Day 57

Mountaineer Falls Shelter to Laurel Falls Trail miles 18.7 – AT mile 423.1

Card of the day – none drawn

I was up and on the road by 8.  It was going to be a long day.  Thankfully I noticed that the hostel will pick me up at a tail head, cutting 6 miles off my day, and one massive hill, which is a result.

It was my first experience of silk blazing, this is where, being the first person down trail that day you get the pleasure of walking through all the cobwebs that have been formed through the night.  I also came upon a snail who was just doing his thing.  He got me thinking.

I woke up still thinking about why I’m here and if I really want to put myself through this for another 4 months.  It’s so hard to get up each day and go hiking for 8 hours up and down mountains.  Like what did I expect? A walk in the park(or the woods maybe?)

Some times you just have to sit and enjoy the view, and whilst there were not many in the early part of the day, the ones that were there were breathtaking.  All you can see are mountains!  Most of which it feels like I’ve hiked.

You join a river at some point, as you enter the Pond Mountain Wilderness, and it’s truly beautiful.  There were lots of locals around, so I checked what day of the week it was.  How did I not know it was Sunday?  I guess you loose track of it all.

After the rain yesterday all the water has had a tinge to it, so it was refreshing when I finally got some clear spring water.

At Laurel Falls I somehow missed the switch back.  It’s not mentioned on Far Out (I should have read the comments) so I get out the AT guide book, I knew I had carried it for 420 miles for a reason.  Any way I find it 10 yards up the massive stone stairs I’ve just come down.  Typical.

After that little drama the trail just about kills you.  Are you having a laugh!  Seriously!  Let’s just walk along the side of a cliff.  Oh ok, so maybe I’m being melodramatic again, but I’m tired, it’s been a long day, and I’m still a little grumpy.  But at least the sun has been out all day.

I get to the trail head at 1645 and into Boots off Hostel.  The only food option for the night is frozen food there or Maccies in town.  There is a shuttle at 6pm that I should just make.

A hot shower, a warm bed.  Maybe life is not so bad.  Oh and I can slack pack over Pond Mountain and pick my pack up as I walk past tomorrow.  Just maybe it’s not such a bad life after all?