Day 29- Gator Nation

Big Bald Shelter(326.1) to Undesignated Camp Spot(339.8) 13.7 

Before I tell everyone about my day I'd like to wish my Mom, Jeanette Fleming, a very Happy Birthday!!! Since I'm on the trail and she's on an epic cruise we weren't able to talk on the phone. I know she always reads my blog though. 

She loves dogwood trees and since they are blooming I took a picture for her. 

Now on to my day. As I mentioned yesterday, I kept my mileage slightly under normal for two reasons. I needed to break in the new shoes and I didn't want to get into town late in the day. I'm currently camped 3 miles from Erwin, TN and I'm super excited to have a full town day without taking a zero. A few other hikers are planning on seeing the new Avengers movie, but I haven't decided if I'll join them. I usually have too many other chores to do in town that I'm not sure that's the best use of my time. 

So far the shoes are working out ok. The pain in my big toe had been getting progressively worse, today wasn't any better, but it also wasn't worse. I'll take that as a win. I've also been having a bit of pain in my right knee on the downhills. I tried slowing down today and that also seemed to help. 

I was able to sleep in and take my time in camp this morning since I wasn't pushing for big miles and the terrain was pretty easy. That was a very nice change. Usually, I get up break camp and hit the trail, eating a pop tart as I go. Bon Bon, Mcgyver, Gadget Man, Stripes, and I chatted and had a leisurely morning. Today was also Bon Bon's birthday. She was one of 3 hikers at the shelter last night from Florida. I'm camped with the other 2, Dino and Seashell again tonight. 

As we left the shelter this morning everybody spread out. It's a weird feeling knowing their are other people right around you, but also feeling like you have the woods to yourself. Anytime you stop for a minute a hiker will usually pass you. 

I stop and take a lot of pictures so I usually flip flip with one or two other hikers all day. Today was a much larger group of hikers in the same area. 

View after first climb leaving the shelter

After hiking for 7 miles I came into Spivey Gap and had a wonderful surprise, Trail Magic. This was no ordinary magic though, it was Gator Trail Magic. 

Shanna and MinD

It seems the Gator Nation is alive and well along the Appalachian Trail. Seashell, Dino, and Bon Bon are all gator fans as well. MinD supplied us with Brownies, pineapples, blueberries, mangos, string cheese, and cold cokes. It was fantastic. Thanks again and it was so great to meet you. 

After such a nice treat the next 3 miles just flew by. I stopped and filtered water and then had a late lunch at a shelter. I was able to relax and take my shoes off for a little bit. I had a few hot spots on my heal and big toe, so I took the time to deal with that. I use a combination of leukotape and body glide for feet. I read somewhere that's what the Navy Seals use during hell week. If it's good enough for them it's good enough for me. After 340 miles I still haven't had a blister! 

At the shelter I met back up with Mcgyver, Seashell, and Dino. We hiked in close proximity for the next 3 miles. Just as Mcgyver and I got to our destination it started to rain with very high winds. I had just enough time to pitch my tarp and hunker down beneath it. Luckily it only last 10 or 20 minutes. After it passed I set up my hammock and started my dinner. I'm looking forward to my resupply tomorrow. I'm pretty darn tired of trail pad Thai and mash potatoes with various meat products. I've got a few new ideas for meals and I'm hoping to find everything I need in town. 

Sorry for the lack of pictures today. There just wasn't much to see since it was mainly downhill all day. 

