Date: 2017-05-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I wanted to take a day or two to get my thoughts together.The best part of the hike was the people. From the section hikers, to the flip floppers to the NOBOs (North bounders), everyone was great. I met hikers varying in age from eleven to seventy. I heard there was an eighty six year old on the trail. Some folks had completed the trail in previous seasons. One hiker had never backpacked  before starting on a flip flop. There were hikers who went out with just some food and clothes and stayed in shelters. There were hikers who had thousands of dollars worth of the lightest gear. Some hiked and camped with their dogs. There were business owners, ex Marines, nurses, masseurs, newspaper photographers, recent college graduates, retired teachers, retired machiinists, and a hiker from Germany. At the end of each day, we all gathered at the shelter as a little new community. People offered to share water, food, first aid supplies. One hiker gave foot massages. No one expected anything in return. Advice was offered on blisters, gear, tent setups. Only once do I remember a brief political discussion. Like most communities, people came and went based on their pace and length of their journey. Phone numbers, email addresses and photos were exchanged allowing you to be able to follow fellow hikers blogs. I expect to be following the adventures of some of the folks I met through the summer and fall. If I'm lucky, I'll meet up with some of the flip floppers near Harpers Ferry and be able to provide a little of my own Trail Magic.The trail is beautiful but not really what you expect. There are some days with no vistas. Some days, it's foggy when you get to the vista. You may spend hours only glancing up occasionally, but always looking down for the next footstep. That's when you listen to the birds and notice all the little flowers along the trail. When it's raining and overcast, the lichens on the rocks seem to be the brightest color on the trail, neon green. You walk through a field and the cows come over to check you out. The little things are where the beauty is. The pictures you see are always taken on a clear, sunny day. There aren't a lot of those days when you are at the right spot at the right time.Then there are the things that we take for granted everyday. Getting to a dry shelter or tent at the end of a rainy day. A beautiful flowing spring, close to the shelter. A delicious hamburger from the general store when the Southbounders were telling you the store wasn't open yet. Getting into town with a hot shower, unlimited electricity (for your phone), and WiFi. Maybe even the chance to read a newspaper or watch TV, not so much though.I'll let my feet heal and get back out. Along with the physical aspect, there is also the mental. Physically, I felt good except for my feet. I was worried about legs and knees and they were fine. Mentally, I think my future plans will be for two to four weeks at a time. As enjoyable as the social interactions are on the trail, I missed the daily family and friend interactions back home. It's hard to make a call to family and say "This has to be short because it will be three days until I can charge my phone."Until next time...