Day 54
Start: TN 91
End: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles Hiked: 11.4
Miles on AT: 460.7
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Solo on the AT again. But, we’ve got goals to reach, so I’ve gotta do what I gotta do. It was sad saying goodbye to Janitor this morning. I didn’t want to leave him behind, but it’s best that he rest and heal a bit. I had a relatively short day today, only 11 miles. I got started early and hit the trail after a Bojangles lunch (fuel of champions!).
Stepping back on trail at this location was magical. The first thing I saw was a sea of yellow wildflowers interspersed with purple and white. Against the blue of the cloud-littered sky, the scene was straight out of a picture. I had the biggest smile on my face. The weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and I was back on trail!
After a half-mile or so, I came upon a herd of cows; there were a few calves, too, and I had to dodge fresh cow pies to make it back into the woods.
There, the terrain was nice and easy. The day didn’t drag at all; I was grateful to be back out there, feeling my muscles put in solid work. At Double Spring Shelter, I stopped and chatted with a section hiker named Ox, then continued on my way.
The late spring air cooled me down and the thick layer of leaves overhead kept the sun off of my skin. With no one to talk to, I focused mostly on hiking and observing the nature around me. I noticed that a lot of plants were infected with various fungi, with weird protrusions shooting out of leaves and the places where flowers should be. It was simultaneously interesting and sad.
The easy miles flew by and I made it to the shelter around 5:30 pm. With no one to help me, I took on all the camp chores – tent set up, water fetching, bear hang, etc. On the bright side, I wasn’t super hungry getting into camp, so I had more than enough energy to get it all done.
A few more hikers showed up at the shelter, making ~4 hikers and 2 section hikers in total. It felt weird getting in so early; I had so much free after dinner. Luckily, since I knew I would be alone this section, I brought a small book with me (I can’t do e-books), called “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis; it’s very relevant to our times. Well, it’s nearly lights out, so that’s all for now!
And that’s day 54.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.