Creative Stream Crossing Bridge

"Happiness is only real when shared"- Christopher McCandless 

Day 28- Hitchhikers Guide To The AT Galaxy

Hogback Ridge Shelter(316.0) to Big Bald Shelter(326.1) 10.1

Today was a very long, short mileage day. I was up and out of my hammock by 7, which is pretty early for me. I had dreams of doing a 18-20 mile day. I took the time to make oatmeal and coffee and I hit the trail by 8. After an easy 2.4 miles, I came to Sam's gap, which is a spot where the trail crosses I-26. As I was coming down into the gap, Big Mountain and ChampangeJam(2 hikers at the shelter last night) caught up to me. Champagnejam was hitching a ride into Erwin or Johnson City to meet up with his daughter, to go see a doctor about his knee. Since I was worried about my duct taped shoes, I was thinking about hitching into town, but didn't feel comfortable doing it by myself. Champagne convinced me to hitch alongside him and assured me we would make it to an outfitters. Within a few minutes of us sticking our thumbs out, on the interstate no less, we secured a ride. I nice guy named, Daniel, picked us up in a tiny Fiat and drove us to an outfitter called, Mahoney's, in Johnson City. Once we got to the outfitters I tried on a every size and style shoe I could. I felt pretty bad about not being able to clean up before going out in public. After 4 days without showering I was extremely ripe. A little girl actually told me I smelled bad. I was a little embarrassed, but there was nothing I could do about it. Champagne went out for Dunkin Donuts and was nice enough to share with me. I got to meet his daughter and then they had to leave. I was all alone in a strange town, with no idea how I would make it back to the trail which was 36 miles away. For some reason this didn't bother me at all. 

I had the shoes narrowed down to two different brands. As I was walking around in the store I met two ladies looking at an AT trail guide. I asked if they were thinking about hiking the trail and one lady responded that her sister was already hiking. I asked who her sister was, and lo and behold, she told me it was Kansas. If you remember, I met Kansas back at the NOC. Such a small world. After chatting a little while longer they agreed to give me a ride to Erwin, TN. What a huge help. Erwin is the next trail town I hit, and I knew if I could get there I could make it back to the trail. We had a pleasant chat in the car, and I am so blessed to have met such nice people. They dropped me off at a hiker hostel called, Johnny's. Once there I saw a lot of familiar faces, but was in a hurry to get back to Sam's gap so I didn't stay long.

In the end I had to pay a shuttle, $25 to take me back to the trailhead. I probably could have hitchhiked again, but like I said earlier, I refuse to hitch alone. 

I got back on trail at 1:30. An exciting start to the day for sure. "Excitement and adventure, a Jedi craves not." I tried to hustle to make up for lost time, but my new, pumped up kicks, had different ideas. I am hesitantly optimistic that they will work out, but not convinced. My feet and knees still hurt, but I think(hope) after a few days I'll be good. 

Solomon Speedcross 3

I ended up buying the Solomon's over a pair of Vasques, because Solomon has a no questions asked guarantee. I hope they stand by it because that was the deciding factor. I wanted to buy a pair of Solomon XA Pro's, but the outfitter was out of my size, I figured if these don't work I can trade to the XA model. I guess time will tell if this was a good decision. 

Because of the delay today and my zero in Hot Springs, most of my hiking friends are ahead of me. I hope to catch up to them soon. If I really push it I could make Erwin tomorrow, but I think I'll play it safe and do a mid-range day, followed by a Nero into Erwin on Friday. 

Today had one of the hardest climbs I've done so far. The climb was hard, but I think my mind was too focused on the excitement and adventure of the morning, instead of on hiking. I just couldn't get in the zone. The bright side was the spectacular view at the end of the climb. I love summitting bald mountains. You can see 360 degree views. I lingered on top for about 30 minutes, and I got to meet some new hikers. Macgyver, Piston, and Fiddler on the Hoof. Really nice guys that I've heard about, but never met. 

Big Bald Mountain

Little Bald Mountain to the left

Dinner time at the shelter

Fiddler on the Hoof played his fiddle while we all joked around. One of my best shelter experiences yet. 

Hopefully tomorrow has a little less excitement and adventure. I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep and hopefully happy feet and knees tomorrow. 

