Today, we had decided to slack pack. This means that we would hike the trail like normal, only with a light pack, and meet up with our backpacks at the end of the day. Four Pines Hostel was right off of the trail, so all we had to do was get a shuttle back 26 trail miles and hike from there to the hostel again, where our packs waited patiently.

Rather than using my pack with little in it, or borrowing a day pack, I simply used my trek pouches. There was just enough room for my water bottle, water filter, and snacks. I kept my phone in my pocket. Though I did not end up hiking much faster than normal, it was nice to enjoy the views and woods without the weight of my pack, more so because some of the terrain was very steep and rocky.

It was a fairly long hike, but this stretch had quite a bit to see, like a veteran memorial, which was appropriate for today.

After a while, we reached a river, where someone had placed a plastic chair in the middle. It was unbelievably pleasant to simply sit in the chair and soak my feet in the water after a hot day of hiking. I felt like a country song.

By the end, we were hiking in the dark – only about a half-mile of hiking, but it was a challenge without a headlamp. I took it slow, straining to see the outline of the trail.

It felt great to return to the hostel. People welcomed us back, and we shared food and good company. And of course: sleep.

Sometimes, hikers can be overly ambitious. I’m not just talking about me, though I am definitely included.

We woke up Saturday morning, after having seen a few meteors. It turned into a melancholy morning, as another close hiker left the trail. Willy Wonka got a ride from the Captain into reality. It was sad to see her go, but I know I will see her again one day, and it helped strengthen our resolve. I am definitely going to Maine.

We got a late start hiking but started looking ahead in the guidebook. There was a buffet-style restaurant called The Home Place, which looked incredible, but it was only open Thursday-Sunday. Also, it was fifty miles away. Alright, we decided, fifty miles in twenty-four hours to get to the restaurant with just enough time to eat.

What actually ended up happening was this: we hiked about thirty miles by 1:00 am. We were all pretty tired, sitting in a road crossing, mindlessly eating food and considering making more coffee. Teabag, who was the only one in the group who had done fifty consecutive miles, started talking about how it wasn’t really worth it. We were all very tired, so we decided to sleep. I put down my tarp, and for the second time, slept in the middle of the trail.

The following morning, we calculated and realized that we didn’t have enough time to hike to the restaurant. So we decided to hitch. We got a ride surprisingly quickly, by a really cool sustainable farmer. He told us he would drive us straight to the Home Place, as long as we stopped at his farm, so he could feed his chickens. “We’ll help you feed your chickens,” we told him, which we did. Talking with him about his farm was awesome. He was starting the type of farm that I have always wanted to be a part of.

Aside from being the best hitch so far, we also got to the Home Place with plenty of time to eat. The restaurant was a hiker’s dream, like a Thanksgiving dinner. You sit at a table, and the servers refill dishes as needed: roast beef, ham, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, pinto beans, green beans, corn, cole slaw, lemonade, tea, and biscuits! I ate a lot of biscuits. When we could nearly literally not eat anything else, we were brought cobbler and ice cream with coffee.

It was like a dream. Afterward, we did the only thing we could think to do, which was to lie down on the lawn for a couple of hours. A few hikers we had not seen in a bit were also there, and also reclining on the lawn: reading, sleeping, or digesting.

We were also lucky enough to get a ride back to Four Pines Hostel, one of the coolest hostels I have been to. We are sleeping here for the night, after an incredibly rewarding zero day. An evening filled with Rummy and relaxation is just what I needed.

Teabag and I set out of Pearisburg early. We lacked any real plan for the day, but something in the Appalachian Trail guidebook caught our eye: “use the zip line to cross the stream,” referring to a place called The Captain’s.

It turned out to be an awesome decision. We have been doing less of a daily mileage average than we thought, but it turns out that it is going very smoothly.

The Captain was a pretty cool dude and just allows hikers to camp in his yard for free, even providing free soda. When we arrived, we saw some hikers we hadn’t in a while. They said there is supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. Looking forward to it!

Woods Hole hostel was truly a wonderful place to stay. I am so glad that I did, a charming farm with much to offer.

After an amazing homemade lasagna dinner with freshly made bread and Amish-derived ice cream, I was quite content. However, I enjoyed the meditation hosted by Neville. We meditated for an hour, which was thoroughly enjoyed.

Among the wonderful staff members was one Stone Bear, who gave me my trail name! It was so great to see him and catch up. He is working there until June, when he will start hiking south from Maine. I hope to see him again up north, as he is a big part of my trail experience.

