Today was all about hiking. We got out of bed (hammock) at 2:00 am… OK, more like 2:30, but we got an early start. Night hiking is more fun with other people because you are generally less paranoid about bears or your headlamp batteries dying.

None of that happened of course. Instead, we were able to enjoy the quiet of the early morning, followed by a beautiful sunrise as we traversed open pastures.

The day became warm fast, which was our main motivation for starting so early. I began hiking with y down jacket and started to sweat after about five steps, so I was hiking with a tshirt since I started. Not only did it heat up, but the water sources have been steadily farther apart and more difficult to reach. Sometimes, I go get some water, only to sweat that much out in the process of getting it. I stopped to break at a shelter and rested in the shade with Safety and Shakes. The next water source wasn’t for 8.5 miles, so I drank 2 liters and filled up one to go. Soon after, I was peeing clear, which was a good sign, so I set off. My tired feet protested, but they coped pretty well. I hiked with Safety most of the way down. Soon after that water source, we went downhill into town. We were immediately encountered by locals, who told us some cool places in town. My suspicion was confirmed: this is a weird trail town, and it will probably be pretty fun.

Oh yeah! Passed into Virginia! The trail goes back and forth between Tennessee and North Carolina quite a bit, but now it’s three states complete! The next state will take a while.

Hiking this morning felt pretty good, but I have had other things on my mind recently. Some of the hikers I have been talking to have told me of their August deadlines, to finish the trail in time for school to start. This made me think that perhaps I should go a bit faster, but also – what will I do after the trail?

In theory, living on the trail for the remainder of my life sounds best, but some other options have some appeal too. I do have some more time to think it over, but I was able to think about it more clearly than I ever have. Distance gives perspective.

After a few miles, I came across Tatiana and her father by a lake! They have me a real chocolate chip cookie, and after the pie yesterday, I feel back at home, with all the delicious baked goods. Of course, the pie recipe had to be modified a bit, with mostly peanut butter instead of butter in the crust, and the crumble topping was mostly Cocoa Puffs, but the end result was delicious.

As they hiked on, I decided to go for a swim. I hadn’t seen a lake in some time, and I thought it might make me feel at home back in Michigan. It did, as my legs turned numb as I waded out into the water. Woo! Vey cold, but I managed to knock out a shower and some laundry at the same time.

The rest of the day was hiking in the sun, one of the warmest days so far, and with the fewest solid water sources. Some people were pretty dehydrated, so I was forcing down a few extra liters. We were all pretty best when we arrived at the campsite for tonight. Sitting around the fire and horsing around helped boost morale. I’m here with Toto, Shakes(peare), Safety, and Young Gun. The big joke is “how flat” the trail has been recently. Supposedly, this stretch is the flattest on the AT, but you would never know if you didn’t overanalyze the elevation synopsis. I was either hiking uphill or downhill all day today, except when I wasn’t hiking. There was a hike off the trail to a water source that was half of a mile and a steeper incline than the trail. Ah well.

But we are close to Virginia! The town of Damascus is 29 miles away, and our plan (devised around the campfire) is to wake up at 2am and hike the 29 miles before noon, to avoid the 80 degree afternoon weather. Whether or not that happens, time will tell. And not much of it, so I must sleep.

We made pie last night! From scratch of course, but we had to improvise a little.

Today was a lazy day. It was raining, so I chose to avoid hiking in the rain, when it is supposed to be so nice for the next couple of days.

The hostel that I am currently at is really special, a legendary place on the AT.

The fee here is only a $5 donation, and so much is offered for that money. The people are really cool, and I am enjoying relaxing here. With so many people talking about cranking out miles, it is nice to take it easy for a little while.

I don’t want to get complacent though, so I plan to head out onto the trail tonight and get a few miles in. That way, I will already be in hiking mode tomorrow morning, but the time reading and such here has been nice.

Here’s the quote of the day:
The Rock was looking at a Backpacking magazine at the hostel. He says, “$400 for a sleeping bag. Does it sleep for you?”

Today, I mostly took it easy. As my earlier poem suggests, I drank tea and listened to the woods. I talked with various hikers as they passed by, set up my hammock, and read some. This lasted until the late afternoon, where I decided to start hiking.

There was talk of rain, and conveniently enough, there was a hostel 6 miles ahead. I hiked those miles very quickly and arrived in time to enjoy the company of other hikers.

One of note is Shakes – short for Shakespeare – who I had heard of, another hiker who was writing poems in the logbooks. He inspired me to write a sonnet today.

Though I wish I was sleeping in the woods tonight, I will be glad to be here in the morning, listening to rock music on the radio.

Just sitting in the morning woods,
I listen through my ear,
Amazing what all can be heard
Without some humans near:

The rustle of the leaves,
Discussion of the birds,
The steaming of my tea
And stunning lack of words –

Perhaps this way is better;
Perhaps this way is worse;
I don’t intend to answer
In this final verse.

