Day 26: April 23, 2022
AT mile 344.3 to 358.0
Hiked: 13.7 miles / 22.0 km
AT miles hiked to date: 16.3%

As we said, the flowers are blooming and, with them and the warmer temperatures have come the bugs – flies and bees pollinating the flowers and following us along the trail.

We started out from Erwin at 10 am after getting a shuttle from town to the trailhead.  Initially the path was only a gradual ascent as we followed a stream winding up a valley.

Then the path again rose quite steeply (more like its usual direct approach) and we arrived at a shelter where we stopped for a snack. Looking into the shelter we saw something else that has become active with the warmer change – a 2m long black snake was snoozing towards the back. We were amused to see a little mouse holding an acorn in its mouth run right up to the snake, almost standing on it before it turned tail and ran off, ignoring the cheese loaded mouse trap.

The major climb today was up a mountain to a place called Beauty Spot which was the grassy peak with some rather hazy distant views and a very welcome breeze after the hot climb.

Since our chosen tent sites has no water source we had to carry enough for tonight’s dinner, tomorrow’s breakfast and the morning hike for about 1.5 miles.

Just some trail names of people we have come across so far this hike:

Old Scout (Scout Leader); Mosey; Spider Man (retired teacher researching spiders), Comfortably Numb; The Brain; Orlando; Guitarzan (carrying a guitar as well as a huge pack); Pinkie; Thunder Chicken; Wiggle Bottom; Easy; Karma; Not Yet; No Rush; Songbird; Trumpet; Tennessee Pickle.