Category: Long Distance Trails

Start: Lewis Campground (AT mi 918). Stop: Pinefield Hut (AT mi 898.2). Today’s miles: 19.8 miles. Total AT mileage: 1294.9 miles

I slept pretty good at the campground, eventually. I struggled falling asleep at first because of the noise and the lights from the bath house shining through my tent. After trying and failing for about 30 minutes to fall asleep, I decided I’d put my face mask on and wear it over my eyes. I was asleep in minutes.

I woke up through the night to hearing the rain starting to coming down. I stayed cozy and dry in my tent, so cozy that I didn’t want to get up at 7 when I knew I had to. I had another long day ahead, and if it was going to continue raining, it would probably make things slower going for me. When I finally let the air out of my mattress and took off my “eye” mask, Jerzy had already brought me my food bag!

I got up and went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and my hair. My battery bank was fully charged too, and right where I left it. I went back to the tent and crawled back in, glad I let the air out of the mattress or I’d be tempted to get back in my sleeping bag and take a nap. Lol instead I packed everything inside the tent, ate my breakfast, and finally got all the way out to pack the tent itself. Nothing sucks more than packing a wet tent, but it’s really not too bad with this Duplex. At least I knew it would dry out fast later.

I hit the trail at 8, thinking Jerzy would catch me within a few minutes. I never saw him, he was going to a hostel in town, so maybe he’ll catch me in the coming days. Since it was raining, I thought I’d leave off the bug net, but I still ended up wearing it a lot of the day anyway. I listened to an audiobook and walked in the rain.

I went up and over some mountains, the viewpoints didn’t tease me today, since the skies were white with mist and clouds. I only saw 4 other hikers, relatively back to back sometime before noon. I heard a few more around then, too.. but that’s it. I saw a ton of deer though, darting about, actually skittish for once.

I ate lunch on a wet rock, and because my butt was cold, I didn’t stay seated for long. I only filled up water once, and then didn’t even drink what I got for some reason. I just didn’t feel thirsty.. which overall wasn’t a bad thing, since there wasn’t many places to get water today.

The sun came out this afternoon, but because I was in the canopy of trees and forest, I didn’t get to feel it, or dry my stuff out quicker because of it. I made it to the shelter I was aiming for by 4:15, too beat to consider pushing forward. My feet were aching, not only from the mileage, but also from the wetness of my socks and shoes.

I laid out my tent to dry some while I scoped the place out. I picked the flattest tentsite and left my trekking poles there to claim in, just in case a Boy Scout troop showed up or something else equally as unlikely happened. I washed off and filtered water, changed clothes and put up my tent. It was mostly dry on the inside, so I even unpacked everything too.

I ate dinner at the picnic table and then sat there and worked out my plan for the next few days. I put my food in the bear box and headed back to my tent to get warm and get away from the mosquitos. Now that I’m laying here typing all of this up, I hear a man on a radio/walkie talkie down at the shelter.. I’m assuming it’s probably a ridge runner or a ranger, but I’m not sure. Part of me wants to walk down there so he realizes I’m here, and doesn’t think the shelter and camping area are empty and take my food bag-but the other part of me is just now getting warm and doesn’t plan on ruining that.

Pray my food is there in the morning! Haha I’m sure it will be. I’ll get to another wayside camp store tomorrow morning, and get a light resupply that will get me through the next couple days until I can get into town. I’m hoping they have service there and I can sit a while and upload yesterday’s and today’s blogs.. I haven’t had hardly a bar of 4g all day!

Anyway, I think that’s all I know for now! Goodnight y’all!

Start: Pinefield Hut (AT mi 898.2). Stop: Stealth Site (AT 879.2). Today’s miles: 19 miles. Total AT mileage: 1313.9 miles

I’m surprising myself with these consistent 19-20 mile days. I’m also happy to report tomorrow will not be another one.. instead it will be a 15 mile day to get me to town, where hopefully I’ll have a hostel bed waiting for me. I was supposed to call today to reserve it and arrange a pick up, but I forgot.

So, I got up at 7.. completely unable to move a second before then. I packed up and headed down to the shelter picnic area, where I met the ridge runner I heard last night. We chatted while I ate breakfast, and he surprisingly has me considering his line of work someday. I was also telling Jerzy the other night that I just want to be a camp host at campgrounds across the country-so, there’s some wiggle room in my future plans. Lol

I got started hiking at exactly 8am. The trail was pristine beauty all morning, and I’m thinking the wind must have destroyed a good bit of the spider webs for me, because while I ran into no people during the morning, I didn’t run into very many webs, either. I was grateful. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing almost chilly air, and the mountains I was climbing had me nice and warm in spite of it. I was soaking it up!

