Day 77: The Roller Coaster

Day: 77 Miles: 17.8  Trip: 995.6 Started: 977.8 Destination: Sam Moore Shelter

Got a late start out of the hostel for our shuttle up to the slack pack point that I started from yesterday.  Got started with a few miles of pretty easy trail before hitting the wide open trails of Sky Meadows state park.

A few people had been talking up an upcoming section of the trail called the 'Roller Coaster'.

They described the section as a very difficult and grueling stretch of steep ups and downs.  The trail since Wayensboro has been mostly steady grades with relatively easy climbs and descents.  While I never really look forward to steep trail, I was a little in the mood for something different. After about 10 miles I came on an ominous sign. While I have heard a lot of talk about difficult sections of trail from locals and other hikers this is the first time that an actual warning was posted.  The sign had a hint of sarcasm but perhaps this was truly a legitimate warning.  After a bout 4 miles of this section I decided that it was not really that bad.  We have had many sections like this and for a while in Georgia this was the norm.  Perhaps I have just done enough of the trail now to have the legs to do steep terrain without letting it slow me down all that much.  Even with the 11am start I was able to get into the shelter by about 6pm.  I have the second half of the 'Roller Coaster' tomorrow but I now just think about it as normal.