“Bubbles & Appalachain Mountain Sunsets”

AT Day 118

Miles Today: 13.85

AT Mile: 1892.0

(Imp Shelter)

It’s amazing the ways that these journals have deepened my experience of hiking the AT and helped in my understanding of the experience itself. I remember on those first nights in my tent, not really knowing what these were going to come to be and sort of feeling like I had to force myself to write. I remember the early journals feeling more like logs of what happened in the day rather than what they feel like they’ve become–more of a log of what’s happened on the inside while the trail has been going on on the outside.

It’s also been amazing to see what’s resonated with me and what’s resonated with my readers.

This morning I had messages from three different people, commenting on my entry from last night–the one about questioning my own sanity in feeling like I’m sensing something that I hadn’t felt before this trail. That’s seemed to be how most of the most important things have come from these journals–I’ve felt silly in writing about them, but they’ve made more sense after they’ve reached the page.

—

This evening I met the site host for the Imp Camp where I’m staying tonight, and her name is Neo. She’s extremely nice, as has been the case with every one of the site hosts I’ve met in New Hampshire, and talked for quite some time. As I’ve done with the other two site hosts that I’ve met in the White Mountains, I asked if Neo would like a coyote tooth and she gladly said yes.

After we had talked for some time, and it was growing late, I asked her something that I’ve asked one other hike in the last two days–I asked her if she had any wisdom to share.

She thought about it for a bit, and I sort of felt bad, like I had put her on the spot with something that suddenly felt very heavy. But she said that she didn’t mind and that she appreciated the question. Then she said, “Just fucking do it. I don’t mean to be a Nike cliche, but that’s what comes to mind. Just fucking do it.”

I told her that was the same answer that I got from the last guy that I asked, and that this feels like even more confirmation.

It’s impossible for me to not apply that to the thinking around writing a book around this trail. I don’t know if I do justice in these journals with sharing just how much trepidation I feel around that prospect. There is a lot in me that is afraid of falling short or not being able to do it. There’s also a lot of me that is filled with excitement and determination though, and I try to lean into that part more, as I can.

—

I tossed and turned a lot last night. Not sure why, but I haven’t been sleeping well these last few nights. I hope that I’m not coming down with a cold, as one of the kids who was staying in the Dungeon two nights ago did have a cough through the night. But so far no symptoms other than shitty sleep.

At sunrise I put in earplugs and pulled the beanie down over my eyes. I’ve learned that my ideal hiking schedule seems to be waking at 7, on trail by 8, then hiking until 6 or 7pm.

There was a visitor center about a mile and a half into my day and I was astonished to see that they had a freezer full of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. They also had an all you can eat breakfast buffet, but I had already had a meal that I’d Yogi’ed off of hikers in the. White Mountains for breakfast this morning, and so the prospect of a pint of ice cream sounded better.

I sat down in the dining area to eat and recognized two hikers who I’d met in the Tennissee portion of the AT from several months back. I ate my ice cream while they ate their breakfasts and they asked if I still carried bubbles. I was glad to tell them that I do and I have had them out just the other day.

—

The climb up the Wildcat Mountains was intense. It was steep in ways that I’ve never seen from a thru hike. There was one mile that had more than 1,300 feet of elevation gain! That is the most that I’ve ever seen from a mile on trail.

I had hopes of making 22 miles today but only made 13. I’m not at all shocked. The miles are still hard. Even if I’m technically out of the Whites.

So tomorrow I’ll have around 8 miles of downhill hiking to bring me to the road crossing that I’ll use to get to Goram, which is my last trail town of New Hampshire. There is a hostel there, and I’ll also pick up my last pair of trail shoes there. From there it’s into Maine and the last 300 miles of the trail.

—

Camped tonight in the Imp Shelter with three other hikers–one NOBO Long Section hiker, and two SOBO hikers.

I worry that I’ll toss and turn like I did last night, but we’ll see.

To those of you who reached out about my maybe not losing my mind in feeling the things that I talked about yesterday–thank you. Your messages of support go farther than I know how to put to words right now.

Wormwood.