I made it to the wayside campstore at Lookout Mountain Campground at 10:30. The ridge runner was there! He says, “wow, you’re fast this morning! Wasn’t that almost 7 miles?” And I reply, “says the man who somehow beat me here..” he laughed a minute, and when he saw my confused look, he tells me, “I have a car! I drove over.” Hahahaha I was thinking he passed me when I stepped off trail to dig a hole, both curious and mortified that he may have seen me but definitely saw my pack on the trail. I was suddenly glad he drove.

I laid out some stuff to dry, and then headed inside to get my resupply and snacks for lunch. It was technically too early for lunch, but if I was going to be taking this much time to do something, I might as well eat too. That way I could throw my trash out now, and not have to tote it anywhere. I got some more chips to eat with lunch, a dinner for tonight, a soda, a Gatorade, and some pickle slices. Weird, I know, but when I saw them, my mouth watered.

I sat outside at a picnic table eating my lunch and freezing! The sun was directly on me, but the wind was furious with its whipping though the grassy field. I had chill bumps everywhere and considered paying to take a hot shower and do some laundry, too.. just to warm up. But I knew if I did all of that, I wouldn’t make it to my destination today. That would have been fine too, but it would have caused tomorrow to be a longer day than I’d like, especially since I’ll be going to town then for sure, and getting that hot shower and laundry. No point in doing it 2 days in a row!

So, I ate quickly, repacked my things all strewn about, threw out my trash, and used their bathroom. I could care less about the flushing toilets, but maaaaaan that soap and water hand washing gets me excited. With hands mostly dry from the blower thing, I walked outside, got my pack and carried on. I started a new audiobook, “Ready Player One” and it’s already got me sucked in.

I walked and enjoyed, I saw deer, I saw views, and I saw people! I didn’t have to wear my bug net, and I never really struggled any. When I got to the 13 ish mile point for the day, I walked down to a stream to get more water. I had to carry 2 litters with me because I was planning on stealth camping before a trail junction mentioned on my app.. and there wouldn’t be water nearby. When I filtered, I realized my cnoc bag has 3 holes in it. Lovely. When I get to town I’ll try to remedy this, as they’re currently “sold out” on Amazon.

Either way, I messily managed to get my water, I just couldn’t tote extra in the bag, unless I wanted all of my stuff soaking wet from the leaks. I somehow made it to the stealth site by 5pm. That alone tells you the terrain is less challenging! I decided not to set up my tent immediately like I normally would, just in case people, rangers, ridge runners walked by. I don’t think it’s illegal to camp here, and if I do get questioned, my ignorance is valid. I haven’t seen the “no camping” signs like I’ve seen on other parts of the trail.

Either way, I scoped put my flat spot, left my trekking poles, hung my bear line for my food bag, and then sat down to eat dinner. As I was eating, a curious mama deer came walking through camp. She could care less about me! She walked through, came close enough that I considered petting her, but thought better about it. Then, a while later, her baby wandered up, too! It was much more skittish though.

A pair of day hikers came through and the baby ran one way and the mama ran the opposite, in front of them across the trail. They were so shocked by the deer that they almost didn’t even notice me! It took them having a whole conversation and then turning before seeing me eating. We all got a good laugh at that since I startled them more than the deer did.

I waited until 6:45pm to put up my tent, unpack it all, and then hang up my food bag. The food bag is what will more than likely get noticed first, the electric blue tends to glow. But hopefully it won’t be an issue with the park that I’m camped here tonight. At this point, all tucked in and ready for bed, all I think they’d do if it is a big deal is issue me a ticket or something. I wasn’t hiking 7 more miles to the next shelter either way, so, if it came down to that, I wouldn’t complain too much.

My deer mama came back through a few minutes ago. I don’t have anything for her to chew on, so hopefully she doesn’t mess with the tent any, and keeps the other critters away. It’s getting colder at night, so I’m thinking about swapping back out for my warmer sleeping bag in the next couple of weeks. We’ll see.

Anyway, I’m off to sleep, my eyes are heavy and my feet are achy. Goodnight y’all. Sweet dreams.

