It was way too early on a July morning for me to be up.
    Nevertheless, my dad and I started riding towards Fair Play Camp School.
    I was tired, for sure, but I was also excited for the week to come. I and 10 other graduates of Fair Play planned to hike 35 miles on the Chattooga River Trail.
   The Chattooga is best known as the location of the movie “Deliverance.”
   I had hiked the whole 45-mile trail before, but I couldn’t wait to do it again. At 9 a.m., we arrived at camp where we all met and quickly readied our hiking packs. It was great to see everyone again but I was still nervous. 
   We started our hike at Burrells Ford, a primitive campground along the Chattooga River. It was exactly how I remembered it.
   It was great to see my friend Paul and meet others I didn’t know as well. After 4 hours of beautiful hiking, we made it to our first campsite at Simms Field Falls, right on the Chattooga River.
   I was glad to take off my 30 pound pack. After setting up camp, we swam in the freezing river until supper.
   I had forgotten how peaceful and relaxing it is to sleep outside with nothing but a thin tent wall separating me from the distant roaring of the falls, the humming of the cicadas and the cold breeze. That was the best night of sleep I’ve had all year.
   The next day was another great day of hiking, probably the hardest and hottest. It was also my third Independence Day on a trip.
   Just for you, here’s a hiking tip: Having someone to talk to or play games with makes the hiking a lot easier.
   At one point, we were so desperate, we tried to identify trees. Of course, I won.
   Some landmarks of the day included Pigpen Falls, a beautiful 30-foot falls, and crossing into Georgia. We camped on the East Fork of the Chattooga that night and we played a massive game of Manhunt there.
   When we awoke, it was raining but I still couldn’t wait to start the day. We ended up eating our lunch for breakfast because we couldn’t start a fire. 
   We started hiking. On the bright side, the rain kept us cool and nobody wanted to sit down on the soaked ground so we hiked a lot faster.
   By lunch, it had stopped raining.  We ate a little snack and kept trucking. Finally, we made it to a campsite at Warwoman Creek. We had someone drive down to restock our food.
   The next day, we made it to Dicks Creek Falls. I have looked forward to coming back here for months. The falls drops right into the Chattooga River as the river bends into a stunning rapid. I took some great shots 
            with my GoPro.
     A couple of hours later, we heard a dreadful sound – thunder. It grew louder and louder, creating a huge sense of urgency. 
    We were practically running by now, but of course, 5 minutes before making it to campsite, the sky let loose. 
   This would be our final campsite. On our final day, we hiked 0.5 miles up and away from the river to a turnaround where a bus picked us up.
   We played some games and took pictures while we waited. 
    Back at Fair Play, we cleaned our gear and ate a delicious homemade meal before saying our goodbyes. I will miss this group.
We had hiked 30 miles in 5 days.
    The hike was fun but also super hard, carrying a heavy 30-pound pack up and down mountains in the heat with limited water. 
     Why do I hike? Because at the end of the day, you go to sleep with a massive sense of accomplishment.
   I hope that through my columns, I can encourage you, no matter your age, to go enjoy this massive, diverse, beautiful world. I would love to hear  about your adventures too. You can email me at cole.lexchron@gmail.com.