"I don't know what time it is.  I don't know what day it is or where I am. None of that matters." -Christopher McCandless

Day 27- Shoes From Hell

Stealth Campsite(301.9) to Hogback Ridge Shelter(316.0) 14.1

Before I tell you about today I need to backtrack to last night. After I finished writing my blog post I settled in to bed. I was almost asleep around 9:30, when I saw lights and heard engines approaching my campsite. This was disconcerting for two reasons. First, it was only the second time I've camped alone and secondly the AT is only for foot traffic. I'm very careful about where I choose to camp. I never camp close to roads because there have been reports of drunk locals hassling hikers. I was terrified thinking I was going to be molested. Three ATV's approached my campsite and I heard men talking and calling out. I answered by asking if I could help them. They said yes and then drove 25 yards past my hammock. They cut off their engines and I could hear them talking to each other, but they ignored me. I got out of my hammock and put my shoes on. I called out and asked if they knew they were driving on the Appalachian Trail. I got no response. I waited a few minutes to see what they were doing, but I couldn't tell. By now I was beyond freaked out, so I called out once again. I yelled, "you guys are freaking me out, what's going on?" They finally replied that they were with the local search and rescue team and were looking for an injured hiker. I was still weary, but not as concerned. I got back in my hammock and kept listening to them. About 10 minutes later the engines started back up. One of the ATV's drove past and the other 2 stopped by my hammock. A guy called out to me so I got up again. The first thing I saw was an ATV with Greenville Search and Rescue written on it. I was very glad to see that I wasn't going to be raped and murdered. He explained that a hiker had fallen and hit his head, but would be ok. They were sorry they scared the beejesus out of me. They also mentioned that this was one of the few parts of the trail they didn't need a helicopter to get to. I couldn't imagine how scared I would have been if a helicopter landed next to my campsite. 

As you can imagine I didn't sleep very well after that. I didn't break camp and get started until 9. Today was a pretty easy hike. I only had one big climb, but it was spread out over a few miles. I stopped and had second breakfast(coffee and a pop tart) at the first shelter I came to. I had knocked out 6 miles in just under 2 hours. I was in the zone. The rest of the day flew by until I had a major shoe malfunction. 

What started as a tiny hole quickly spread. 

Overall, I have liked my Brooks Cascadia 10's, but this is getting ridiculous. I should be getting 500-700 miles out of them, but this is the second pair to crap out on me in just over 300 miles. A few hours later the second shoe blew out too. I'll be in town in 2 days, but Erwin, Tennessee doesn't have an outfitter. I'm not really sure what to do. I don't want to take another zero day, but I obviously need a new pair of shoes. For now I have repaired them the only way I know how. 

Duct Tape fixes everything, right?

Hopefully this will allow me to get into town and figure it out. I used all of my duct tape so it had better work. 

Just after my first shoe ripped out I came down from a long decent onto a road. There was only one car parked there, but it had a great license plate. I couldn't resist taking a picture next to it.

Go Gators

As I began the long extended climb up a mountain I was greeted by, "Go Gators" the owners of the car were out for a day hike. The daughter went to school at UF. I didn't get the rest of their story because I was in the middle if a difficult uphill and couldn't really stop and chat, but it put a smile on my face to see a member of the Gator Nation out for a hike. 

After my long uphill climb I was greeted by another spectacular view. It really never gets old seeing the appalachian mountain range spread out before me. 

Earlier in the day I passed the Shelton Gravesites. They were about 25 yards off the trail on a blue blazed trail. I'm glad I took it, the gravestones looked really old, but are still maintained. I think I know the story behind them, but I'm sure Aunt Liz will correct me if I'm wrong. Two civil war era brothers from the north were visiting family in the south, they were caught by some confederate soldiers and hung. Descendants of the brothers still maintain the gravesite. 

Not sure about this gravestone

I know I've mentioned the stark contrast in greenery between different elevation levels, but I finally got a picture to help explain what I mean. 

