily - the park ranger had just let me fill my water bottle with some ice to keep my water cold for drinking - but i had to sacrifice the ice and put it in a plastic bag to apply to Loz's swollen ankle. Within 1/2 hour she was up and walking again - but she's a tough chick.

People put AT signs all over - in trees, on the ground, on rocks... etc.

More pretty water. I think i mentioned this earlier - I love cold, moving water.

I can still do backbends - the only thing I learned is that hiking gives you new ab muscles that you've never had before and you should try to stretch those out before doing backbends.

My lone copperhead of the trip. Stepped RIGHT OVER HIM w/o knowing it. ooops.
Tyler and Loz - didn't step over the copperhead as fast as I did and thus had to dodge their way around him so as not to die.

Loz in front of the muddy Nantahala River - that's me in the background... see?

That's Tyler sitting on a rock in the middle of the river...

Father and daughter that we met on the trail - I hiked with the daughter for a few hours and we stayed in a shelter with them one night.

Sweet trees and sunlight and nature stuff...

I think that's a deer - we didn't really see a lot of deers until we got into VA - then we saw more than we ever cared to.

Tyler's head is in there too...

I think Loz was a little tired when we got to the top of Roan Mountain (it was over 6000' up)

pinkfire shows Loz which way to go...
She's still confused.

AH... the Barn! there was a shelter that was just an old barn converted into a shelter - there were lots of deers, stars and fireflies there - and some weird animal that hung out around the fire after dark.. never did figure that one out.

mountains... ohhhh.... ahhhhh...

Loz walks...

The barn... getting closer...

Ah - yes - we're in it now... good times in there.

No I didn't fall - Loz was supposed to take a nice close picture of my face and my favorite flower - but now it just looks like i'm climbing off the trail into the grass. oh well.

Moths like sweat too maybe?

Yes - that's dirt on her shirt - and even pinkfire was grossed out by that. That was at a brand new shelter though - called.. "Mountaineer Falls Shelter" definitely in the top 5 as far as shelters go along the trail.

I just liked the name of this water source - the cascades themselvers weren't super spectacular

On the way to Laural Falls - where our youth group got their picture taken the year Loz came with us... oh the memories...
Laural Falls - I've been there 4 separate times now.

Karina hiked down to meet us! ! What a great surprise

Loz, Jenga and Karina - cute!

I can't believe Karina was willing to touch my pack - let alone try it on - but I guess for the sake of the picture, she had to...

Ice cream cake for my birthday! YAY!

Got to meet the roomies, and share the cake, and have a grand time being clean and eating ALOT!
AND Loz and I got to put on skirts for the first time in over a month... it felt amazing.