And on the 7th day They Rested

First, a few pics from today - the first is a spring we got water from this morning. Really pretty stream .5 miles off the trail. Farthest we've gone yet, but so glad we got to see it. We slept better last night, having left the tent fly doors open, but it was still too warm for what we are sleeping in. If we could leave the fly off, that would be best, but so far every rain has come in the middle of the night.











Today was an easier day for us, and we planned it that way. Only 6 miles to reach Dick's Creek Gap, where we would be picked up by a free shuttle from Haven's Budget Inn in Hiawassee, GA. About lunch time we came upon a group all at the same place, and when we reached them we figured out why - the strongest cool breeze was sweeping across the gap. It felt great, there was shade, big logs to sit on (a luxury), and enough breeze to keep the gnats away. Perfect. Among the group was Jarhead, Sarah, and also father and son, Silver and Jim, and Silver's gym buddy, Tim. Also there were section hikers Wag and Will. They met during Wag's thru-hike in 2009, and got married last summer. We hiked on through a rather warm afternoon, seeking shade and breeze. Today we felt the best yet, but the heat still really makes it hard on the uphills. As we neared Dick's Creek, Keith called the motel and he was told the best place they had for a couple was the cottage with the hot tub, and the thru-hiker rate was $49! He said yes, and we hiked with a skip in our step after that! When we reached the gap, we had about 45 minutes to wait, but we were in luck because Silver's wife had come to meet their group, and she had a cooler of beer and cokes, and a lot of Pringles and cookies. When we hiked up, they gave us drinks and snacks. Everyone is so generous to the hikers here. The van arrived, and the drivers name was Shuttles. Jarhead caught a ride also. He tried hitching but no one would stop. I'm afraid he is kind of scary looking. The ride into Hiawassee was beautiful. Down low, the fruit trees and forsythia were blooming, but up in the mountains I've only seen two types of trees budding out, and a sprinkling of tiny flowers. It's a really pretty mountain town that sits on a lake. The people are super polite and gracious. They really live out the true meaning of southern hospitality. Below is a picture of our cottage. We decided to take 2 nights here and take our first zero, which is what they call it when you take a day off and log no miles. Tomorrow we will be able to use computers in the lobby, and I'll be able to correct some things on here. So far, I've only had my iPhone to do this on, and the keyboard gets rather tedious. If any one has any questions about anything, please feel free to post it and we will respond. We just read the comments for the first time, and appreciate them so much! Good night all from our cottage (with hot water and mattress) in Hiawassee!

(Spent night at Budget Inn in Hiawassee, GA, got off trail at Dick's Creek Gap, mile 69.6)




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Location:Berrong St,Hiawassee,United States