2,200 feet 

4,300 feet

Since my shoes crapped out on me I stopped short today. I was hoping to do 18-20 miles today, but I only did 14. I ran out of duct tape to fix my shoes so I stopped in at a shelter to see if anyone had some extra tape. Bernard, a thru-hiker I've recently been flip flopping with came to the rescue. 

Bernard

I gave him the rest of my water in exchange for the duct tape. The water source at the shelter was .4 mile straight downhill. By the time I had filtered water and gotten back to the shelter it was almost 5, so I decided to call it a day. This shelter is pretty full. There are probably 12 other hikers here. A few people I know, and a lot of new faces. Four of the guys are knocking out 20-26 mile days, the kicker is three of them are in their 60's. Wow, that impresses me. 

It's supposed to rain overnight and on and off during the day. Hopefully that won't be accurate, but I guess after 3 days of pretty spectacular weather I'm do for some rain. 

“You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – Winnie the Pooh

Day 26- 300 Miles In

Spring Mountain Shelter (285.4) to Stealth Campsite(301.9) 16.5

What a fantastic day. The sun was shining and it was around 55 degrees out, ideal hiking weather. I only had one steep climb and it was in the early afternoon. I was up early and out of camp by 8:30. I hiked for about 5 miles and hit a major road. There was a tiny convenience store right down the street. I'm pretty sure it was an unlicensed store. The owner was inside a double wide trailer and smoking a cigarette when I walked in. There was an old fashioned reach in cooler with soda and water. The only other thing they sold was candy bars, Little Debbie snack cakes, microwaveable sandwiches, and coffee. In other words, a hikers dream. I got a mountain dew( first one I've had in years) and a nutty bar. I was back on the trail within minutes. 

Mom's Convenience Store

I crossed back into Tennessee. I've lost count of how many times I've been back and forth between NC and TN. 

After a tough day yesterday, both emotionally and physically, I was back in the zone today. I was averaging 3 mph most of the day. I have to stop every hour to eat though, so that slows me down a little. I stopped and ate lunch around 12. There was a shelter right on the trail. I love it when that happens. Sometimes they are .2-.3 miles off trail. Eating at a shelter provides a picnic style table to sit down at. This one also offered a place to filter water. I started eating more of a proper lunch instead of relying on just snickers, cliff bars, and builder bars. I packed in tortilla shells, peanut butter, cheese, and salami. I had one tortilla with the cheese and salami and another tortilla with peanut butter and a nutty bar. It was amazing!!!! 

Fat Girl Heaven

After eating so many calories I was fueled up for my big climb of the day, over 1,100 feet of elevation in just over a mile. I was definitely huffing and puffing after that. 

I thought the rest if the day looked pretty easy. The elevation chart didn't show anything outrageous, but it also doesn't show me what the terrain looks like. I came to a fork in the trail labeled bad weather bypass left, exposed ridgeline trail right. Since it was a beautiful day, I knew I couldn't take the weather bypass, that would be blue-blazing. Plus, exposed ridgeline sounded like fun. What this failed to convey to me, was that I would be rock climbing, but the views made it well worthwhile. 

Panoramic Views from Big Firescald Knob

Rock Climbing

Shortly after rock climbing down from Big Firescald Knob, I hit another milestone, I've hiked 300 miles!!!! 

300 Mile Marker

Only 1,889.2 to go

I hardly saw any thru-hikers today. I passed HVAC and Lorax early this morning. I was hoping they would catch up to me when I stopped for lunch, but I didn't see them again. I did however run into the "fool" from last night. He wanted to continue our conversation about yellow blazing, but I quickly changed the topic by asking about the water source nearby. After some small talk he hiked on and I never saw him again. I reached my planned campsite around 4:30 and found it full of section hikers. They were nice guys from a Christianity program. While we were chatting they told me there would be 12 of them camped there and they were pretty loud. I decided to hike a few more miles and I'm glad I did. I found a perfect camp spot on top of a bald. There was a fantastic spot for my hammock. I cooked dinner and watched the sun set on a pretty perfect day. 

