Tenth Appalachian Trail State Completed! Post 25-21
- sondrawinter
- May 25
- 12 min read
Updated: May 30
On May 22 I completed my tenth state along the Appalachian Trail, leaving me four partially completed states: North Carolina, Tennessee, New Hampshire and Maine. Last week, Jimmy helped write the post about my approach to Springer Mountain. This post provides an overview of the trek from Springer Mountain to the Georgia/North Carolina Stateline, and seven miles of North Carolina.
The Stats
Date | Trail Miles | Ascent (ft) | Descent (ft) | Slept | Elevation (ft) |
Tues. 5/13 | 6 | * | * | Bunk | 3,040 |
Wed. 5/14 | 12.6 | 2006* | 2209* | Tent | 3,200 |
Thur. 5/15 | 13.5 | 3316 | 2884 | Tent | 3,740 |
Fri. 5/16 | 9.7 | 2149 | 2631 | Bunk | 3,130 |
Sat. 5/17 | 11.7 | 2860 | 2947 | Tent | 3,050 |
Sun. 5/18 | 9.7 | 1833 | 1914 | Bed |
|
Mon. 5/19 | 0 |
|
| Bed |
|
Tues. 5/20 | 7.4 | 2535 | 2021 | Tent | 3,500 |
Wed. 5/21 | 9.7 | 2647 | 3157 | Tent | 2,970 |
Thur. 5/22 | 8.6 | 2685 | 1810 | Tent | 3,850 |
Fri. 5/23 | 6.8 | 1952 | 1461 | Bed |
|
95.7 miles hiked (85.2 AT miles)
*Ascent/Descent data for Len Foote & Approach Trails not available
Day 1: Tuesday, May 13
Start: Amicalola Falls Visitor Center
End: Len Foot Hike Inn
Miles: 6
Sleep: Bunk
See last week’s post for details of Day 1 and part of Day 2.
Day 2: Wednesday, May 14
Start: Len Foote Hike Inn
End: Hawk Mtn Shelter AT mile post - 8.1
Miles: 4.5 + 8.1 =12.6
Ascent (on AT portion): 2006 | Descent: 2209
Sleep: Tent
It was nice to finally be moving along the Appalachian Trail (AT). So much so that when I arrived at the first shelter before 2:30 I decided to keep hiking to the next shelter. Although, I later became very tired after mile nine. It is likely that I did not drink enough water, had no electrolytes, and did not rest enough.
When I reached Hawk Mountain Shelter, there were a few noisy people camped at the shelter. I set up my tent behind the shelter and kept to myself. Since this was my first time ever solo backpacking, I had expected to be scared sleeping by myself, yet surprisingly, I did not feel scared when I went to sleep that night.
Regardless, it took a while to fall asleep. The hikers staying at the shelter stayed up until 10 pm, then I thought I heard the sounds of small animals either on or around my tent. Eventually I put in earplugs and fell asleep.
Day 3: Thursday, May 15
Start: Hawk Mtn Shelter - 8.1
End: Big Cedar Ledges - 21.6
Miles: 13.5
Ascent: 3316 | Descent: 2884
Sleep: Tent
Last night was also my first time using my new sleep system and was pleased to find it to be warm enough throughout the whole night. Once I decided to get up for the day, it took just under 90 minutes to pack up camp and head towards the trail. On the way out, I talked to two women who stayed in the shelter. They told me that they were unable to sleep due to squirrels fighting and mice scurrying around the shelter all night.
Today was a pretty day, with several types of flowers blooming along the trail. I stopped for lunch at the Gooch Mountain Shelter where I spent a full hour, gathering and filtering water, airing out my feet and eating a tortilla with peanut butter. Just before leaving I met Marty and Gage, both very experienced hikers aiming for a thru-hike this year.
Throughout the afternoon I reached camping locations but kept opting to move on after resting a bit at each spot. I ended up camping with Marty and Gage at Big Cedar Ledges, pleased with how I felt after a long day with a large amount of ascent. There was an added level of comfort tenting near them and I enjoyed cooking and eating my dinner on the ledges with a fine view of the mountains.
Day 4: Friday, May 16
Start: Big Cedar Ledges - 21.6
End: Mountain Crossings - 31.3
Miles: 9.7
Ascent: 2149 | Descent: 2631
Sleep: Building
Although my tent site was sloped, I woke up feeling somewhat refreshed. It was a breezy night, and I learned that I need to pitch my tent a little more tightly. At least the earplugs blocked the sound of my tent flapping in the wind. Like yesterday, it took 90 minutes to break camp today.
It turned out that I felt rather tired on the six miles to the base of Blood Mountain. Then surprisingly the climb up the mountain was not too bad. The southern side of Blood Mountain was very beautiful. At the top (elevation 4,461’) it was breezy with overcast conditions and a surprising number of flying insects. During the climb up and at the summit, I took a moment to think about a colleague that passed away not too long after completing this hike to Blood Mountain. He mentioned how wonderful Blood Mountain was and had dreamed of hiking the whole trail.
