May 3, 2022
Mile 275: Hot Springs, NC
Total Ascent: 65,710 ft
Total Descent: 68,170 ft
Number of Bears Seen: 0
Number of Blisters: 0
Mother Nature’s unpredictability must be embraced. Experiencing nature in it’s fullest extent allows us to appreciate the alternative experiences that these situations provide. Minor personal discomfort is the price we must pay to personally experience each season and walk with springtime. It’s how to see without bias how powerful forces with magnitudes beyond our comprehension shaped the ground we now stand on. We’re all just riding the wave in this beautiful world.
The same location in January vs. May. Another example of changing seasons in Southern Appalachia.
May 8, 2022
Mile 345: Erwin, TN
Number of Bears Seen: 1
Consecutive Days of Rain: 3
Fun Fact: According to NASA the Southern Appalachians receive as much annual rainfall as the Florida Everglades.
The AT is always wet. On many occasions it will rain. It can also be damp, which in hot weather leads to sweat, sometimes mugginess, or even bugginess. When it’s cold it may evolve into mist, dense fog, or even sleet, snow, or ice. Each of these factors adds to the complexity of completing this trail. It sure is refreshing out here.
May 10, 2022
At this point I am consistently hiking 15 to 20 miles per day on average. It’s a good average, but I would like to do more. That being said, I don’t feel the need to crush it every single day. Don’t get me wrong, I labsolutely love to push my boundaries and put in big days, but if I keep that up for days on end I’ll burn out. The miles will compound as long as I can pace myself. This is where the tortoise and the hare principle begins to apply itself. Change is gradual, but dedication will supply ample results toward my larger goals.
May 13, 2022
The AT is a social diamond in the rough. Don’t get me wrong, I am always able to find solitude in the trees. Day in and day out, I can usually be found hiking alone or “stealth” camping away from shelters. One is never truly alone out here though. Friendly faces are always closer than one would think. Without the people, there would be no true AT experience.
This trail attracts a certain breed of person, but it does not discriminate. It will bring out the best in people. The words “Appalachian Trail” evoke wonder in all who hear them. Locals from small towns you’ve never heard of lovingly embrace the trail as their own. It has a knack for breaking down barriers and bringing together people from all walks of life. One cannot do the AT alone. We must support each other and appreciate the wilderness together. From volunteers, to local day hikers, to section hikers who are constrained from doing the entire thing, to us thru hikers, the AT will bring people together. In fact, two-thirds of the US population is within a day’s drive of a portal to this other world. My recommendation – get out here to experience it yourself!
Those privileged enough to dedicate 6 months of their lives to thru hike typically fall into a few categories: recent graduates, those who saved enough money to put their adult lives on hold, and the recently retired. I fall into the second category, however, we’re all the same out here. The trail will chew up and spit out those who choose to wander here such that our normal routines no longer define us. “What do you do?” is a loaded question. Out here, we are just thru hikers. The grad, schoolteacher, tech worker, service industry worker, nurse, and retired lawyer all have one thing in common. We’re all a bit more wild now than when we set off.