If you missed day 1, you can read all about it here.
On Sunday morning, day 2 of our backpacking trip, I woke up pleasantly surprised that I had slept so well. Typically I toss and turn all night when we camp. I usually wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep because I’m afraid of the crazy serial killers that might happen upon us in the woods. Brad thinks I was comforted by the knife he gave me. Maybe so.
Upon waking, I changed out of my PJ’s and set up this little rustic vanity so I could get my hair out of my face.
Then it was time for breakfast!
When you’re cooking with boiling water, instant oatmeal is the best option for breakfast. I purchased this organic cinnamon spice oatmeal from Trader Joe’s just for the trip.
We added trail mix to make it more filling and because I’ll use any excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast.
We boiled enough water in the Jetboil to make coffee. We added the instant coffee straight into the container. This nifty little water boiler also has a special lid with a mouth opening, specifically for drinking coffee.
Yum! Instant coffee with no milk. It tastes better when it’s your only option.
After breakfast, we refilled our water bottles using the same method as the day prior, packed up, and headed back to the trail.
We were ready for our seven mile, 4,000 feet climb.
But first, we had to cross over this little hurdle again.
Off came the boots and the socks. Once again we tied our boots around our necks and attempted to cross without falling.
Although the water felt much colder this morning, it was easier to see the large rocks from this side of the water, which made crossing much easier.
Because we set out at about 8:30 am, the weather was slightly cool. It was perfect for hiking a steep incline.
Up, up, up!
We took breaks when we needed to rest and stopped when we needed some water. Overall, the our return hike was perfect. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t too difficult. We passed other hikers going up the trail and down the trail. We made great time and reached the car at about 11:45 am.
The best part of reaching the car after a seven mile uphill hike is taking off your boots and putting on your flip flops. 🙂
The trees were thick on our hike, so we didn’t see views like this until we got back in the car.
We stopped on the side of the road just long enough for me to get a few shots of the ridge line. Beautiful!
If you ever plan a hiking trip to the Smokies, I really recommend the book Hiking Trails of the Smokies. Not only does it give you information about the elevation and mileage of the trails, as well as which trails connect, and where they end, it also give you the history of the trails. We often read about the trails we just hiked at night when we’re lying in out tent. I love history so I find this guide fascinating. Plus, the book is small and paperback so it’s easy to take along with you on the trail.
Brad and I love hiking and consider ourselves intermediate hikers…although I might be more of a novice. If you have any questions about our gear or our hiking experiences, we would both love to answer them.
If you’re interested in reading about a real hiker, someone with tons of experience and stories to match, you should check out our friend Peter’s website, who is a published author and also hiked the entire Appalachian Trail last year.