As I headed down the northside of the mountain, I began to see many day hikers heading up to the summit, making me glad to not summit Blood Mountain on a weekend. About halfway down, my legs began to feel rubbery until I reached the iconic Mountain Crossings. The AT passes through an arch of the building. Mountain Crossings serves as a wayside for motorists and backpackers at Neel Gap. They have a wonderful selection of backpacking gear, frozen foods, and alcohol-free refreshments. I purchased a soda and requested to rent a bunk in their bunkhouse, which was nicer than I had expected.
Although my Merrell hiking shoes are comfortable, they are waterproof which in addition to keeping water from getting in, it also keeps moisture inside the shoe. During each lunch break I took off my shoes to switch out my socks, only to find that my forefoot had turned white from lack of air amongst the perspiration, and I developed one blister yesterday and another today as a result. So, I pulled the trigger and purchased new, breathable trail runners before ordering a heated frozen pizza for dinner, showering, and recharging my electronics.
Day 5: Saturday, May 17
Start: Mountain Crossings - 31.3
End: Low Gap Shelter - 43.0
Miles: 11.7
Ascent: 2860 | Descent: 2947
Sleep: Tent
We woke up to a rainy morning and waited for the rain to pass before starting out. I had a little bit of apprehension in switching out shoe styles in the middle of a hike, yet I left my low-milage Merrell shoes in the donation pile before hiking on that morning.
I quite felt tired on the uphills today. Since it was a nice Saturday there were a lot of people out today. I ended up eating lunch at a quiet spring 0.1 mile off trail where I found that my feet had a normal healthy color to them (I still will continue to air them out and switch socks at lunch).
After Hogpen Gap the trail was easier and very pretty. So much so I tripped on several rocks and roots because I was looking around at the scenery. At least I didn’t fall down, just made several small stumbles.
At about 4:45, I reached Low Gap Shelter and planned only to pop in for a rest before continuing to hike another mile and a half since I do not like to stop hiking too early in the day, even if I was feeling tired. As I walked the side path to the shelter, I saw two guys from the Mountain Crossings bunkhouse setting up their tents. They invited me to camp near them, and I decided right then and there to stop for the day, which I think my body needed.
Just after getting my tent set up, I got a call from friends that live nearby inviting me to stay with them tomorrow night instead of heading to a hostel as I had planned. This was such a pleasant surprise that made me feel very happy (these are the four friends that helped out Jimmy and I after Hurricane Helene last year).
Later that evening as I lay in my tent, I was feeling very fatigued, I began to feel homesick and was really missed Jimmy. At one point after reading some FarOut comments about possible issues with tenting locations near the NC/GA Stateline, I sent Jimmy a text message indicating that I was thinking of asking him to come pick me up earlier than planned. He replied with the most considerate answer of “Let’s discuss this when you are not so tired” when he really wanted to say, “I’ll be there tomorrow.”
Day 6: Sunday, May 18
Start: Low Gap Shelter - 43.0
End: Unicoi Gap - 52.7
Miles: 9.7
Ascent: 1833 | Descent: 1914
Sleep: Building
After a slower than expected pace, and crossing over Blue Mountain (elev. 4025’), I was very pleased to be greeted by my friend Martha at the Unicoi Gap parking area. Seeing someone you know while on a multi-day hike is a real treat. That afternoon I was treated to a shower and a nap that afternoon before enjoying an evening with friends.
Day 7: Monday, May 19
Zero Miles
Sleep: Building
The original plan was to just spend one night at Martha & Scott’s house, but when they invited me to take the day off and spend a second night with them, I decided to take a much needed zero day (a no-hiking day). The day was spent visiting with several friends that live in the area. It was a lovely way to spend a zero day.
Day 8: Tuesday, May 20
Start: Unicoi Gap - 52.7
End: Steeltrap Gap - 60.1
Miles: 7.4
Ascent: 2535 | Descent: 2021
Sleep: Tent
I was feeling revitalized after spending time with the ABYC/Shell Point North gang and looking forward to completing the Georgia Section. When Martha dropped me back off at the Unicoi Gap Trailhead, I had a new plan of attach for the hike, and that was to take it easier by reducing the daily milage, moving slower, and taking plenty of breaks.
The habitat on Tray Mountain (elev. 4,430’) was beautiful, making the big climb somewhat pleasurable. A large storm was predicted for the evening, so I decided to get off of the ridge and hike down to a gap for more protection from the storm. I found a great spot. Although I arrived at Steeltrap Gap rather early, 2:40 p.m., I liked the location, nestled amongst healthy trees and a decent slope for drainage, and took my time pitching tent to endure the predicted rainstorm.
This night also turned out to be the first night camping completely alone. With the extra quiet created by the lack of other people, I started to wonder if some of the noises I heard other nights were not rodents, but insects stuck between the tent and rainfly. But as it got closer to sunset, a new noise emerged: that of pigs rooting around the tent site. Earplugs were very helpful to block out the noise they made.
