A quiet day

The first days on the trail you can’t help but have many thoughts vying for attention. You have all the concerns of the “real life” that seem to stay in the back of your head and nag you. You also have the concerns of the trail jumping around in there. You begin to wonder how your body is going to hold up, and the ever-present worries of making to Katahdin before time runs out.

  You have become accustomed to outdoor living and a schedule begins to form for your days. You have an average time to wake, your average time to pack, and a time to start hiking. I found at this point that I was not as worried about the waking and hiking time. It was a relief to be able to do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it.

  After leaving the hostel was the first time that I truly enjoyed a full day of hiking. I was getting further away from Springer, which meant less time wondering if I would call for a ride home. I had talked to Melanie, one of my best friends and ground support for the hike, and made arrangements to be picked up in Hiawassee. Only a couple of days to go and I would run back to Atlanta for the weekend. I would be able to resupply at a regular grocery store, do my laundry, and enjoy some time with my friends.

  My mind was at ease, and I had a great hike that day. It was a little depressing that the trees were still leafless, and there was no foliage out, but it gave me a chance to look around at the hills and see some of the environment around me. Later in the trail when the forest wakes, the trail becomes what is commonly called “The Green Tunnel”. It basically means that you can't see much beyond the trail you are hiking, as the leaves form a tunnel around you, and are too thick to see much of the environment beyond.

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Living for something more than the almighty dollar.