Today was an odd day. I didn’t see many other hikers. Now, I know many hikers don’t hike the whole trail, but I knew of at least five hikers who were close ahead, who will likely make it the whole way, yet I did not see them, not see their entries in the logbooks at the shelters.

It’s possible I passed them, especially if they decided to go into town. I doubt they all did though. Even so, I did not see many hikers today – less than ten total. The only one I hiked with, Peaches, was a really cool guy. As we hiked, he revealed to me his plan of finishing the trail in 100 days in time to return to school. That figures, another cool hiker shooting for 100 days. Just like Indiana, I will probably never see him again – unless it is on another trail.

I was surprised to see a bench along the trail in the middle of the woods, but sitting in it helped me understand why it was there.

Damascus is coming up soon, a big trail town. After nearly twenty miles today, I have less than sixty to get there. My spirit and my feet are currently debating how many days it will be. I am in no hurry, and tomorrow might be a good day for making tea. When I wake tomorrow, I’ll see how I feel.

For the first time, I am sleeping by myself in a shelter (Peaches was doing another ten miles), unless you count the mice. I hope they don’t keep me awake.

It is difficult to express the wonder of hiking. Every day is just about the same, yet it never gets bought or feels repetitive. Perhaps it is meeting new people each day, or the thrill of not planing exactly how far I will hike.

Today, I got an early start, which are my favorite starts. A former thru-hiker I met told me he used to aim for 10 miles by 10:00, 20 miles by 2:00, and then finish out the day with a few more. I really like this idea. Though it is pretty extreme for my body to do every day at this point, I thought I would try it today. For the most part, I was right on schedule. The forecast called for rain all day, but it only came down a little, right before I got to Elk Park. I tried to speed up to avoid the worst of the rain, which is a pretty bad idea. The result was my first major fall. Slipping on a wet root, I wet down. No injuries, but a good deal of mud stayed on my hands and knees.

After 23 miles, I got to the road just before 3:00 p.m. The post office closed at 4:00, and since nobody wanted to give me a ride, I set a brisk pace toward town, another 2.5 miles.

I made it in time, and was pleased to receive some Easter candy from home! With the rain still threatening, I wondered what to do. I ended up finding J’s Market, run by an extremely friendly man (J?). He was very helpful and let me stay under the roofed picnic table to cook dinner and charge my phone and charger. What was dinner? I bought it at J’s: Chili, Duncan family style.

Though not as good as a home cooked meal, it was pretty good… and over 2000 calories.

Now, I am back to the trail (might wait out the rain just in case). I will probably set up camp as soon as I step on the trail, as I’m exhausted. Today was awesome though. Despite the overcast day, there were still beautiful sights.

Not a record day, but I did get 20 miles done, which was good, considering my late start. I slept for about 15 hours last night. I guess my body wanted some more rest.

The weather was awesome today, but the word is thunderstorms for tomorrow. We shall see. I might be able to outwalk them. I also might be able to get into town during the rain, but hiking in a storm might be fun.

Tomorrow brings me back above 6000 feet, so I am expecting wind and good views. Goodnight.

What an absolutely gorgeous day it is today. It’s warm, sunny, and it is the perfect day for both hiking and leisurely enjoying the company of hikers, and a holiday too! People are celebrating the holiday in all sorts of ways out here.

However, what I am struck by most on this day is the simple joy of being where I am and doing what I am doing. A year ago, most hikers never would have anticipated their lying on the grass in the sun in a small town in Tennessee. They probably did not expect that they would have fewer deadlines and fewer bills and less stress, nor that they would have perfect views of mountains every day.

Alright, so I’m bragging a bit, but I am the happiest I have ever been. Whenever a local asks me about hiking, I feel a rush of excitement, reminding me of my awesome adventure. Standing on a mountaintop, I realize the magnitude of my journey.

While in town this weekend, I watched a movie called “In Time.” Yes, it was the cheesy action movie with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. It was based in a futuristic world where the currency is time. JT had to spend his time to buy coffee and bus rides, but his poverty made decisions difficult. If you ran out of time, you died. Amanda was rich with time but envied JT, who always lived for the moment and spent his time assertively. It inevitably turned into a love story with a lot of action, but the message was clear: do not take time for granted.

Even though it was a fictional world, the premise is true. When you run out of time, you die. Being on the trail is where I want to be above all other places, and it made me realize that is how I should always live my life. If I am not living with a specific purpose – currently self-fulfillment and happiness – then I am wasting the sacred time that I have left. People keep telling me that I will always remember this trip. While I very much agree, I don’t plan to go back to a boring life after. I plan to begin my next adventure, to spend my time in a new, exciting way.

I am literally living my dream right now. There is nowhere I would rather be, and I cannot recommend this way of living enough. I don’t just mean just hiking the trail. I mean spending time in the best way possible, experiencing freedom and true joy. If you want to do something with your life, do it. Before you run out of time.