Polarity.

Day 8 was spectacular. That was the first morning when I felt I had my morning routine dialed in. I woke up well rested, packed up a few items from the night before, made breakfast, socialized, changed into my hiking clothes, broke down my tent, packed my bag efficiently, did my stretching routine, filtered water, and put my first step on the trail in an hour and a half’s time. That really set the table for what would turn out to be a big day.

I felt great. My legs were moving, and the sluggishness from the day before was absent. I was heading toward the state line from Georgia to North Carolina, and I had been warned about the constant uphill this particular section had in store. This was the first day I was also being conscious about my pace. I dialed it back a bit in preparation for the day ahead. Everything was working to plan, and I was untroubled.

Three miles became six, and six miles became nine. Before I knew it, that uphill section was behind me, and I was feeling as good as when I started. I was in bear country now. The next shelter had a bear raid two nights before. The original plan was to stop and end the day before that spot, but my legs still had plenty of juice, so I continued to push. This is where I climbed Standing Indian Mountain and descended into Beech Gap to call it a day. This concluded a 17-mile hike, which was my most traveled day thus far.

The work was not over, though. I was in an active bear zone, and NC does not have the luxurious bear boxes and bear cables like Georgia provided. It was time for my first bear hang on the AT. After scouting the area, I was able to find a good, yet ambiguously high, limb for a hang. I got it on the second rock throw and had a bit of trouble with the stick knot, but I was happy to get it up. Time for rest after a perfectly executed day.

A fellow hiker told me that Gerogia prepared you for North Carolina and that North Carolina prepared you for the Smoky Mountains. I was about to learn what that meant.

Day 9. I woke up to rain and thunder. “Shit, it wasn’t supposed to rain until the afternoon.” I checked my phone, but there was no signal. I had a saved weather report, but it was older than a day and showed storms comming in around mid-day. I hadn’t thought to check the forecast before heading into a cell service dead zone. The raindrops were getting bigger, and the wind was picking up. I figured the storm had come earlier than expected, and I needed to get up and move to the next shelter so I could have a dry place to make my oatmeal and coffee. No morning routine today.

I quickly start packing my things, deciding to hike three miles in the rain to the next dry shelter. I throw on my raincoat and get down my food bag. At least the bears didn’t get a free meal at my expense. Already soaked, I start breaking down my tent. I am slow, very careful to try and keep the interior as dry as possible. I do an average job at that. I am packed up, drenched, and immediately back on the trail.

Those three miles were the wettest miles thus far. Not only was it pouring, but the trail was rocky, slippery, leaving puddles and forming makeshift streams down the walkways. The trail was mocking me. The day before had seemed so effortless, but this day was North Carolina demonstrating its level-up in difficulty.

My mind was racing during those three miles. I was walking without a plan. All I knew was there was a shelter in three miles and a town comming up in a few days. I didn’t have a plan for today or the next few days. I was not paying attention to the weather. My food situation was adequate but sporadic. Georgia was to prove I could handle the physical aspect of the trail, and North Carolina is the test for logistics, planning, and adaptability.

As soon as I get to the shelter, the rain stops, and the sun comes out. I could have waited out the brief storm if I had known, oh well. I took this moment to settle in, get some food in me, and properly plan the rest of the day.

With three miles already in the bag, the sun starting to come out, and me still feeling good, I made the decision to push another 16 miles to the town of Franklin. The idea was to push my limits even more today so that I could take a real day off the next day.

After a disastrous start to the day, the rest of the day was terrific. I had a big, steep climb up Albert Mountain, which marked the 100-mile mark of the AT. I had a great moment to eat lunch at the fire tower, dry out my tent, and chat with some familiar faces. The rest of the day was all downhill, physically and figuratively. I was able to make it to Winding Stair Gap, shoot the breeze with some more hikers, and get a shuttle into the town of Franklin. I have a room for two nights, and I was looking forward to some real meals, a hot shower, fresh clothes, and a warm bed.