Pinhoti - day 2

This is how I started out.  Day one - I began on Oct.23, 2013.  My wife dropped me off at the trailhead on Highway 77.  I was not aware that she had taken this picture at the time, that is why it is posted now.  It did not take long for me to get rid of the cap as sweat was dropping on my glasses, I opted for a sweat band instead.  Total pack weight 37 lbs added to my 245 meant that my legs were questionable from the start.  I began around 12:30 PM.

The trail is very well marked, with crows feet and blue blazes.  The pictures below are just a few from the trails beginning to where it crosses Talladega Creek.  

By 4:00 pm I decided my legs needed a rest and began looking for a suitable place to camp.  I found a place on top of a ridge, but there was a cold wind blowing about 10 to 15 mph. so I walked on to get out of the wind.  I am glad I did because down in a valley I came up on an established campsite and decided that is where I would stay.  I pitched my tent and ate Beef Stew for supper.  There was a fire pit, but I did not need to build a fire.  If I had it might have provided some light.  Once the sun set, it was very dark.  I had my headlight, but had failed to put new batteries in it and left the extra batteries at home.  I could see that it was going dim so I decided to call it a night.  For a night owl like me sacking out at 6:30 is almost impossible.  Having my walkman radio I was able to listen to music, gospel music from a station in Ashland, Al. 

After a restless night where the temperature dropped to into the 30's, I awoke to daylight but decided to let it warm up before getting up.  So about 7:00 am I decided to emerge from my tent.  Breakfast consisted of a cup of instant coffee and 2 granola bars that were hard as bricks.  By 10:00 I was packed up and on the trail again.  The fall colors made for a really nice beginning.  Footing became an issue when walking up hill on pine straw and leaves.  Little did I know what was coming next.  The terrain changed to loose rocks that shifted when I stepped on them.  The footing was so tentative that I tripped several times and could have sprained an ankle easily.  I decided to give myself a trail name, Slo-go, since it was taking me a long time on this section.  Once you thought you were out of the rocks they started up again.  

Once I reached a clearing under power lines, I could see I was close to a road.  When I reached Clairmont Gap, I thought this was a good place to have my wife pick me up.  Time now is about 3:00 pm.  I was not sure where she would be able to meet me if I continued on or how far I would get.  A prior commitment meant that I would have to be off the trail by noon on day three, but I did not know if there would be a place for her to pick me up if I had continued on.  This was the best time to drop off the trail.  Not to mention that my shoulders were killing me and my upper thighs were about to quit on me anyway.  I will continue my hike from Clairmont Gap when I start again, maybe next week.  Approximate distance covered in 2 days, around 10 - 11 miles.