I haven't seen many sunsets since it usually rains at night

I'm hoping for another great day tomorrow and the weather forcast shows more sunshine with little chance of rain. 

"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure." -Christopher McCandless

Day 25- Never Argue With A Fool

Hot Springs, NC(274.4) to Spring Mountain Shelter(285.4) 11

The day after a town day is really difficult, but today was extremely difficult. I had such a great time with Annie(Cheeto) and JC(Pig Pen) yesterday that starting today was hard emotionally. Hot Springs was such a great town and having friends around made me seriously considering taking a double zero. Plus the weather today was pretty iffy. It was overcast and sprinkled on and off all day. I also have to carry 5.5 days worth of food, so my pack felt extremely heavy. I took my time leaving Hot Springs and didn't hit the trail until 11. I had planned on doing 12-13 miles, but after my first mile I knew that wasn't going to happen. Some how I managed to miss a switchback and got off trail. To make it even worse I found an old trail that I followed for 30 minutes. To make things much worse, the old trail was nearly vertical on eroding soil. I climbed as high as I could, losing footing and almost skidding off the mountain. I knew something wasn't right, but couldn't make myself turn around, fearing I would have to make the climb again. Finally, I decided to go back down, but it was really sketchy and I worried about taking a serious fall. In the end, I sat down and slid on my butt using my hiking poles as a break. It was not my finest trail moment. I was filthy dirty and had only been on the trail for an hour. As I doubled back, I immediately saw where I got off trail. All I could do was shake my head and press on. 

Doesn't do justice to how vertical the climb was

As I followed the proper trail I had great views of Hot Springs and the surrounding area. 

Ominous Clouds in Background

The next few hours went by pretty quickly, since the trail was pretty easy after the first climb. I didn't see too many hikers around for most of the day. I'm guessing because everyone else started earlier than me and I was also walking pretty slow. I'm definitely going to need new shoes. My left foot started hurting almost right away today. I'm pretty sure I need a shoe with a wider foot box. Hopefully I can get it sorted out next time I'm in town. 

I came across more random tombstones today. These were only 1 foot off the trail and about 100 yards apart on opposite sides of the trail. I'm not sure what their stories were, but I'm intrigued by them. 

I also walked past an old tobacco farming area. It had an old box spring(kind of like a dam) built by the CCC. I ate lunch next to it, 

The only other interesting part of the day was this old sign I walked past. Notice how the tree has grown around the top. 

Once I arrived at the shelter I was immediately greeted by HVAC and Lorax. I was thrilled to be able to spend another night camped next to them. The shelter also had a few new faces, Gadget Boy, Doctor Greenthumb, and some guy I immediately disliked. We got into an argument about people yellow blazing(using a car to skip sections of the trail). I'm pretty against this because I feel like it takes away from what thru-hikers accomplish. We walk 2,189.2 miles to finish and they miss sections by driving. I'm all for hiking your own hike, but yellow blazing isn't hiking. I remembered a quote from Mark Twain that my dad says a lot, " Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." I quickly stopped talking with him and went to bed. It's not smart to alienate strangers out here, and continuing the conversation served no purpose. Everybody is allowed an opinion, I just don't have to listen to it. Once again, there is that personal growth moment for me. Usually, I would have continued the conversation and then stewed about it all night. 

I hope to push out more miles tomorrow. The weather looks like it's going to be nice for 2 whole days. The low tonight is supposed to be 32 degrees, but I'm sticking with my hammock. I might get cold, but at least I'll be comfortable in my hammock versus the hard shelter surface. 

Cheeto, Yoda, and Pig Pen

"Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day." -Thornton Wilder

Day 24- Zero Day in Hot Springs

Hot Springs(274.4) 0

It was a great day today. The weather forcast called for severe weather, but it was a beautiful sunny day after 9 am. I hung my hammock on the property at Laughing Heart Hostel. By the time I got my laundry done it was after 7, so I hung around the hostel chatting with other thru-hikers. I got to meet, Jester, a triple crown hiker that also shoots documentaries for long distance hiking. A triple crown means he has hiked the AT, the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail), and the CDT(Continental Divide Trail). In the hiking world that is a big deal. It was fascinating talking with him. We stayed up until after 11, talking out about gear, resupply, and hiking in general. 

