Once done in Blairsville getting syrup, dry wood, and a few other needed staples we headed to the outfitter's store. The stone building itself that houses Mountain Crossings is very historic. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937 it originally served as a dinning hall and inn. 1937 was also the year the Appalachian Trail was completed.
The building went through different hands through the years and was almost torn down. Locals petitioned to save it in the 70's. In 1983 Mountain Crossings which also has an A.T. gift store was born. The A.T. itself passes right through the building making the only covered portion of the trail's 2,200 miles.
Some other interesting facts about this historic place are that it is located 31.7 miles from the start of the Appalachian Trail. So once the guys start hiking they should make it here in three to four days. The store serves over 2,500 hikers on their journey from Georgia to Maine. The staff evaluates over 500 packs to see what essentials are 'really' needed by the hikers. They ship home over 9,000 pounds of unnecessary gear from the store yearly. The combined experience of the team that works there exceeds 15,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail.
Upon our return to base camp at Vogel State Park we took some time to get a good hike in for Jett. We chose the short two mile loop trail in the park that goes around Lake Trahlyta. There's also a short spur trail that leads to the Trahlyta Falls. This was my first time handling her on a trail with me using BOTH of my hiking poles. We both did great. Just like pros!
As of now it looks like Tim and Alan's hiking departure for their expedition will be delayed until Friday. There is a large line of storms coming through on Thursday. Thursday will be spent doing the final shake down on their packs, weather observation checks and getting our driving route to the trail head confirmed.
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