CEO Hike - Day 2

After yesterday, I was completely exhausted, so I slept fairly well in the tent my first night. In the morning, I got up early, packed my bags, and headed out with Team Engine. Here's the duo who were gracious to stop for a rare picture..

Mid-morning we ran into some "trail magic". This is common on the AT (Appalachian Trail), but something I hadn't expected on the Foothills Trail. Trail magic is where someone leaves a special treat for hikers. This was an ice chest with chilled Dr. Pepper's! Although I didn't care to take one, the thought was very sweet.

Shortly after the trail magic, we hit a steep incline up a mountain. The two guys got farther and farther ahead of me and I soon found myself hiking alone. I knew to follow the white paint on the trees marking the Foothills Trail (called a "blaze"). Plus, the rest of the group was probably 30min or so behind me if I wanted to wait it out.

It was also reassuring to pass signs like this occasionally that were built by boy scout troops. Very helpful!

I stopped for lunch at a bench at the top of the mountain. 

The view was gorgeous!

I continued to cross several streams and rivers to cool my face and wet the bandana. That made the final push to the campsite a bit easier.

Another 16-mile day was down and I got to relax before the next group arrived. I was so exhausted that it was hard to stay awake and participate in our evening chats. We talked about favorite books, favorite movies, family, and our organizations. 

Here's my single tent. It was muggy and warm down in the creek area, so I slept with the rain fly off. Although I tossed and turned more than the first night, I still slept relatively well. 

CEO Hike - Day 1

My big week arrived for all that training in prior months. It was time to begin a 77-mile trek on the Foothills Trail. Here's our morning team meet up for the eight of us who are attempting the entire trail..

Once we arrived at the trail head in Oconee State Park, we were joined by seven other CEOs who just wanted to hike the first day with us. 

And then we were off...

The hike was supported, meaning our night gear was transported by a support team to each campsite. That took about 20lbs of weight off our backs. However, I still over-packed from not knowing what I'd need. My day pack was also around 20lbs when loaded with food and water.

My hiking pace was faster than most, so I found myself hiking with Team Engine, the leading hikers with walkie talkie #1. The other end was the Caboose, or walkie talkie #2. The devices should have had a 2-mile range, but in the mountains, we quckly lost connection with the rest of the group.

Fresh water sources were plenty! I brought two water bottle filters and three 1-liter bottles, but that was overkill. I could have easily packed just two bottles and kept refilling at each fresh water opportunity. The week was HOT, though. It was nice not having to filter so much and have the water handy, but it made my pack weigh considerably more than it needed to.

After a grueling 16.5 mile day with lots of sun, sore muscles, and difficult terrain, the site of the campsite was amazing! I soaked my feet in the Chatooga River, splashed water on my face, and pitched my tent. Since we arrived an hour ahead of the other hikers, I even had time to clean up and refresh for Day 2. The support team then grilled us kabobs and smores, our best meal of the week! 

Awards Day

It's 8th Grade Awards Day for our last time in middle school. The Little One racked up some serious awards, too!

She received the ONLY mathcounts award in the school, a certificate for being co-president of Student Council, separate awards for the highest average in Honors English I, Honors Algebra I, Honors Science, all A's for the year, and scoring a 100 on her End of Course Exam in Algebra I. 

Here is a video of Julia receiving the awards.

She was all smiles heading back up the bleachers.

Proud dad with our little one.

A few pics with her friends...this is Katey from soccer.

This is Blakely from cross country...

This is Abigail who shares the co-president role with her in Student Council...

We signed her out of school for early dismissal and treated her to Olive Garden for lunch.

Later that evening, she had her soccer awards.

The coach said some great things about the team this year and handed them each a certificate.

Then the JV team handed the coach his award and card. Wonderful season!

Training, Part 4

My sweet family helped me do a "trial run" on my big hike. Eric and the Little One grabbed their backpacks, camping gear, and a stash of food to join me on this final outing. 

This was my longest hike yet at 15 miles, plus I needed to test all the camping gear. Here was our lunch spot.

They were troopers! I couldn't believe they hung with me step for step. I guess they didn't need to train as much as I did because they were already in shape.

The hike was beautiful! Eric picked out some great trails that included waterfalls...

Overlooks...

And neat bridges.

We slept fairly comfortably and the gear held up well. Nice job, family! 

Now to grab some coffee on the way home.

Training, Part 3

For my long 12 mile walk today, the Little One came with me!  That was really a nice treat having her to share the morning.

We decided to walk along Altamont Rd, a winding, 6-mile road up Paris Mountain and down the back side, only to turn around at the bottom and reverse direction back the same way. It didn't take long for us to shed the sweat shirt. The steep road really got our heart rate up.

Along the route, the views were amazing!

We also noticed a lot of trash along the side of the roads, so we brought along several trash bags to collect debris that had been tossed. From beer cans and whiskey bottles to chip bags and fast food cups, we collected 5 bags!

Just before the real summit, there's a house called "The Summit". Since there isn't a permanent marker at the peak, this became a nice alternative for a photo.

Eric wanted to run up the opposite side, so we met him on our downslope. It's tough just walking up this road; I couldn't imagine running it. Super proud of him! After we shared our water, he kept going to the top.

The homes here and the views continued to be beautiful! This was one of my favorites. The view is looking South with Greenville, SC in the background.

On the downside of the mountain, the views to the north were just as awe-inspiring.

We were done by noon, then off for lunch and sweet tea at McAlisters. It was a great start to the weekend! 

The AT

Eric decided to hit the AT (Appalachian Trail) for an overnight hike.  He drove to Clayton, GA and started the trail at Dick's Creek Gap.

Eric hiked up in the Georgia mountains.  His goal was to hike 4.7 miles to a shelter.

He was having fun, all smiles enjoying the fresh outdoors.

He finally reached his destination for the night.  It was Plum Orachard Gas Shelter

Eric shared the shelter with several other hikers including some from Texas, Flordia, and Massachusetts.  They had a good time talking.  When the sun set, the temperature dropped and all retreated into a warm sleeping bag.  The temperature got in to the 30's that night. 

The next morning it was time to go South bound back the Dick's Creek Gap.  The hike back seemed to be almost up hill all the way which was strange because the hike to the shelter seemed to be up hill all the way.  A few breaks were needed.

About 2 1/2 hours later, Eric was back to his vehicle.  Then it was time for breakfast and coffee at McDonalds in the nearest town.

Training, Part 2

This weekend was another 10+ mile workout, but I rallied up some of the other ladies to go with me.  We hiked Paris Mountain and all throughout this beautiful state park.  The morning was a bit chilly, but at 7:30am, we were ready to go.

When you carry a 15lb pack and climb 1700 ft, it doesn't take long to warm up. 

We kept a strong pace, only stopping once for a quick snack.

Then it was off again to complete our workout.  

#ChallengeAccepted  #NonprofitCEOhike  #May2021