It rained over night, but nothing severe. I was up at 6:30, I'm finally starting to get onto a hikers sleep schedule. JC and Annie, got into town around 8:00 and it was great to see them. We went to the local diner and I ate a ginormous breakfast. Then they came along for my resupply trip. Hot Springs had great options for my next 6 day leg. Once again, I'll be heading out of town with more food than I want to carry, but a girls got to eat. We walked around town for a little while(it's only 1 mile long), then headed back to the hostel. JC got to talk to some of the other hikers. He will be hiking the AT in a few weeks, so he enjoyed talking with them. I'm sure it was a surreal experience for Annie seeing so many hikers gathered in one place. Most of the people I've seen in recent weeks were in town. We caught up with Harry Potter, Putt-Putt, Tumbles, Packingitout guys, Starcrunch, Doubleback, Hoot, G-Man, Jokes. I even saw HVAC and Lorax again. I got my resupply sorted and my bag repacked and then we had to find a place for us to stay. The Laughing Heart Hostel only serves long distance hikers. We ended up renting an awesome 2 bedroom cabin for dirt cheap. It is right along a creek and tavern. We hit the convenience store and grabbed some beers and hung out by the creek. Eventually Cyborg and Stealth Bomber(the couple that gave me my trail name) showed up. We talked with them for a little while, then went to dinner. The local tavern had a great menu and beer selection. I had a huge burger with chili on it, a salad, and fries. Delicious!!! We went back to the cabin and got a fire started in the fire pit. We had s'mores and talked some more with Stealth Bomber and Cyborg. 

It's way past hiker midnight and tomorrow promises to be a long day. I have a long food carry and I've learned that coming out of town means a long steep climb. 

It was amazing to see such great friends and laugh all day. They also got a first hand look at the hiker life. I hope they enjoyed their trip as much as I did they. They will head out tomorrow to provide trail magic to hikers by Max Patch. Then they will hike up and enjoy my favorite spot from the trail to date. I will head north to Erwin, TN. I should be there in 5-6 days and hoping for better weather. Of course more rain is in the forcast, but hopefully it won't materialize. 

Jester

Dinner

"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor — such is my idea of happiness." -Leo Tolstoy, Family Happiness

Day 24- Zero Day in Hot Springs

Hot Springs(274.4) 0

It was a great day today. The weather forcast called for severe weather, but it was a beautiful sunny day after 9 am. I hung my hammock on the property at Laughing Heart Hostel. By the time I got my laundry done it was after 7, so I hung around the hostel chatting with other thru-hikers. I got to meet, Jester, a triple crown hiker that also shoots documentaries for long distance hiking. A triple crown means he has hiked the AT, the PCT(Pacific Crest Trail), and the CDT(Continental Divide Trail). In the hiking world that is a big deal. It was fascinating talking with him. We stayed up until after 11, talking out about gear, resupply, and hiking in general. 

