It only got worse. Sunday, during our 15.5 mile hike, the rain turned into a blizzard. Snow covered trees made it hard to follow the white blazes to our shelter. We continued to get even more cold. Once at the shelter, we attempted to make macroni & cheese; however, our stove burnt out. So, we ate cold, cheesy liquid with crunchy noodles. The guys we shared the shelter with used various tarps and tent parts to desperately try blocking some of the wind and snow that gusted into the shelter. After 14 hours in our sleeping bag (got in around 6pm to warm up and dry off with no avail), we got very little sleep & remained FROZEN. Beyond our frost bitten bodies, our water and shoes were frozen. Even our hiking socks and clothes that we stuffed into the bottom of our sleeping bags were frozen. To make matters worse, we had only had 3 liters of water each for 3 days. When hiking 9 hours a day, one liter per day is clearly not enough. We knew we were severly dehydrated especially since Kirstin didn't go to the bathroom in a 22 hour period. Needless to write, we were miserable. It was the coldest we have ever been for an extended period of time. We had no other choice than to overcome our pain and hike the 10 miles off the mountain to find respite. The guys that shared the shelter with us that night told us it was necessary to get into town as quickly as possible. As Dave said, "it's a matter of survival."
These conditions forced us to make an "emergency" pit stop in Hiawasee (10 miles from the shelter). It was definitely not a good hike. We stayed at the Blueberry Patch hostel in order to thaw out, dry our gear, take showers, warm up, and try and sleep. The next morning, they dropped us back on the trail, and we hiked the 40 miles to Franklin. We are still trying to recover from the frost bite but it is healing.
Quick story. On Wednesday, we planned to hike 12.5 miles. This turned into 19.3 after a crazy man turned around to hike with us. He followed for over 5 miles despite every effort to lose with a quick pace. To make sure we weren't sleeping near him, we trekked another 6.8 miles (through the darkness). You'd be proud mom, we followed our instincts.
Every day has been a learning experience (nod to the Starcom folks) :)
Now, it's Thursday and were in Franklin, North Carolina. We are taking a "zero" day tomorrow which means no hiking. Plus, we'll enjoy showers, pillows, own bed, running water, flushable toilets, stores, food variety, people, and much more!! YEAH!
Milestones:
-We've hiked over 100 miles
-We've left Georgia & crossed into North Carolina
-We've night-hiked (kind of forced to)
-Kirstin's "being clean" obsession is breaking
-We've slept with wild boars and mice
-We've eaten a candy bar nearly every day (and don't feel bad about it)
-We've hitch-hiked
Kim's Smell-O-Meter: Leaving the huggable phase and moving into shaking hands territory
Unfortunately, our reliable cell service isn't working. So, to all of you...we love you tons, miss you bunches & will talk with you in 55 miles when we're in Fontana Dam (start of the Smokies!). Happy Trails!
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