Start: Stealth Site (AT 879.2). Stop: Waynesboro, VA (AT mi 864.2) Today’s miles: 15 miles. Total AT mileage: 1328.9 miles

As I have all week, I got up at 7. It just seems like a good time these days, although I did have to fight myself to not push the dismiss button on my watch and roll the other way. I packed and ate breakfast. While doing so, I saw 2 hikers and a trail runner go by! I was giddy thinking about the possibility of no spider webs this early in the day!

I started hiking a little before 8, and immediately turned on the audiobook I had been listening to. If anyone has any recommendations for books to read or listen to, I’m all ears. I clearly like all genres. The terrain being so much more gentle had me thinking maybe I should be doing something a bit more educational while hiking, like somehow working on my Spanish or start back up with Italian.. but I’m a visual learner, so I’m afraid id break an ankle or something if it wasn’t just something to listen to.

With all this “ease” I’m sure the trail will smack me in the face with some humbling difficulty soon anyway! Haha. Anywho-the trail was-dare I say it-easy today. I listened to my book, I waved and smiled and said “hi” to passers by.. I thanked the heavens for the sunshine. At 10 I called to reserve a bunk at the hostel and was told when to call for the shuttle. Before I even realized it, it was almost 2pm and time to call them.

I was sitting at the road junction, outside of Shenandoah National Park, awaiting my ride by 2:15. I hiked 15 miles in 6 and a half hours. For someone usually on par for 2 miles an hour, this was pretty good! Not to mention I did stop for a hole digging experience, to get water, and to sit on a rock and eat a snack-when the book was getting so good I couldn’t focus while walking AND being hungry. Lol

I saw several cute bunnies, bigger than I expected.. brown with perfectly white cotton tails. I saw 3 deer bounding away from me at some point, and tons of people out hiking or running the trails. It honestly went by quicker than I expected!

Rumble picked me up at the road and drove me back to the hostel. Once I checked in, I quickly claimed my bed, grabbed loaner clothes, and hopped in the shower. That first shower feels so damn glorious! My goodness I could have stood there all day-if the hot water had cooperated. I, like most normal women, prefer my water scalding hot, and it just didn’t last all that long here, in an older house with 3 showers and 2 washing machines going. It was still quite nice though.

Once I dressed in my borrowed clothes (some really comfy purple shorts and a 2x tank top that hangs off me and required a tie on the side to keep it from turning into a dress), I unpacked all my dirty clothes and promptly claimed a washer.

I waited long enough for the wash to cycle and to get everything in the dryer, before darting out the door to a restaurant in walking distance to eat. I was going to go with the tramily here, 2 section hikers and 2 flip floppers, plus the lady that’s working the hostel, to a Mexican restaurant, but I couldn’t determine how long they were going to wait before going and my snack had definitely worn all the way off. I wanted food now.

So, out I went. I ended up getting jalapeño poppers (with cream cheese-my fav filling!) with a chili ranch sauce to dip, a goat cheese burger with a side of house made chips and a pickle. I ate ALL OF IT. Not one bite left! And had 2 beers and 2 waters. I sat on a patio and loved every second of it.

Once I paid, I walked over to Walmart-conveniently located between the hostel and the restaurant.. I got my resupply stuff and headed back. Somehow, during that time, they all went to Mexican and made it back before me! I was gone maybe 2 hours, max. They were sitting out back having some beer, and invited me to join.. I did. These girls had me cackling! They are hysterical, and I was entertained for hours! Even when I finished my beer and decided to drink a Dr. Pepper instead!

At almost 9, I had to depart the fun. They’re all zeroing tomorrow and I’ve decided I don’t want to zero yet. So, I came up to my bunk and organized my belongings to make the morning easier on me. It’s almost 10pm and I’m so worn out! I hope I sleep well, although it’s a little stuffy up here.

Today was such a good, productive day! If I can keep on track with these 15 mile days, I should be in a good place to finish mid November, although I feel like it’s way too early to make assumptions like that. In all honesty, I’d love to finish before November 11th, so I’d have the trail completed before my best friend, Lauren’s wedding.. mainly so I don’t have to worry about getting back on trail after it. However I look at it though, there’s too many unknowns to stress about that now. I’ll just keep doing what I can between now and then and see how it all plays out.

Here’s to towns, showers, good food, and good folks! Goodnight y’all!