Day 39
Start: Random Campsite
End: Sam’s Gap, US 23, I-26
Miles Hiked: 5.6
Miles on AT: 319.9
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This morning, moods were a bit sour. Janitor was tired from yesterday and his knee pain, while I was tired, hungry, and ready to get to town. Plus, I had woken up in the middle of the night and was unable to get back to sleep until around 5 am. We were both grumpy; not a winning combination.
Janitor had gotten a rope stuck in a tree while working on a bear hang and was dedicated to fully removing it before we left camp. He went through a few different methods of trying to get it down (some of which included my help), but he finally came up with the idea to lash his trekking poles together and attach his pocket knife to one end. With this long spear, he was finally able to cut the rope close to the tree branch and get the whole thing down. No trace left behind!
We finished packing our things up and got on trail a little after 10 am. I was too hungry to tolerate hiking slowly so I went ahead of Janitor so he could take care of his knee. The hike was a blur. My goal was to get to the road crossing so I could have a full meal. I had to keep moving. I did take a break at a shelter intersection and had a snack, chatted with a few hikers, and waited for a janitor to catch up. Just as I was taking my first few steps to make the last push, he appeared! He was moving faster than I expected, but let me continue on ahead of him.
The weather was starting to turn; the trees creaked in the wind and the blue sky was now gray. With only 1 mile left, I was in the homestretch. Before I knew it, I could hear car sounds. I made it! A few minutes later, Janitor emerged from the trees and onto the pavement. To town!
We went to a sushi spot and had the best meal ever. I polished off six shrimp gyoza, one miso soup, one Sky roll, and one tuna roll. The hiker hunger is definitely kicking in! I left the restaurant clutching my distended stomach, elated to be full, but ready for the discomfort to pass.
We resupplied and made it to our cabin where we would spend the next few days. I think we’re going to slack pack until Trail Days so Janitor can rest his knee a bit. Plus, bad weather is in the forecast, so double bonus.
And that’s day 39.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.