It rained over night, but nothing severe. I was up at 6:30, I'm finally starting to get onto a hikers sleep schedule. JC and Annie, got into town around 8:00 and it was great to see them. We went to the local diner and I ate a ginormous breakfast. Then they came along for my resupply trip. Hot Springs had great options for my next 6 day leg. Once again, I'll be heading out of town with more food than I want to carry, but a girls got to eat. We walked around town for a little while(it's only 1 mile long), then headed back to the hostel. JC got to talk to some of the other hikers. He will be hiking the AT in a few weeks, so he enjoyed talking with them. I'm sure it was a surreal experience for Annie seeing so many hikers gathered in one place. Most of the people I've seen in recent weeks were in town. We caught up with Harry Potter, Putt-Putt, Tumbles, Packingitout guys, Starcrunch, Doubleback, Hoot, G-Man, Jokes. I even saw HVAC and Lorax again. I got my resupply sorted and my bag repacked and then we had to find a place for us to stay. The Laughing Heart Hostel only serves long distance hikers. We ended up renting an awesome 2 bedroom cabin for dirt cheap. It is right along a creek and tavern. We hit the convenience store and grabbed some beers and hung out by the creek. Eventually Cyborg and Stealth Bomber(the couple that gave me my trail name) showed up. We talked with them for a little while, then went to dinner. The local tavern had a great menu and beer selection. I had a huge burger with chili on it, a salad, and fries. Delicious!!! We went back to the cabin and got a fire started in the fire pit. We had s'mores and talked some more with Stealth Bomber and Cyborg. 

It's way past hiker midnight and tomorrow promises to be a long day. I have a long food carry and I've learned that coming out of town means a long steep climb. 

It was amazing to see such great friends and laugh all day. They also got a first hand look at the hiker life. I hope they enjoyed their trip as much as I did they. They will head out tomorrow to provide trail magic to hikers by Max Patch. Then they will hike up and enjoy my favorite spot from the trail to date. I will head north to Erwin, TN. I should be there in 5-6 days and hoping for better weather. Of course more rain is in the forcast, but hopefully it won't materialize. 

"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor — such is my idea of happiness." -Leo Tolstoy, Family Happiness

Day 23- Journey Into Hot Springs

Walnut Mountain Shelter(261.3) to Hot Springs, NC(274.4) 13.1 

My Gasparilla Half Marathon time was 2:15, I did a half today in 4:35. Not quite

the same with 25 lbs on my back. I've never been so happy to get to town. I've been pushing really long miles lately and definitely needed a break. Today's hike was pretty uneventful. I mostly went downhill. I've been having a lot of pain in my toes lately, mostly in my big toe knuckle. Apparently after 250 miles your feet swell and become wider. I'll probably end up buying new shoes soon. The replacement shoes REI sent me are already tearing again. 

I got started really early this morning, I left the shelter at 7:30, after a pretty crappy nights sleep. I think I'm done sleeping in shelters. It's just too uncomfortable sleeping on the hard wood surface. It was pretty cold when I got started, Doc said it was around 28 degrees. 

I didn't take very many pictures today, I was too focused on my goal of beer and a burger. 

I did stop to check out these random tombstones about 10 steps off the trail. I'm not sure of the story on how they got there, but it must mean that at one point civilization was closer to the trail.

Tombstones off the trail

I also came across a mile marker for the end of the trail, Katahdin. I stopped to take a quick picture. 

As I came down into Hot Springs I planned on going right into town, but as I was looking at a sign on the trailhead the caretaker of the local hostel offered me a beer. I decided to accept and stay. I got a place to hang my hammock, a shower, and laundry for $15. Score!!!! If you're ever hiking the AT, I highly recommend the Laughing Heart Hostel. This place is great. The best part is meeting up with so many of the hikers I've been flip flopping with. I've also met a bunch of new people. I met a hiker named, Jokes. It turns out that his mom is following my blog. Hi, Kathy, thanks for following my blog. I'm hoping that HVAC and Lorax catch up to me here. Tomorrow I'm planning on hitting up the Hot Springs spa. They even let you bring in beer while you soak. 

I'm not sure what I'm doing for dinner, I'm still pretty full after my huge burger and fries at the local diner. I got a chance to weigh myself at the outfitter here in town. I can't believe I've lost 14 lbs in 3 weeks. I need to do a better job managing my calories. 

I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing zero tomorrow. My best friend, JC and his cousin Anne, are driving up here to do trail magic tomorrow. I can't wait to see them. JC will be starting his thru-hike soon and I'm excited to answer all of his questions. 

The Mountain I hiked down to get into town

"Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt"- John Muir