Trail Letter 9: 4/29 and 5/1

20.8 easy miles today. The hardest part of the day was leaving my warm sleeping bag and entering the cold wide world. I hiked 10 miles with California Joe, and we had some good conversation. Talking to older, experienced people has been indispensable in furthering my understanding of what so many refer to as “the real world”. I no longer feel pressured, at all, to pursue a career ,wealth, or family — not to say they are not viable options, but you are absolutely right, Josh, when you wrote about the confidence an endeavor like this bestows on the endeavor-er… I have no immediate plans after the end of this journey, but I am not worried nor do I feel pressed to decide. Life has provided my path in perfect time thus far.

We made it to the Quality Inn, and I picked up my mail drop — new battery, water filter, and wool base layer — thanks Ma! Since then, we went to a Chinese buffet, so I am now stuffed. Sitting here in the laundromat, I’m tempted to comment on America’s obesity, but after teh bounty I just consumed, I’m just as guilty.

Tomorrow (or the next day if I take a zero) I’ll enter the Shenandoah National Park. It’s apparently MUCH easier hiking, so perhaps I’ll be putting in bigger miles. I’m hoping that I rendezvous with Feezel and Bigfoot tomorrow, but by now I’m sure they’ve learned to live without me, as I have without them…

5/1

20.0 hot hot miles today. Thankfully a gentle breeze kept blowing me kisses all day, but the heat really took it out of me. I’m in the Shenandoah National Park now — the terrain appears to be much easier here. The Trail follows the same ridge as the Blue Ridge Parkway for over 100 miles, so I always have a lovely road and roaring tires accompanying me along the way. I caught some very unique views today — they’re impossible to describe, but I really felt the Spirit of the mountains.

A guy just rolled into the shelter saying he saw 3 bears today! I’m pretty sure I saw some bear scat, but I’m still eagerly awaiting my first bear encounter — it’ll be superscary because I’ll be all by myself… I can’t wait!

When I was at the Quality Inn in Waynesboro, I put some extra dried pineapples in the hiker box — hiker boxes are full of items that are free for the taking (or leaving). Lobstah Bait, an older “gentleman” just sat down and said, “Anybody want any pineapples?” I said, “fresh or dried?” “Dried.” I looked at the bag he was holding and instantly recognized it. “Did you get those from the hiker box?” “Yup. Too bad you didn’t see them; they could’ve been yours!” I was cracking up inside, but I just said, “Yeah, too bad!” As I was digging out some snacks I heard him say, “What a find!” So Lobstah Bait thanks you for the pineapples, Mom!

Hit and Miss showed up at the YMCA campground last night — they said Feezel was 2-3 days behind — apparently he stopped to visit someone — and Bigfoot was going to arrive in Waynesboro this morning, the morning I’m leaving. He’s gonna spend 2-3 days with his girl Amanda who drove up after finals week was over. So it looks like I won’t see either of them for quite some time, but I’ve been meeting a lot of other folks thanks to their absence, and I’m sure they have been too — thanks to mine.