The first day of June! It’s hard to believe that the season is moving so quickly, yet when I think about how long I have been on the trail, it feels like a year has passed.

Today started even slower, as I was still hanging around camp after noon. The trail sent me a sign that it was too much sitting around: while lounging in my hammock, a bird from above relieved itself, and I got bird poop on my face.

There are a lot of things I love about life in the woods, but that is not one of them. However, it did motivate me to get up. And I had packed and left by 1:00. Despite my very lazy start, I managed to catch up with the others at a shelter about 16 miles north.

The hiking has been pretty, but this section of the trail frequently crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are often signs at the crossings, boasting of the crossings and explaining the mountains.

It I a double-edged sword. It is cool that people can experience the trail, ad the signs can be informative, but it also takes away from the wilderness, with frequent motorcycle noises blaring nearby.

I’m secretly hoping that it will occur far less tomorrow.