Day 86 – Altra Hosts Trail Magic on the AT?

Day 86

Start: Reeds Gap, VA 64

End: Rockfish Gap

Miles Hiked: 19.2

Miles on AT: 864.6

Another slackpacking day! This time I covered a respectable number of miles and even made it to my end point in time for roadside trail magic. Janitor joined me for the first 6 or so miles, which was nice. We got an early start and were hiking by 8 am.

It was so much cooler today compared to the last few days. Still, the humidity was ever present. Despite slackpacking, I still had to warm my body up before I could hit my optimal pace, so Janitor stayed a few steps ahead of me on this section.

Once again, the trail was a rocky mess for the first few miles. I had to concentrate on stepping in just the right place so I didn’t fall. Speaking of falling, I realized that my right shoulder was a little sore when I reached my arm behind my back, so I guess I did get a little bruised from my fall a few days ago. It’s a pain when I have to put on my pack, but otherwise it doesn’t bother me.

Our 6 miles together went by quickly. We stopped at an overlook before we reached the road and then it was time for Janitor to leave 🙁 I was a little bummed, but I knew it meant I could do a bigger day with some speed. Plus, I would see him back in town at the end of my day.

Right after I stepped into the forest solo, I saw a sign – trail magic! Altra, the shoe company, was hosting trail magic today at Rockfish Gap, my planned stopping point. 14 miles stood between me and trail magic, which ended at 4pm. Could I make it? I was definitely going to try. The odds looked to be in my favor since it was only around 10 am and the trail for today was mostly downhill. 

My day hiking was spent trying to balance enjoying the hike and moving quickly. The first view of my day was completely fogged out, but the Humpback Mountain view was dynamic, with the far mountains moving in and out of sight as the clouds flew by. I took the opportunity to enjoy a snack break (packed out a cream cheese bagel) and a view.

As my downhill journey started, I passed a bunch of day hikers, both on their way up and down. I guess this area being this close to Shenandoah attracted a crowd. I even saw a few trail runners.

Moving quickly through the forest, with the wind on my face as I sped downhill, felt really good. I find that I have an optimal pace that feels nearly effortless. Gravity and the momentum of my moving feet propel my body forward with seemingly minimal energy. Hiking feels best when I can just let go and allow my body to move how it wants to. This section of trail was perfect for that, because there weren’t many views to be had. It was a green tunnel day.

At 2 pm, I knew I was going to make it the trail magic. I had only 3 miles left and, at 3 pm, I reached the road and saw the bright red Altra tent. Success! I saw a few familiar faces sitting under the tent as well as a hiker’s dream of a food selection. I had a grilled chicken burger, a Gatorade, clementines, and a bunch of peanut M&Ms. Yum! And there were even more snacks to be had.

Altra invited Briana DeSanctis, the first woman to solo thru hike the American Discovery Trail, to help host trail magic, which was really cool. I enjoyed hearing her stories about hiking and completing the trail over a 2 year period. There were also 2 other Altra reps there, one of whom had hiked the trail back in 2018. It was a blast. I stayed there for well over an hour since I was finished with my day and was in no rush. I loved it!

Since the day was growing old, it was time for me to catch a ride back to Janitor. When I walked in the door, he was surprised. I was so early! I was happy to have the rest of the day to relax with him knowing that I had put in good work on trail today.

And that’s day 86.

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