3/30

7am 

I have only one problem with hostels and shelters. Whenever 1 person is up, more people are to follow. No matter how tired you are, when people are up and moving it I impossible to go back to sleep. The night before I hung all my wet stuff to dry in addition to paying for a load of laundry done for the stuff covered in Mud. I bag all my clothes and begin to check everything for missing items. Checkout is at 9 so I drag out my departure to make sure that I get everything taken care of. I eat plenty again and make use of the running water as I do not know when my next opportunity will be. The hostel has 3 different times for shuttles to either drop you back off at the trail or take one into Hiawassee. 

9am 

The shuttle is an older van that has been refitted with seats to accommodate many hikers. The ride back to the trail is quick and the journey begins again. 

For the first time in 2 days when I climb a mountain or hill I can see in every direction. The veil of mist that has plagued my trip for 2 days has dissipated and brought clear beautiful ranges touching blue skies. The high is 50 and warms my bones after the cold and rain. At the top of each ridge a wind blows, ripping through my 1 layer and stealing my body heat. At the top of a ridge I see a oddly shaped tree and by it a marker. This tree has significant meaning in my journey because it rests on the line dividing Georgia and North Carolina. I stop to snack a bit and take a picture, the wind is relentless here so I am quickly on again. By 1pm I am 12 miles down the trail. Though I started the day with dry socks, my boots were not so lucky to dry out.  My socks are once again wet by association, so I take the remainder of the day to dry my boots out and hang my socks. With every hiker that passes I feel like my day is being wasted, although I know in the end it will benefit me. All afternoon I sit and watch the day pass by wishing that I could continue down the trail. I get in my sleeping bag to read. 

7pm 

The shelter only accommodates 6, and by the time I emerge to cook dinner there is a tent city that has shot up around the camp. The large group of people collect around the fire and are very loud till 11. I have to get up early and get out of this bubble of people. I don't want to be camping near them again. The cold wind swept into the mouth of the shelter all night long. Tossing and turning, again unable to get comfortable, I become frustrated with the weather but do nothing since I am helpless to its rage. Not the best night but eventually sleep did come..