Up early. The monotony of the trip is starting to settle in on me a little bit. This is always offset by really fun things on the trail. For instance, trail magic has had a very positive influence on the occasionally droning nature of the trail. I love the trail, and I do not want what I just said to drown out the fact that I am loving every day and the new challenges (both physical and mental) that the AT brings. I also however realize that at this stage of my journey, I realize that I need to continue being positive in mind and taking care of my body, lest one wear out. I managed to get going before 8. The day would be a relatively long one with another 23 mi day. About 5 miles in was a hostel located just off trail. I got to it far before any of my shelter mates in hopes that I would be able to write and catch up. That was somewhat the case..?
It's not that I isn't do what I had initially set out to do. I merely found a nice warm spot in the sun and had trouble focusing on my task at hand. Since I am usually hiking throughout some of the most warm sections of the day, or even just not stopped to enjoy them. Sitting doing nothing while being warmed by the sun was truly hard to beat on this day. The shelter was located near the Nolichucky river, so my lazy dawdling was made better by an ambiance of flowing water. I sat and planned, wrote, and rested at that hostel for far too long. I knew I wouldn't make my destination before nightfall and as I departed at almost 3pm,,I prepared myself for what would mot definitely be a night hiker later. The rest of the afternoon was hot. Sections of trail with no leaves overheard left the in beating down. Where I had been basking in it's warm and radiance before, I now was cooking as my body temperature rose. I hiked quickly and for the ret of the afternoon had no slip ups minus a few twisted ankles.
I approached my last large climb of the day as the sun was beginning to set. I knew that I would not make it over before the in completely set. Before I even got a third of the way up, I went ahead and put on all the clothes I knew I would need the ret of the evening along with my headlamp. The climb wasn't overly difficult or strenuous, but with the sun setting and most of the trail seeming to be rocky, I tried to make sure to not twist anymore ankles. As I began approaching the summit of the mountain, the forest made a very distinct change in appearance. The summit was a complete fir forest, the trees were spread far enough apart that the thicket felt open. Each tree had a number of branches close to the top that created a canopy and blocking out a lot more light than usual. The forest seemed very picturesque and in my brain the kind of area where a group of deer might bed down. I kept imagining myself look up and a mighty stag just be staring back at me before it loped away. Sadly no such picturesque moment graced me while in the thicket.
As I reached the far side of the mountain and began to descend, my sight became more and more stained as the dark closed in around me. The summit of this particular mountain meant that I still had at least 5 miles remaining. Sections of trees closer together hid patched of mud that the fading light did not illuminate. I readied my headlamp, holding out as long as possible before using it. Now I will tell you, I had fully prepared myself to do some night hiking. What I had not prepared myself for was the initial fear of doing it. The first few days I endured on this trip, the only noise I remember hearing was the wind. Not a single bird or other graced me with it's sound. Hiking during the night is so much worse. The dark invites a certain amount of fear no matter how throng willed you are. The forest ha a certain amount of stale to it that at any moment, shatters focus with the crinkling of leaves off trail. I had a very long way to hike and with no companion other than my headlamp, the only way to describe it is with horror movie intensity. Outlines of far off trumps instantly became something to be wary of. My initial fear was not of what lingered in
the forest itself, but whom. I have met many people on the trail none of whom seem out of place or unhinged. I don't really feel like I have to worry about this, but there have been years (not at all recent) where people have been murdered. I managed to pull through the darkness and run into a friend of mine in a gap pitching a tent. 1 mile away from the shelter I had initially planned on staying at. Yea I'm done.
As much fun as hiking in an abyss is, I had my fill for the few miles that I did it. I need to plan my night hikes better. I think if I could manage to find a full moon with clear weather it would be a much different experience.
I pitched my tent and then cooked and was out.
22 mile day completed at 9:30pm
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