Date: 2004-03-07
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: few clouds

As I broke down camp, I had the hardest time getting one of my tent stakes out of the ground. I tried. Bob tried. Kate tried. We even used pliers that Bob had. Finally, after enough pulling and tugging and wiggling, the stake broke. I hoped this was no indication of how my day was gonna be.    I left camp before Bob & Kate, thanking them for their company and wishing them luck. I was planning to do a big mileage day to get closer to my original group. Bob & Kate were planning a small mileage day. That's one of the interesting things about meeting people on this trail; you never know when or if you'll ever see them again.   Hiking alone has a positive side. You don't feel the urge to keep up with anyone, nor an obligation to hike faster lest you hold anyone up. It's easier to hike at your own pace and enjoy the views. And to me there has been a beautiful view every second of the past week, even when just looking straight ahead at the trail winding through the forest, glancing side to side at the blue-tinted backdrop of mountain sky.    There's a negative side too. When you're alone on the trail, all you do is walk and think.    And walk and walk.   And think.   You think about the people who hiked ahead of you and wonder if you'll ever see them again.    You think about the people behind you and wonder if they'll ever catch up. That's assuming, of course, that they're still on the trail.    And you think about the people back home. And what they're doing. And what you would be doing if you were there. You don't think about how you could instead be at a job you've lost interest in, counting the minutes till freedom. You think about how you could be kissing your girlfriend.    Or playing volleyball with your brother and friends.   Or watching TV on a comfortable sofa with your folks.   And it makes you sad. Depressed.   After hiking alone for a while, I came over a ridge and down a switchback to the sounds of distant laughter and barely audible voices. I looked down the mountain and saw a few people around a tent off a short side trail.    Cue "Dueling Banjos".   It didn't take long for me to get close enough for them to notice me. Still too far away for me to make out any faces, I could tell a couple of them were looking in my direction, whispering to each other.    Then a female voice.   "Leki?"   Who is that?   "Leki-Less!"   Who is that??   Then a guy's voice. With an Australian accent.   "It's about time you got here!"   Bloody Cactus. And Joy. And Jon and Heather and Arwin (the camera crew) all sitting there with a few others. I had caught up with them a lot sooner than I thought I would.    And I was so glad to see them.   Apparently, they had also taken a zero day, and when getting back to Neels Gap they saw my two hiking sticks leaning against the building. (I left them there after getting my Lekis back.) With my name not in the register (I forgot to sign it), they thought I might have gone home.    They were glad to see me too.   After having a meat stick and some fried veggies shared by former thru-hikers Geek & Boudin, who also shared some great stories and advice on the art of "Yogi-ing" ("And it is an Art", says Boudin), we hiked on to Blue Mt. shelter.   Tonight is windy and cold, but it's really the first cold night we've had so far. We've been lucky with the weather so far.   Things aren't so bad after all. I can't complain.