Sid and I stayed at Bear Garden Hiker Hostel for the past night in our private bunkhouse. It was a good thing because Nora-virus has been spreading like wildfire. More than half of the hikers at the Hostel had it. It’s a bug that’s highly contagious and hits you like a stomach flu. The only good thing is most of the people I’ve talked with are back to hiking within 48 hours. But in the meantime, you have no desire to hike, let alone drink or eat. It just wipes you out.

Sid and I got a ride back up to where we hiked from yesterday. It took us 45 minutes to get on trail. Once we arrived, Sid and I headed out into new territory and I was nobo again. There was tons of limestone around with huge boulders and smaller stepping stones with plenty of rocks on the trail. Sid went ahead but his legs were tired and he wasn’t coasting down the trail like yesterday. Today we had full backpacks with five days worth of food.

We stopped at Jenkins Shelter where Flora and Six had been laid up for the past two days. They also have Nota-virus, arg. You can’t escape this creepy crud. Sid was ready to call it a day but we’d only made 4-1/2 miles. He rested for an hour or two, and we headed back on-trail.

We had a slight climb and you’d think we were hiking to the moon and back. How far have we gone? Are we close? Can we take a break? Oh my goodness, we only have four miles to go and we will be there before you know it. Within a couple of hours, we made it to Laurel Creek but not before I took a hellish fall. Sid had just asked me, Grandma how many times have you fallen? I was quite proud of myself as I’d only fallen a couple of times and both were fairly unscathed. I have no idea what I did but before I knew it, I was on the ground and sliding down the embankment. Luckily Sid was right next to me and helped me up. My left knee took the brunt of it and was a bit bloody. Other than that. No real injuries to report. Praise God!

We both headed to Laurel Creek, me to clean up and Sid to release his frog. You’d think I was hiking with Steve Erwin! Sid always has some critter in his midst or is thinking of what else he can catch. Nothing is safe with the hunter among us. We relaxed at the water for a bit and then headed up trail to scope out a campsite for the evening. We were not alone as this was the final water stop for 18 plus miles. Things are a changing on the AT!

Sid and I discussed our next plan of attack. We have forty miles to get to our resupply with little water. Sid drinks like a fish so this could be an issue. We will make it to Brushy Mountain Outfitter tomorrow for ice cream and burgers, and then push on for a few more miles. That’ll set us up for a dry camp and a short hike to water the following morning. Best laid plans of mice and men.

These past couple of days have been trying to say the least. I haven’t been myself, a bit wobbly and unsure. It’s funny when you think you have it all figured out and then you fall on your face! It reminds me so much that I don’t have anything without you Lord! What a great reminder that you are still in control of my destiny and I am not. I am grateful that you brought me Sid to keep things lively and childlike. He is everything I am not, and yet he has this love that is unsurpassable. I am truly thankful for his company, and his heart!

“And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