{"id":3255,"date":"2026-04-29T23:41:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T23:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/?p=3255"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:17:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:17:56","slug":"4-29-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mihoaida.com\/pct\/4-29-update\/","title":{"rendered":"4\/29\/2026:\u00a0Dicks Creek Gap, GA to Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC (Mile 69-137)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nothing is permanent is one of the universal truths that I work to keep in mind. Whether I like it or not, things will come and pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps one of our duties that our creator gave us to human beings is to be the bearers of the truth and make peace with it. We have bodies. We have feelings. It\u2019s difficult to live by the truth because we\u2019re human. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thru-hiking allows me to embody the truth. I work to welcome whatever comes my way and let go of whatever doesn\u2019t serve me by letting it pass through me. It\u2019s a constant work to do it well, and I\u2019ll keep working on it for the rest of my life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I walk, I greet plants, animals, insects, rocks, and many things. The next moment, I\u2019m gone. I\u2019m just seeing as whatever they are. Nobody\u2019s working hard here in nature to impress me. They are just being who they are, fulfilling their role and responsibility to be part of the ecosystem. I find them beautiful. We have a lot to learn from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I also greet and meet people briefly on the trail and as I come through towns to resupply. My first resupply town, Hiawassee in Georgia, was very welcoming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At Dick\u2019s Creek Gap, there was a free shuttle service that was organized by local businesses. I was greeted by the driver, and he drove us to a grocery store in town. First things first, I dried my wet tent and damp gear in the sun. Next, I went inside the store to charge my devices and get some fresh food. I was delighted to find sushi because I didn\u2019t expect it in Georgia! Then I walked over to Trailful, a local outfitter, to pick up my resupply package. They\u2019re so kind and even have a room designated for thru-hikers. I was able to repack and organize my food and gear and get on Wi-Fi. I was able to take care of all this in just about 2 1\/2 hours. Then I hopped on the shuttle back to Dick\u2018s Creek Gap. It felt a little rushed, and it was perfect. Everything comes and goes. I hope I left a good impression of a thru-hiker in Hiawassee for those who come behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Dicks Creek Gap, I enjoyed the afternoon hike and crossed the state border of Georgia and North Carolina in the early evening. There are 14 states along the Appalachian Trail. I was surprised how quickly I passed one of them already! The Georgia section took me only five days, and that\u2019s it! I walked for another hour and found a campsite that had a wildflower garden on the way. I settled in and watched a beautiful sunset, surrounded by flowers. The sun sets and rises. There I was, and the next day I\u2019m gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since I entered North Carolina, I started seeing less poison ivy and more new flowers. I love seeing these changes. I share the trail with other folks, like lots of snails. They camouflage very well, so I was careful not to step on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine, and it was easy to keep going. I also knew the lightning thunderstorm forecast in the early morning the next day. I wanted to put in extra miles for the potential later start the next day. In the evening, I made it to the top of Mount Albert. There was a fire overlook which was closed to protect it from vandalism. I could still climb the stairs and enjoyed the view from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The climb to Mount Albert was the steepest so far. I appreciate people who put effort into putting stairs on the steep slope. I don\u2019t know them, and I will probably never meet these people who built, maintain, and will continue to do so. We may come and go, and we certainly leave an impact behind us. I often think about what kind of impact I want to leave behind. On the trail, I see what I consider a destructive impact that was left behind by the fellow hikers. Compared to the other two trails, I see more toilet paper on the ground, trash, and empty fuel canisters. At the fire pit, I often see cigarette butts. There may be no bad intentions for those who leave trash behind, and I find that impact to be destructive and negative. We are put on the earth to be caretakers. Nature is not a trash can. \u201cPack in and pack out\u201d needs to be common sense among us, no matter where we go and what we do. We need to own both the intention and the impact of our actions and words. Our time together might be a second, a few minutes, an hour, or a lifetime. Whatever it is, I want my impact to be constructive and positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
There are many trash stations on the AT where we can dispose of trash without carrying it for a long time. On the PCT and CDT, this luxury didn’t exist!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I woke up to lightning thunderstorms the next morning, I was like here it comes and it will pass. At one point, the lightning was right above me, and I took a lightning position<\/a> to avoid any ground currents if the lightning hit somewhere near me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n