20's

Some how I locked into getting into town early today, June 8.  I heard shuffling in camp and rolled over, a while later I heard foot steps.  I stuck my head out my hammock, looking at the shelter, I saw the Maine Sisters heading out.  I rolled out of bed and quickly packed.  I looked at the camera after I started this day's selfies, 7:15 am.  The gals had left 45 minutes prior.  I thought, I'll catch them by noon.

I put the music on.  I forgot who I listened to.  I didn't even look at the trail profiles of the day other then where water would be found, a lot of places.  I shifted gears to slow for the up and random for the flats, and careful for the down hills.  I've learned to embrace all terrain, rocks, roots, and brush.  When I stop I naturally look for ticks on my legs.

I paused over a few spots to gulp water.  My filter fits Smart Water bottles.  Two days ago I'd dipped instead of using a filler bag, another bag had failed.  The filter floowed slowly into my mouth.  I'd back flush it in town to clean and restore the flow.

The views were sparse.  At the FAA tower, aka golf ball on a mountain top, even the view there was slim with the haze.  Humidity haze, I pondered rain in the forecast?  I pushed on.  A moment later I dropped into the guillotine rock, a rock wedged between two cliff like rocks.  The climber in me wanted to play.  The hiker in me wanted to push on.  I made a few selfies.

I got in such a rhythm, I walked right past the Sisters eating lunch.  Getting a ride into town wasn't easy.  I ended up asking a couple of college guys at the James River parking area for a lift after a NPS Ranger passed by.

Later at Glasgow's hiker camp, one of the Sisters and I joked around that we only do 20's on the bottom half of the food bag.

The typical daily food supply is two to three pounds per day and we carry up to five days at a time.  I like to add a day and a held just incase of some delay.  Last week I took a wooded zero, I stayed an extra day at a shelter.  The point being our packs are heavy when we leave town and light the day or two before the next.  The lighter the pack, the easier it is to move.

Hike on and eat well...