Thursday, April 14, 2011

Things are Looking Up

I lost a couple days of updates, but will try to get you (and me) up to today.  It's sometimes hard to keep track of the days, but I know that today is Thursday, April 14th. 

I spent Tuesday night at Little Laurel Shelter, mile 291.4.  As I was hiking yesterday, we came upon a little "Trail Magic."  There was a section hiker named Papa Smurf there around 3:30 in the afternoon who had ham and cheese sandwiches waiting for us with chips and homemade peanut butter cookies.  It was great!  I enjoyed it so much that I stayed and talked for almost an hour and lost a little bit of daylight to make it to the next shelter.  I ate lunch with Toaster and Mike and Steve from the Hanover, PA area.

For those of you who don't know, "Trail Magic" happens when people come along the trail and provide a meal or some kind of comfort for the hikers.  If you happen to live near the AT, it is a very nice surprise, especially for the thru-hikers who are eating whatever they happen to have in their packs. 

Last night I camped along the trail in my tent since I couldn't make it to the next shelter.  I woke up around 6:45 and then was able to fall back to sleep for a little while longer.  That doesn't happen very often.  I got up and got started, had some breakfast and am around mile 310 now.  It's a windy, but sunny day.  When I stop to talk to someone it gets a little chilly.

My ankle is feeling much better.  The Achilles is still tender, especially when going downhill.  I've been popping ibuprofen which seems to do the trick.

Hoping to make it to Erwin, TN early Saturday morning.  My friends Ceil and Paul sent me some venison sticks and I'm hoping to get them at the post office in the morning. I also forwarded a package from home so it should be waiting there for me too.  That will be around mile 340.

The other day around Blackstack Cliffs (mile 294) we had to climb down steps made out of rock to make a 8-10 foot drop on the trail.  It was interesting trying to get our packs down before us.  It all worked out, but would be a horrible fall if you couldn't do the steps or had been drinking too much Tennessee bourbon!


"My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing."
-Aldous Huxley

2 comments:

  1. That cliff sounds crazy! We're looking forward to bringing you some "Trail Magic" when you get in the area!

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  2. Sounds like a great meal! Take care of your leg & we are thinking of you out there on the trail. Love, Erin

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