Foothills Trail - Day 2
The night started with me doing the classic backpacker routine: tossing, turning, and waiting patiently to become tired enough to sleep on the ground voluntarily. Eventually I drifted off, only to wake up freezing sometime in the middle of the night. Nothing says “ultralight backpacking” quite like using your puffy jacket as a blanket for your legs. Problem solved… sort of.
Morning came with coffee and Oreo Pop-Tarts around 7 a.m., which honestly felt like a five-star breakfast in the middle of the woods. I was very thankful I filtered water the night before because the thought of sticking my hands in cold water first thing in the morning sounded miserable. Left camp around 8:30 feeling halfway human again.
Not long into the morning, I passed two finely aged gentlemen on trail. One of them was about to take a leak when I told him, “Don’t worry, you’re not going to frighten anyone with that thing.” We all had a good laugh, and then continued on at our own pace.
The day brought a mix of day hikers, another solo backpacker, and plenty of beautiful forest. I took the Whitewater side route to the overlook and WOW… absolutely worth it. Easily one of the highlights so far.
The second half of the day decided to humble me with the steepest climbs I’ve hit on trail yet. My original plan was to stay at Hilliard Campsite and check out the falls, but a family had completely claimed the area like they were establishing a small woodland kingdom. So I pushed another mile to Bear Creek Campsite.
Turns out, great decision. Beautiful campsite, completely empty, and peaceful. By 8 p.m. the sun was somehow still hanging around, when I realized that I’m in North Carolina! That is exciting for because after the trail, I’ll be heading to NC to visit family. Tomorrow I cross back into South Carolina.
Today felt different than yesterday. My left foot is still barking at me, but yesterday I was just grinding to get to camp. Today I actually slowed down enough to enjoy the forest. Funny how the miles go faster when you stop fighting them.