“Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, it beckons not merely north and south, but upward to the body, mind and soul of man.” Harold Allen

We got off trail yesterday and settled down at Amicalola Lodge fo2 days of post hike recovery. Doing it at the place that most thru hikers start their journey through the AT. It’s been rewarding in the fact that we have nice fluffy beds and views of the mountains we just hiked. We’re still immersing ourselves in the trail culture by hanging out in lobby and visitor center watching thru hikers and section hikers alike start their journey here. While we’ve been cozy being lazy, Tater Tot and my thoughts keep drifting back to our pals on the trail going all the way. We were awoken to a strong storm last night with howling winds to woke us both up. We turned to each other and both thought the same thing…. hope Crunchy, Durango, and Mama Luna are doing ok. We awoke to a fog filled morning but went down to visitor center to check out the Approach Trail. 12 thru hikers had already left by 9:30am. The trail gets busier and busier each year. We talked with one of the rangers who showed us the registered hiker list. 3 years ago at this time there was a total of 978 hikers that had embarked on a thru hike. This year as of today it was double that. Not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing. Certainly been good for Tater and I. We spent an hour or so exploring the park. The Georgia state parks system is awesome! Adventure lodges. We took it easy and just explored the falls and are enjoying our last moments as AT hikers. Happy Trails to all on trail, starting soon, or planning on going!

Sincerely,

Tater Tot and Gold Bond