I’m Still Hiking

Hello! I know I haven’t posted in a while, and there’s a simple explanation for this: I got bit by a bug. The lazy bug. As such, I’ve decided to dispense with the regular journal-entry format for this blog and go with a book report style and highlight the major themes of my hike post-Trail Days.

Pushing for bigger miles

Virginia is where people start to push for bigger miles. There’s almost a college admissions stress culture built around mileage. The common refrain is that if you don’t make it to Harpers Ferry by July 4, you’re not gonna make it to Katahdin before it closes in October. The thing is, it’s not like the trail has become significantly easier. Yeah, you’re not doing seven-mile climbs like in North Carolina, but the ridges are hella rocky and it’s hot outside. Fatigue has creeped in. I technically now have the muscles to do a 19-mile day, but the concept of doing that every day? That sounds like death.

Motivation

How to make Virginia not sound like death, that is the question.

1. Carry a nerf gun. Trust me, shooting your friends when you get into camp for the night changes everything.

2. Cheat. Everyone has a different opinion of what it means to hike the AT. I personally don’t believe slackpacking SOBO is against the rules. For me it’s integral to my thru-hike because it really is a different experience from backpacking and it’s good to switch it up every once in a while. Plus I get to eat town food twice. For that reason I’m definitely going to aquablaze in the Shenandoahs. It helps to have something to look forward to.

3. Go to a nice Kroger that sells the fancy organic protein bars.

4. Celebrate everything. Every long day, every 100-mile mark, every point on FarOut that you may have remotely heard of before*. Definitely celebrate every birthday. I wasn’t originally gonna take a day off for mine because I’m a crazy person but I’m really glad I did. We shot nerf guns at each other.

*McAfee’s Knob is not overrated

Bugs

The lazy bug is hitting again and I wanna wrap this up. But the buzzing is super loud at night and millipedes are coating the trees (shudder) and the mosquitos are starting to attack. Gross.

Ok bye, wish me luck since if I’m not in West Virginia in two and a half weeks, apparently I’ve failed. See you again when the trail “gets flat” and I have energy for this blog again.