GA

• Day 1: 11.6 miles, approach trail to Stover creek shelter (2.6 miles into the AT)
• approach trail was not worth it
• loss of  appetite

First official blaze on the AT!!!

• Day 2: 11.6 miles, Stover shelter  to Justus ( yes that is how it is spelled) Creek
• loss of appetite
• beautiful campsite
• Rain started in the night

• Day 3: 10ish miles ( I'm too lazy to get out my guide book) Justus to Lance creek.
• rained off and on, but a good day.
• camped right before bear canisters are required
• met up with Learning Curve, Heavy Weight, Survivor, and Nine

• Day 4: 8 miles, lance creek  to a site just past  Neel's Gap.
•  up and over blood mountain, tons of fog.

Shelter at the top of Blood Mountain. No view since we were in a cloud.

•  hung out out Mountain Crossing Outfitters for hours, it was great!!!

At Neel's Gap. Look closer at the tree. It is a tradition. If a hiker gets to the Neel's Gap outfitters and buys new shoes they throw their old shoes into the old tree outside. We heard of one hiker that climbed the tree to get a new pair a shoes, I guess that is just the circle of life on the trail. 

Outfitter cats at Mountain Crossing Outfitters

• Day 5: 11ish miles, Bull Run Campsite to Low Gap Shelter
• 30+ people at Low Gap that night, looks like we hit a bubble

Unicoi Gap

• Day 6: 13ish day, Low Gap Shelter to the Cheese Factory.    
• no ruins of the old cheese factory, but camped in the tree line.
• Couldn't tell if we could still smell the lingering aromas of old cheese... or if it was just us 

In the treeline hiding from the wind

• Day 7: 10ish miles, Cheese Factory to Deep Gap Shelter. (FRIDAY THE 13th!!!!!)
• worst weather for hiking yet. 35 degrees, raining, wind 15 mph gusting up to 25 on ridge line  all day.
• Met some great people hiding out in the shelter: Awesome, Kingfisher, Shaggy hobo, and Nick

Coldest day (with the wind-chill factor) yet, still rocking the running shorts 

• Day 8: 3 miles, known as a "Nero day" not quite a zero day but close, first day staying in a hostel.... also first shower in 8 days, Deep Gap shelter to Top of Georgia hostel.

A helpful sign in case a northbounding Thru-hiker gets confuzzled 

• Top of Georgia is amazing!!!! It just opened last year so it is new and clean. Also, when you turn in your laundry for a washing they give you a pair of hospital scrubs to wear while you wait.
• Our clothes weren't done in time so we went into town to resupply all decked out in scrubs and soft shoes looking like a weird mountain cult.

Poppins and I looking like a weird mountain cult

There was some kind of celebration at the Top of Georgia. 

 They had a birds of prey demo, blue grass music, and FREE FOOD!!! 

 This is a screech owl named Golith

• Day 10: 13 miles.....Crossed the into North Carolina!!!!!!

After this I totally went down the hill and peed with one foot in Georgia and one in North Carolina... don't judge, it was an item on my thru-hike bucket list. I know, pretty sweet right? Now you're jealous of my good ideas AND judgmental.