Day 4, Bearcamp Creek Campsite to Fish Hatchery Campsite

As soon as the trail left the creek, I began the first of several climbs. This one didn't have any stairs to make it easier, and that felt unusual.

The climb continued for about a mile. After that, the trail made a couple of ups and downs before starting a descent that was steeper than the climb.

After scarcely more than an hour of walking, I was ready for a short snack break. I stopped where a bridge crossed a small stream, and while there, I considered refilling my water bottle.

The water looked too muddy, however, so I decided to wait for the next stream. Water is never a problem on the FHT, and I knew I wouldn't walk far before finding some that was better.

The better water turned out to be the Thompson River, which I found at the bottom of the descent. The stream looked more like a rocky creek than a river, but it had plenty of clear water.

The trail next led up another climb, and this one wasn't steep. I felt a pleasant, cooling breeze for part of the climb. Regretfully, it didn't last long.

Along the way, the trail crossed the state line. The next 2.4 miles were in South Carolina before the trail turned north and back into North Carolina.

Past the broken bridge, the trail entered an environmental protection corridor. It stretched along two miles of the river and widely on both sides. A sign for the area displayed a map and explained it was set aside to protect fragile vegetation and old-growth trees. Camping and fires were not allowed.

Soon after entering the corridor, I passed a side trail leading to an overlook of a waterfall on the Whitewater River. If I had followed this trail to see the falls, I would have added nearly an hour to my hike. That was too much when I was already well behind Polecat and Sasquatch, and I kept going down the main footpath.

The river was a half-mile past the side trail and soon came into view. Instead of crossing it, the trail turned north and followed its flow upstream and back into North Carolina.

There were several more bridges as the trail continued along the bank of the river. They crossed feeder streams and were all small except for one that went over Corbin Creek.

I stopped at the creek to collect another liter of water. While I was there, a large group of day hikers wearing matching t-shirts walked by.

The trail passed what would have been lovely campsites if camping wasn't prohibited along the river.

An odd question popped into my head when I passed a squirrel. Was this the first animal I had seen on this hike that wasn't a bird? I couldn't remember seeing any others.

I knew bears and other animals were in the area, of course. I had already seen bear scat on the trail yesterday and today. It seemed weird, though, to walk for more than three days and only see one squirrel.

I arrived at a bridge that crossed the Whitewater River shortly after noon. Water cascaded over large boulders here, which attracted more day hikers.

The trail made another steep climb after leaving the river. The first part went over large boulders, and I was unsure if I was going the right way. I couldn't find a blaze to confirm I was still on the trail. I checked with a day hiker, and he told me I was.

There were blazes after the boulders, though the first mile or so of this 3.2-mile climb was steep. As usual for the FHT, there were some sets of stairs, and there were also a couple of switchbacks.

I caught up to Polecat on the climb after he had stopped for a breather. We continued together, then stopped to eat lunch when we reached a gravel parking lot at North Carolina Highway 281.

Soon after we stopped, a couple pulled into the parking area in their pickup truck. When they got out, they told us they were there to meet their daughter. She was hiking the FHT and they brought a resupply of food to give her. As we talked, the couple mentioned their daughter previously hiked the AT.

"Oh? What year?" I asked.

"2017."

"I hiked it the same year!" I replied. "What was her trail name?"

"Dove."

Polecat and I both lit up because we knew her. She was with my hiking partner, Stick, and me on Day 147, one of the most eventful days of my AT thru-hike.

That was the day Polecat drove the three of us to the top of Mount Washington. We then battled 80 mph winds hiking down to Madison Spring Hut. I became so frustrated after falling three times and spraining my ankle, that I told Stick and Dove I had decided to quit.

Polecat and I didn’t have to wait long before Dove arrived to meet her parents. It was a cheerful and unexpected reunion for Polecat and me.

When I mentioned to her that incident on the AT, she remembered it well. "I knew you wouldn't quit," she added.

The time was now nearly 2 p.m., though I didn't regret any of the time we spent talking to Dove. It had been wonderful to see her again.

Dove and her hiking partner were heading east. Polecat and I were going west and knew we needed to get going because Sasquatch was getting far ahead of us. Before leaving, Dove's father gave us Granny Smith apples.

Polecat and I crossed the highway and continued on our way.

The trail resumed the climb that started at the Whitewater River. We still had nearly two more miles to go before reaching the top. It was a steady climb that included several switchbacks.

I lost track of Polecat on the way to the top, which was near the summit of Grassy Knob. The last part of the climb was the start of an area that burned many years ago.

It was possible to catch glimpses of Lake Jocassee through partially burned trees soon after beginning a descent from the top.

After seeing many day hikers and a few backpackers before lunch, there were now none on the trail.

I saw some showy gentian flowers, however. They are sometimes called Appalachian gentian and are one of the few wildflowers that continue to bloom this late in the year.

Less than 1.5 miles past the state line, the trail intersected South Carolina Highway 107. Polecat wasn't there when I arrived. I never saw Sasquatch on the trail all day long. I figured both were now far ahead of me and likely had already arrived at the campsite, barely more than a mile away.

After crossing the road, I turned to follow what I thought was the trail. That turned out to be the wrong direction but a good mistake. A picnic area was nearby, and I discovered this was a better spot for getting water than where the trail went. It didn't matter that I could get water at the campsite, I got some anyway. I had run out and was thirsty.

When I left the picnic area, the trail mostly followed the East Fork of the Chattooga River. Except for when I stumbled and nearly fell on rocks at the end of a bridge, the walk on the final section to our campsite was uneventful. I arrived there at 5:15 p.m.

I discovered when I arrived I hadn't been as far behind Sasquatch and Polecat as I thought. They were still setting up their tents.

Despite its name, our campsite was not at a fish hatchery, though Walhalla State Fish Hatchery was less than a mile away on the other side of the river. Brown, brook, and rainbow trout are raised at the hatchery and used to restock area streams.

The East Fork of the Chattooga River, which was just steps away from our campsite, is said to be a good stream for fly fishing. Despite being so close to the river, getting water was difficult. A steep slope made going down to the stream tricky.

There weren't many flat spots for me to pitch my tent, but Polecat, Sasquatch, and I were the only campers there. For my dinner, I ate a tomato parmesan ramen meal left over from the food I prepared for the CDT last year. I still had some food from that hike because I didn't need as much sent to me from home as I expected.

I still can't get over today's chance meeting with Dove. I've run into several other hikers the same way on other trails, and each time has been a delightful surprise. Seeing friends this way makes me proud to be a citizen of a wonderful, close-knit community.