Day 67 – Rat Race

The race was on from the moment people woke up. Twenty-five hikers departing a shelter. Many set on doing 26 miles into town and one of the only hostels for miles. Per usual, we were not one of the early groups to leave. Quite the opposite actually. We got started on the trail around 9:30.

Still feeling a little groggy, the hiking legs for the day took a few minutes to kick in. The day was mostly uphill. Not a terrible, super steep uphill, but uphill nonetheless. Luckily the weather was still overcast and a cool 60 degrees. We made decent time into the first shelter five miles in for a break. We made decent time into the second shelter another five miles past that one.

By 2:00 p.m., with 16 miles left into town, we knew 26 miles today was a tall ask. We also knew we desperately needed a resupply and laundry, so we decided to lock down a spot at Stanimals Hostel. We called from the next gap along the Blue Ridge Parkway and got some of the last bunks they had available. It felt like cheating bypassing a bunch of hikers like that, but staying in a real bed tonight is worth the temporary moral conundrum. Also, had we hiked on as planned yesterday, we’d have made it in at this time anyways.

Random thought of the day

Monster truck rally’s are just NASCAR races for people that overcompensate.

After getting situated we went into town for food. Rabbit and I split a calzone and wings. I got into the shelter weighing 178 (down 32lbs from my starting weight), I left weight 183. With clean clothes, devices charged, and bodies recharged, we’re ready to head back into the fray tomorrow for what should be a wet outing. A day we had been planning to avoid and perhaps take a zero is now a hiking day. Wish us luck.

Stow away in my pack for day 68 on the Appalachian Trail.