This morning we were awoken by a driving rain on the metal roof of Plumorchard Shelter, it was our last day in Georgia! Luckily, by the time we were actually prepared and ready to hike, at about 9 AM, the rain had disapated into foggy mist.
After a few hours of hiking through non-descript fog-filled valleys and fog-enshrouded ridges we finally reached our first state line. A small wooden sign nailed to a tree simply stated, "GA/NC". However, there was little time for celebration as North Carolina welcomed us with an incredibly steep and winding path straight up a ridgeline exposed to the freezing wind.
We stopped for lunch at the Muskrat Creek Shelter where we met a section hiker holed up for the day in his sleeping bag. Only his eyes were exposed to the elements, the rest of his body was enveloped in his mummy sleeping bag. The weather proved too cold to sit around and lounge for awhile, customarily our routine, so we pushed on to our destination, Standing Indian Shelter.
We hiked up to the shelter at around 3 PM, chilled to the bone. Immediately we donned our camp clothes and slipped into our sleeping bags to escape the frigid temperatures. As the afternoon turned into evening, we cooked plenty of warm food, and a snow flurry had begun. By 6:30 I was in my sleeping bag for the night, sheltered from the snow and cold with 2 pairs of warm long johns, two long sleeve shirts, a thick fleece, gloves, and a fleece hat.
Gil
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