Day 52 – A Recreational Hiking Day

Day 52 started with a palpable buzz in the air. A short 12 miles into a hostel to allow Hatcher to catch up afforded us an easy morning and promises of a recreational afternoon/evening. I woke up with a Christmas morning type of excitement around 6 something. I packed my things and got water for the day relatively quickly and was the first person on the trail.

Today would make my first “silk blaze”; being first on trail and catching all the spider webs (usually in the face). Early on in the day I hit the 1/4 mark for completion of the AT. It was a cruise-y day and I made quick work of the 12 miles getting in before noon. Rabbit arrived shortly after and Sip around 1. We stayed at Bear Garden Hiker Hostel.

About a mile before our hostel the trail runs parallel to a creek and crossed a bridge. I ran into Bertie, one of the owners of the hostel on the bridge after a hike of her own that day. She pointed me in the right direction but the creek stayed on my mind. We came back that afternoon to the creek to wade in the water and enjoy the sun.

We were in a very rural part of town but the rolling hills and spaced out properties were peaceful. He had a house to ourselves a few hundred yards away from the main bunkhouse. The privacy was nice but also we felt mildly disconnected as the Wi-Fi from the bunkhouse did not reach our accommodations. On the bright side there was a fully stocked refrigerator and freezer.

We headed back to the bunkhouse to get in contact with Hatcher and check on his status. He had stopped early to allow him and Stanley to rest more. We were a little disheartened at the extended absence of our tramily member but are optimistic he can made it back to the group as we hike on.

Tomorrow is a 17 mile planned day. Most post-hostel days for us tend to start late. I’m expecting day 53 to be no different. We discussed countless topics, played an endless game of Uno, and eventually turned in for the night after 11:30.

Find out what happens on Day 53 on the Appalachian Trail.

DC

Hey there namesake. Hope Oregon is treating you well. It’s been far too long, I’m a little bummed at the trajectory of our contact the last few years. Hoping we can maybe get out to visit each other at some point. I miss you and hope things are well with the family, give everyone my best.