I woke up in the cold and was on the trail by 8. Everyday the temperature has seemed to drop even more. The projection is single digits tomorrow night. It should be a good test for my gear. As I started on the trail at 8 the miles began to fly by. I soon had my shirt off and was flying up the hills. Then the snow came. It wasn’t a lot but it required me to pack my pack in a way to keep everything dry. It was a hassle and the blowing wind was not pleasant. I got to Dicks gap and took a quick trip into Hiawassee to get some more duct tape. Once in and out of the town thanks to two great trail Angels I was onward to the Georgia border. I passed into North Carolina in the fading daylight and continued in the pounding wind, snow and cold. It got so cold my water on the side of my pack froze so I had to put it in my pocket while finishing out my day. I arrived at Muskrat shelter (roughly mile 82) to find 4 other thru hikers with a tarp over the front of the shelter already prepared for the frigid night. We told stories and laughed all night. Wish I could hike with them longer.
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