Today’s miles: 16.4
Total miles: 16.4
Camped: Burrell’s Ford Campground
Didn’t sleep very well last night, due most likely to some nerves. Jim and Charlie (Jim’s faithful and adorable dog) picked me up as planned at 7am at Table Rock. We had a nice ride and good conversation. Jim and Charlie have hiked most of the trail many times and I could tell by the way Jim was talking about the trail that it was a special place. I feel like I got the inside scoop as Jim pointed out points of interest on the way. I was a little nervous about the trek, but Jim’s friendliness and knowledge put me at ease. When I was dropped off at Oconee (which I still can’t pronounce), it was 21 degrees out. Today I battled all day trying to figure out if I needed to wear my puffy, rain shell, or shirt. It seemed to warm up a bit at one point, maybe reaching the forecasted 50 degrees. The terrain was pretty mild today. One of the highlights being the Chattooga River which the trail meanders by for quite a while. I saw someone fly fishing with the sun reflecting like gold leaf on the river. Reminded me of a scene from that movie with a young Brad Pitt, “A River Runs Through It”, I believe it is called? It was a beautiful scene. Something about hiking next to a majestic, clear, often cascading river. Didn’t see many people on the trail, which I thought would be scarier than it was. I like hiking alone out here. My body is feeling the miles, however, and I’m a little peeved at the guidebook as the mileage seems off and I had to backtrack a bit to this campsite. The good news is that it is really nice and I’m not alone. This is my first night ever camping by myself and I strategically picked a site near a family, although not obnoxiously close. I am also close to the outhouse, although not within stink distance. Win, win! Hopefully this will build my confidence for when I really am all by myself. This should be the coldest night on the trail and I’m pretty much wearing everything I brought. Took some ibuprofen. Hopefully I’ll feel good in the morning and I’m looking forward to some warmer temperatures!
