By the time I reached the Georgia-Alabama state line, all doubts about a life spent hiking had dissolved. The societal detox was complete, and the trail had me in awe once more.
After leaving Cave Spring, I stopped at Spring Creek Shelter for the night, realizing there were far more shelters along the Pinhoti than I’d expected. Their spacing turned the hike into a game of strategy. Could I cover 20-plus miles a day to make it to my destination? Were my trail legs and lungs finally back?
The next day I pushed to Davis Mountain, the day after to the shelter at the top of North Dugger Mountain, then to Laurel Shelter.
Mornings were cold and spent with Little Debbie, afternoons with Chester Cheetah, filtering water from mountain streams. Nights were quieter still, eating whatever scraps I had left, tucked into the empty shelters while the howls of coyotes carried me into sleep.
Civilization’s noise had finally faded. The ideas and expectations of others no longer crowded my thoughts or diluted my experience.
Life once again felt real.
#pinhotitrail #thruhike