Posts
The End Of The World As I Know It
We had double orders of tacos and cheap beer at Hey Joe's and I wore a loaned pajama shirt with kittens on it and men's basketball shorts around town. That Guy resupplied for the last 470 miles of his hike, and I didn't.
I Don’t Love Thru Hiking (and that’s okay)
This is not where I talk about all the gorgeous mountain views, how I have transcended the ability to smell my hiker stench, and how I feel connected to the wilderness. This is where I talk about the times thru hiking ****ing sucks.
1500 Miles and Hitting Halfway
This is where I would talk about the gastrointestinal distress brought on by consuming a half gallon of ice cream, except that the general store is closed on weekdays after Labor Day.
On Hiking with Your Significant Other
To some people, my decision to hike with someone I had only known a few months might sound risky or rushed. For me, I had nothing to lose. The worst that could happen is I decide push him off a cliff and resume hiking alone if we drove each other nuts.
When you hit rock bottom, climb back up.
I could either go home and be a quitter or purge myself of all anxieties and negativity. Continuing to hike in my toxic mental state was not an option.
A Day in the Life
Through all the excitement, there's less exciting aspects of a thru-hike (for me anyway) that I experience on a daily basis. As of right now, it goes something like this:
100 Appalachian Trials in the 100 Mile Wilderness
The Wilderness is devoid of the luxuries of the south that include "switchbacks," "drainage ditches," "paved roads to food," and "bridges over rivers".
The Blizzard of ’16 and Hostel With No Name
After a stay with 40 people at Overmountain Shelter, I practically ran over the remaining two summits and 10 miles trying to stay upright in the winds and not fall on my butt hiking back down through ice, snow, and slush. (I ended up on my butt 3 times.)
How to Survive an Encounter With A Wild Thru Hiker
Should you choose to stay in the vicinity and enjoy your own lunch, be mindful that the thru hiker may look up with glassy wistful eyes and begin drooling when you pull out a freshly made sandwich
A Canine Section Hike
I've seen a few trail dogs on my journey so far, and they've made me miss my Biscuit terribly. My home is the foothills of the Smokies, so I decided to take him on a 3 day test run from the NOC to Fontana. Here's the results.