Date: 2006-04-23
From: The Fontana Hilton room 123

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Man! Just like last time; it's so great to be back on the trail again! I got a hugely late start this morning, not actually getting onto the trail until after noon. This when I needed to cover 11 miles, including a 2,000-foot climb out of a gorge. I still made it by 7:30 p.m.! I can remember being thrilled when I did eleven miles form dawn to dusk! My trail legs have definitely come in. All that's left now is for me to drop more of this weight, something that is happening with a satisfying swiftness.Which doesn't mean it's getting easy, of course. Every day is still a struggle. It's just that now I can move faster for that effort. This is why I got such a late start today. No matter how great I feel while I'm out here, it's always really hard to get back to it after becoming reacquainted with the comforts of modern society. I drag my feet checking out, watch TV, take another shower, lay on the bed, all the while knowing that soon I have to go struggle up and down mountains all day, sleep in a tent, eat crappy near-instant food, and be exposed to the weather without a choice. To anyone else who asks, I always say that the hardest part of doing the trail is knowing that you DON'T HAVE TO!There is not a single moment where I am not keenly aware that this entire exercise is voluntary. At every one of my lowest moments there is a little voice in my head that whispers "Nobody is making you do this" or "Anytime you want you can just leave." I have always prided myself in being the sort who just leaves when I'm not enjoying myself, and I'm not sure that I can call this an enjoyable experience.At the same time, however, it IS enjoyable. I can't really explain it. Every day is a struggle that has me questioning why I am out here, but somehow I just feel GREAT doing it. The little voice still speaks, but with every passing day I pay less attention.A large part of it, I guess, is the sense of accomplishment. Every day when I increment the mileage in the journal is one of the highlights of my day. In just 19 days I have walked over 174 miles! That's more than most people walk in years! By the time I'm done, I'll have covered more ground than most do in their entire lives! And every day Katahdin creeps ever closer.What also keeps me going is talking to my family and friends. I've made a bunch of new friends out here, but I very much miss everyone back home, and knowing that they are thinking about me is very uplifting. I've never really been one to like greeting cards and such, but I still have both the ones my parents have sent me, and I look at them often.I must briefly digress here to note that all around the area are ringing the howls of coyotes. Anyone who knows me knows that I wear a coyote medallion at all times and have a great deal of admiration for the crafty and adaptable little canines, so hearing them howling in the woods is greatly satisfying.Going back to the family, Daniel (my younger brother) has agreed to meet me at my next mail drop town in Hot Springs. We'll spend a day or two taking in the sites and just visiting. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm thinking we'll visit the eponymous Hot Springs themselves for a soak and massage. This is about ten days out. Maybe less. Depends on how fast I clear the Smokies.So far there hasn't been any issues with the Smokies. There are only thru-hikers at this shelter tonight, and we're camping in our tents even though the shelter isn't full. I caught most of the little group here, though. Pepper, Crisis, Play-doh, and Librarian are all here. Apparently Turtle pushed on ahead because she's stopping in Gatlinburg and none of the rest of us is. I briefly regretted my decision to bypass Gatlinburg this morning when I hefted my food bag. Food for seven days is pretty heavy, as you can imagine.Anyway, I'm tired, but feeling great. It's time to cut out this light and hit the sack.