We did morning yoga led by my friend Denali. It was awesome to do yoga after so long, focusing on my body and breath. After yoga, I hiked out, set for Pearisburg. I took care of some town errands and am going to hike out of town either tonight or early tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to some solid days of hiking in the near future with good company.

I am impressed by the diverse bodies of water. We have seen streams, rivers, creaks, waterfalls, ponds, and more in the past few days. It’s great to be surrounded by so much water, especially when everything is warming up.

With water, often comes critters. Can you spot one in this picture?

After starting our hike before 5:00 am today, I was able to hike 13 miles by noon. My plan was to go farther, but I found myself at the legendary Woods Hole Hostel. Right when I was ready to pack up, someone offered to pay for my dinner. After all I had heard about the meals here, I had to stay. Thank you Chicken Feathers!!

The people here are very kind, and I look forward to my stay here, especially as some hiker friends catch up to join me.

Today was a good day of hiking. It’s always fun to hike when it’s more than just the traditional walk in the forest. In fact, I was reminded of the North Country Trail, where the trail is more diverse than simply a walk in the woods. Today, we walked near highways, country roads, and even made it to a convenience store near the trail.

It was a cute little store, with all the usual amenities, and then some. Not only did this store offer snacks in the restroom, there was also the option to camp with a shower and laundry service available. I decided I still smelled pretty good, so I decided to push on. I hiked today with Teabag, and with a new Hiker I met, Wild Turkey, and her dog, Cormac. Yes, he was named after Cormac McCarthy.

Stopping at the convenience store was an entertaining and enjoyable break from hiking, where I purchased a banana, a tomato, and a pint of ice cream.

Teabag and I headed back into the woods for another few miles, where we met up with some friends who were camped near a peaceful waterfall. The area was called “Dismal Falls,” which I think is a bit unfair, seeing as how nice they were. I soaked my feet and am headed to hammock early for an early start tomorrow.

I have been enjoying a new piece of gear the past few nights: ENO Christmas lights! I hang them on my hammock, and they provide enough light for reading. I will read some before snoozing tonight.

It’s good to be back on the trail. I did anticipate a slow start, having been off the trail for a while, so I am still only a few miles North of Bland, VA. Nonetheless, it’s good to be back.

I’ve been hiking with Teabag. We seem to have similar paces and senses of humor, so it had worked out pretty well so far. The official hiking group is about 25 hikers or so, and is spread out over quite a stretch of the trail presently, though I expect to see them all relatively soon. I think we will be in groups, leapfrogging each other for a while. It is more practical than hiking in such a large group, but we will see what happens.

Today was not the greatest hiking, as a lot if it was fairly close to the highway. I was also shocked to see so many hikers. I presumed they would all have gone back for Trail Days, but I guess some didn’t. And a lot who didn’t are what we call the “serious hikers,” those who are a bit too preoccupied with daydreams of Katahdin. It wasn’t as bad as we feared though: the other hikers were relaxed enough, and there was certainly plenty of beauty amid the urban stretches of hiking.

The rhododendrons are finally blooming! It was beautiful to see, and I look forward to hiking further into the woods tomorrow to find more beauty.

During Trail Days, I added a few pack pounds, one of which was a book by Emerson. I plan to read some tonight and get a good night’s sleep in my hammock.

Well, the last week has been a break from hiking. While it may seem like I was leaving the Appalachian Trail behind, I felt the presence of the trail this week more than ever.

The first few days were gradual, but soon the parks were crowded with vendors and people. There were loads of people who live nearby, previous theuhikers, current thruhikers, and people interested in the AT. I was most interested in the current thruhikers, some of which I had not seen in what seems like a very long time: Truck, Tatanka, Sits-In-Chair, and so many others. It was amazing to catch up with them and learn of the whereabouts. Truck, for instance, accepted a position managing a hostel, so he will be heading there soon and hiking the trail next year. So much change is occurring! Safety, my recent hiking buddy, is leaving the trail for some other adventures. It is sad to see some people leave, especially people that I enjoyed so much. But the hike goes on.

Most of my time was spent catching up with hikers and enjoying the various joys of Trail Days. There was a parade, a hiker prom, a handful of free meals, and Tent City, the main camping area that was very festival-esque. My time there was divided between the drum circle bonfire and the more relaxed campfire by the river.

Time went by fairly quickly, but there was time to ponder over the differences of town life. I realized how much I missed the woods. I had even been thinking about leaving the Appalachian Trail. I know now that I can’t. In talking to various people about it, I realized the resistance I was feeling is part of hiking, part of any difficult and important event in life. I will fight that resistance and complete the trail.

