A Brief Time Travel from the Diary of J Wiggles:
April 13, 2017
16.7 Miles - slack packing from Unicoi to Dick’s Creek Difficulty 7/10 Emotions: Feeling a lot better about my knee and hip. Felt GREAT to knock out almost 17 miles. GA/NC border tomorrow!!
It’s kind of wild that I wrote so little on this day, because SO much happened.
We woke up early at Top of Georgia, listened to Sir Packs-A-Lot’s Rookie Thru Hiker Spiel
Was bummed that the breakfast was only cereal cause let’s be honest
I remember him saying something wild like 1/3 of hikers quit at Hot Springs, and how we were all thinking “well ~I’m~ not going to quit at Hot Spring” ... which was EXACTLY what I was thinking ... and then I wondered if I was different because I actually knew I wasn’t going to quit at Hot Springs or if that’s what everybody else was thinking and if so, what separates us?? Was I going to quit at Hot Springs ?!
Hemming and Hawing for about an hour as to whether or not I could actually do the 16.7 mile slack pack. It seemed SO far, and I would be starting late
This sweet veteran hiker lady at Top of Georgia talking me into it, saying I could absolutely do it. She was such a badass I remember thinking “this is exactly what I want to be like when I’m her age”
Jake and I got a shuttle back to Unicoi, and then the car drove him off to the airport. He flew back to Cleveland
I remember watching the car drive away, realizing how, all of a sudden, I was utterly alone in the woods
I was pressed for time, beginning this 16.7 mile slack at 11am, so I couldn’t sit in the parking lot and cry even though that’s all I wanted to do
The first few miles were scary, I kept thinking I was hearing things off the trail (it’s almost always a chipmunk) ... but at a certain point I realized that I didn’t have to keep anyone else’s schedule. I could stop at any point, stretch, tie my shoe, eat a snack, take photos, take a nap ... I had complete autonomy. It was so unbelievably freeing ...
I realized that I didn’t really know many people, so I introduced myself to every person I passed
I felt weird that I didn’t have a trail name yet
I ran into the Cleveland Crew, who I hadn’t seen since the infamous Neel Gap day. I was so happy to see them ... it was the first time I felt a sense of Trail Community
At a certain point I realized I needed to start hiking FAST or else I wouldn’t get to Dick’s Creek before dark. I had never night hiked, and I had forgotten to put my headlamp in my little pack. ROOKIE MISTAKE. My feet were getting really sore but I had to pick up the pace to try to beat the sun
I started to go a little loco by the end of the day, it was so quiet and I was so alone, and the miles seemed SO LONG. I started making up songs about the day, the hike, the trees, the weather, my sore feet. I must’ve looked like a total loonie, walking through the woods as fast as I could, singing out loud to whichever chipmunks were listening
I got to Dick’s Creek right before dark. I made it. But soon realized I didn’t have a way to get to Top of Georgia and didn’t have cell service. I was completely overwhelmed
A couple popped out of the woods and went straight to the only car in the parking lot. I think they could tell I was feeling alone and overwhelmed. They asked where I was going and offered me a ride
This was the first time I understood the phrase “The Trail Provides”
