The Incident on the Appalachian Trail
Day 50: Rain
We stopped and chatted about the forecast, noting the number of tents we’d seen with people sitting out the weather. When someone asked why we were out here, one of...
Day 49: Even Brambles Have Blossoms
Not only do those nasty thornbushes I’ve been seeing along the trail have wonderful flower blossoms, they produce a delicious fruit I spent hundreds of hours gathering as a child....
Day 48: Dismal, Spooky, and Mind-Blowing
When I left for the AT, my daughter warned me to look out for “skin walkers,” which in the southern Appalachians are called “Cryptids.”
Day 47: Just Another Day in Paradise
Every once in a while, it hits me like a thunderbolt. Somebody made a path that goes all the way from Georgia to Maine. Through the woods in the middle...
Day 46: New Kicks and Second Lunch
I passed the 566-mile mark yesterday. That means it’s been 400 miles since I broke out a new pair of shoes. So, today I pulled on a brand-new pair of...
Day 45: Meadows in the Woods
Somehow, walking through these pastures gives me more of sense of being on a journey. I’m no longer alone in a vast, uniform, deep woods with a few hikers. Seeing...
Day 43: Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This
This trail. Some days it leaves me grinning ear to ear. Other days it sees me grinning and kicks me in the teeth. Today, I’ve got a bloody grin, my...
Day 42: Planning, Providence, Coincidence, Reunions, and An Agenda Item
Then, just as Slapshot walked into the parking area, a compact car pulled up. The doors opened and Machina, Haze, The Walrus, two other hikers, the driver, and her dog...
Day 41: Back to the Deep Green Woods
After the Highlands, I walked back into the deep green woods, retreated into my own head, and stayed there for 18 miles. I cinched up my hip belt, strapped on...
Day 40: What a View
I have a new favorite section of the AT: Whitetop Mountain to the Grayson Highlands. The views. Gracious goodness, the views. I could see forever, ridgeline after ridgeline of tree-covered...