Day 9: Wednesday, May 21
May 21
Start: Steeltrap Gap - 60.1
End: Tentsite N of Dicks Creek Gap - 69.8
Miles: 9.7
Ascent: 2647 | Descent: 3157
Sleep: Tent
What a storm that was last night! The earplugs helped block out a lot of the sounds from very heavy rain and thunder, but I could see the flashes of lightning and feel the ground rumble from the thunder. Even though the rainfly was fairly close to the ground, the heavy wind blew the pouring rain into the tent on the windward side.
In the morning, I packed up the wet gear and enjoyed lovely weather on a pretty hike. I climbed over Kelly Knob (elev. 4,085’), before stopping at a shelter for a long lunch break where I laid out the wet gear to dry.
That afternoon, I found another nice, secluded tent site with a little bit of wind protection by squeezing into a small spot just north of Dicks Creek Gap. Today is our 26th wedding anniversary, so once again, I felt a little lonely and missed Jimmy. At least we got to talk to each other a couple of times today.
Day 10, Thursday, May 22
Start: Tentsite N of Dicks Creek Gap, GA - 69.8
End: Bly Gap Camping, NC - 78.4
Miles: 8.6
Ascent: 2685 | Descent: 1810
Sleep: Tent
This was a great day. First, I slept very well last night, thanks in part to the tent being in a great location with protection from the increasing winds and no dead wood in the trees above the tent. Then, there is the new, easier hiking schedule that has me feeling good physically, allowing me to enjoy the hike more.
After a short lunch break, I had a three-mile climb to the Georgia/North Carolina Stateline. With a long climb like that I get into a rhythm and was surprised when I came across the sign indicating I had reached the Stateline. I had a cell signal up there, sent a text to Jimmy and he called me right away to celebrate with me. It was such a joyful feeling to have made it here, completing my tenth state on the AT. It felt like a big accomplishment.
From here I had to figure out where to stay for the night. Heavy winds were predicted and the tentsites around Bly Gap offered little protection. Eventually I selected another spot not visible from the trail (FarOut users can read comments for Bly Gap and Muskrat Shelter to see my concerns for this area) and pitched my tent in the very breezy conditions, laying out extra guy lines to give it extra enforcement from the wind.
Amazingly I was able to cook in the windy conditions. The temperature was dropping, and I wanted a warm meal, so I gave it a shot setting up the stove behind a tree and used the bear canister, my seat pad, and my legs to help block the wind. I was very happy to have a warm meal; that Pad Tahi was delicious!
Day 11: Friday, May 23
Start: Bly Gap Camping, NC - 78.4
End: Deep Gap Parking, NC - 85.2
Miles: 6.8
Ascent: 1952 | Descent: 1461
Sleep: Building
It was a cold night (47 degrees Fahrenheit down in Hiawassee, so probably in the lower 40’s at the tent site), but my sleep system kept me warm. Around 5 a.m. my shoulders began to feel a little bit cold. It is possible that I could have tightened up on the quilt more to keep the chill out. Once again, I am very pleased with my new sleep system.
Once I got outside of the tent, the cold set in and as I attempted the final process of breaking camp my fingers were quite numb. I could see my fingers holding a line to tie although I could not feel the line; I had to rely on visual confirmation in attempting to tie the lines.
The first three miles of the day included three long, steep climbs. The first big climb did nothing to penetrate the cold, the remaining hills chipped it away, allowing me to relish the cool, bright morning.
In addition to being steeper, the trail in North Carolina was more rugged than Georgia, slowing down my pace. I saw a lot of flowers on the seven-mile hike to meetup with Jimmy. Since I was apparently going to arrive before him, I took my time enjoying the scenery on this final day on my first ever solo hike.
It was strange coming to the end of the hike. I really got into a rhythm during my time out here. Then I arrived at the Deep Gap parking lot marking the end of this trek. It is neat to feel this because I did not get to end last year’s hike that way. This is the better way to end a hike, for sure.
Extra thoughts:
Power Bank:
During the first few days of the hike, I realized that my 2019 power bank wasn't providing as much charge as it had during last year's hike, forcing me to significantly reduce my phone usage. This issue prompted me to push myself to reach Mountain Crossings a day earlier than planned. I considered buying a new power bank there, but ended up purchasing new shoes instead. So, I devised a plan to stay at hostels no more than three days apart to charge my electronics. While chatting with friends on my zero-day, I shared this plan, and they generously gave me one of their older power banks that they no longer used. I accepted it gratefully, despite the extra weight it added to my gear. This allowed me to complete the Georgia section with a four-day hike, having enough power until Jimmy picked me up. That extra power bank was been a great relief.
New Shoes:
By the way the new shoes were fantastic! After I got over my usual new-shoe woes, thanks to an oddity in the shape of my feet, I just endured a little bit of arch pain due to the switch to zero drop shoes, but this was only noticeable on downhills and quite manageable.
Solo hiking:
I am really glad to have completed this hike alone. Although there were moments when I may have been a little scared or lonely, I really enjoyed it. That being said, I look forward to hiking with friends on future backpacking trips. At the moment I have no idea when the next one will be (hit me up if you are looking for a hiking partner).
Post 25-21 | See "Related Posts" below for links to prior and next posts.
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