The Rock, Teabag, and I hitched back to Bland in only one ride. Some section hikers were headed that way, Cruiser and Mofo. It was a contrast to our last hitching experience, but it was certainly convenient. Moreover, it was exciting. They are two of my favorite hikers, and it was a great feeling knowing that we were all headed back to the trail.

I am looking forward to beginning hiking again. Hopefully, my legs won’t be too weak after my recess from hiking. It seemed quite a few hikers had left off near Bland, so I am excited to see who we run into.

Today was definitely one of the most memorable days on the trail. We all woke up in Bland, a tiny town in Virginia, at a humble hotel room. We took advantage of having the shower and the sink for washing bodies, dishes, clothes. We restocked on toilet paper and checked the hiker box for leftover food and supplies. We blared the television because we could.

A local church was having a free hiker breakfast, and after a phone call, a very kind lady came to pick us up. She drove us to many more kind people, who showered us with eggs, sausages, biscuits, pancakes, homemade jam and maple syrup, orange juice, chocolate milk, applesauce. On top of that, they gave us snacks and homemade cookies to go.

Wow! It was such a wonderful thing, for them to treat us so well, simply because we are hikers. A lot of other hikers that I had been hiking with arrived, so it was a giant party. I had been considering Trail Days, the hiker festival, and whether to attend or not. I knew then that I was supposed to go. Almost all of my favorite hikers were going, and it is part of the experience. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is more than just literally hiking the Appalachian Trail. I understand that now.

Hitchhiking is definitely a part of that experience. Now, I have hitched a few times before, both on and off the trail. But that was usually a two-minute ride down the road. This was a 70-mile trip that involved multiple highways. Getting out of Bland was the hardest part, as few people seemed to know (or else care) about Trail Days or the AT. We even had a lady think we were simply homeless and who gave us some granola bars. Luckily, the same kind lady who gave us a ride that morning picked us up on her way to the eye doctor. Small town. It may not seem like much, but it gave us momentum. And later, sitting in the bed of a truck, smiling in the sun and the wind, I knew it was precisely where I was supposed to be. After pleading, dancing, and ten rides later, we found ourselves in Damascus, VA. Not too bad at all.

The festivities for Trail Days are starting slowly, but people are arriving, and we will enjoy the time, living joyfully and frugally for the week. It was definitely a great experience today.

Recently, I have been hiking with a larger group, with ten or so usually. Some people think that is too large of a group, but honestly I am having more fun with them than I have so far on the trail.

There is a big festival called Trail Days in Damascus, VA next weekend. Yes, I already hiked past Damascus, but a lot of hikers are planning to be there, so I may hitchhike back to enjoy the festivities. It is something I am considering this weekend. I also plan to consider a few other things. Hiking the trail was not what I expected. It doesn’t end up being what most hikers expect, but it is difficult both emotionally and financially. As of right now, I do plan to finish my thruhike, but it has been something that we hikers have been discussing. Is it worth it to hike 2200 miles when we have more fun just camping? Or do we only have as much fun because we are thruhiking together?

Not that I expected it to be easy! But I did think the hiking would be my favorite part, and things turned out differently.

However, I would feel incomplete going home anytime soon. The hike yesterday was great, though water was less readily available. We hung out in the shelter, told riddles, stories, read aloud. A hiker came in late at night who was hiking nearly 30 miles every day. He was not having fun. In fact, he admitted that the ten minutes of talking to us was the highlight of his trip. Maybe we are that awesome, or maybe he was simply focused on Maine too much. It was interesting that it happened right when I had been having the same sort of dilemma. It made me want to focus on balance, finding a good balance for comfort. Discipline, goals, fun, meaningful life.

This morning, Safety and I woke at 4:00 and started hiking. Well, we started after Safety got his dog Kota, who was hiding under the picnic table, then inside the shelter, climbing over sleeping hikers. Kota apparently wanted to sleep in, but once we got going, the hiking was enjoyed by all of us. As it got lighter and warmer, we got closer to town. Upon reaching a real road, we got an immediate ride. A fellow who owns a hostel of sorts gave us a ride toward the hotel, while bashing the hotel and promoting his paid camping. We opted to check out the hotel, which was much nicer than he pretended.

For now, we are enjoying the amenities, and I will spend my time here contemplating my next moves.

Happy Mothers’ Day to all the mothers!