We're down to 5 through-hikers now. One fell and had to be picked up, another was called up for reserve military duty, and the other just needed a break and will rejoin us for the last day. Again, I got up early and headed out with Team Engine. I was proud of myself for making it to day 3!!
It didn't take long for me to be hiking solo again. I enjoyed the precious time to myself since ithe experience was rather meditative. I just kept following the white blazes, no matter how faded they were to spot. At times, the Foothills Trail felt like I was in a rain forest or back in the Jurassic time period with all the ferns and vegetation.
Mid-morning, I reached a cool marker showing I was halfway done! Only 38 miles to go!
I mentioned earlier that I overpacked my snacks. Some of my favorites (and should have only packed) were a nutty trail mix, dried mangos, peanut butter crackers, and the meat/cheese sticks. The last one surprised me, but the protein was amazing and tasted great!
The terrain became easier by Day 3. There' was still plenty of elevation to climb, but fewer rocks and tree roots that can twist your ankle and slow you down. The trail also weaved into North Carolina a bit. Here's the entrance to NC that opened up into the Jocassee Gorge.
Not long after, I saw this fella. Eeek! I patiently waited about 5 min for him to move along, then once completely clear of the trail, I ran through. Whew, no thank you on wanting to see another.
Towards the end of this day I was rounding Lake Jocassee. Eric often talks about getting our jet ski out and transferring him to this entry point on the trail. It's probably another 4 miles to the campsite, so it would be fun with fresh legs. After already doing 12 miles, though, I was dreading the last stretch. Lot's of elevation still to go!
The end of Day 3 was promised to be a good one with a boat ride waiting and cold beer. Every turn and every bridge crossing I kept looking for a boat. Finally I spotted one in the distance which meant I had reached our campsite!
But first, I had to cross the bridge...
Then refresh in the cold river below.
Once the others arrived and we set up our tents, it was time for that boat ride!
The support team tonight was retired Marines who lived near the lake. They knew some secret waterfalls that were only known to the locals. All I saw was a little cove that looked like it was a scene from Jurassic Park. But we kept getting closer and closer to the end of it.
Then wow!! It opened up into a beautiful oasis with a roaring waterfall feeding the lake!
Afterwards, we went to the open water and all jumped in!
Dinner consisted of freeze-dried mountain meals. You boil water, pour over the meal, reseal the bag, and let it cook for 10 min. They must have magnezium in those meals because it kept me regular. The fear of digging a hole to do my business subsided quickly when I had to "go". Before bedtime, all food and trash was bundled together in our bear bags and hung high on a tree limb with rope. Thankfully, none of the bears bothered us throughout the trip.
