First Week

So as I sit here writing this I'm enjoying the warmth of what some might consider a pretty sketchy hotel room. However, The Hiawassee Budget Inn is everything we could ask for. We are staying the night here along with three other friends that we met on the trail. The past six days have been a roller coaster of events that have not only left us in awe of God's creation and love, but also had us dealing with slight problems and inconveniences along the way. I would definitely say that yesterday was our best day on the trail. We were able to go about 21 miles and the weather was amazing for hiking. We started the morning in the snow, but by lunch we were hiking without jackets. We saw some truly amazing views of Georgia. Some trials that we have had to face include feet problems, along with general aches and pains. So please keep that in mind as you pray for us. On Monday night we chose to stay at the shelter on the top of Blood mountain. This is the highest peak the AT crosses in GA. This shelter is also the oldest shelter on the AT. On that particular evening however there was a horrible storm that was beginning to set in. It rained all night and the wind blew something fierce. The next morning we woke up to the floor being soaked from the rain, and also our bear bag being attacked by a pesky mouse. Needless to say this was an irritating morning, not to mention that it continued to be rainy for the remainder of the day. We ended up sleeping in a shelter that night with two guys we met before who are our age, and also a new guy from Maine who is also our age. This ended up being a very nice end to that day. Well all I can say is that our home state of North Carolina is only 8 miles away once we get back on the trail and we can't wait to cross the state line. We thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers. They mean so much and they are felt for sure. Talk to you soon. 

-Chase

(My apologies for any grammatical errors. I will blame them on the iPhone.)