Date: 2011-06-24
To: Thanks a Lot, Trail Imbecile!
Miles today: 0.0

It¢s 6:17 am and Tessa doesn¢t want to get up. She¢s burrowed deep inside my hammock, where yes, she continues to sleep with me every night. (She either ends up right on my chest or belly, or burrowed next to me. It¢s, uh¢¦cozy.) When it gets hotter she and I might have to devise a new sleeping arrangement, but for now she and I are together day and night. We¢re a team¢¦an invincible team!I¢m giving my girl a few last minutes to rest her pretty little head, then we¢re hitting the trail¢¦hard! Meanwhile, how about I share with you my morning routine?This morning I woke at 6:05. The wind is whispering through the treetops high overhead, and I can see the rays of sunshine filtering through the trees and over the top of the distant mountains. I decided to walk toward a clearing and have a better look at the sunrise. (I took a few photos, of course.) Then nature called to me, and I addressed one of the least pleasant tasks on the trail. No big deal anymore, however. Yep, I can sh*% in the woods as well as any bear! Next, I returned to my hammock, where it serves as a perfect sling chair for my blogging. It¢s where I sit now. As I sit here, I have opened the valve to my air mattress, and the air is escaping as I write. I¢ll roll that tight, then my sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner. I¢ll feed Tessa (when she¢s willing to come out of the hammock), then have my own breakfast: two nutrition bars of some sort or other. Yum! (I ditched the instant oatmeal long ago. It had begun to feel like school paste in my mouth¢¦not good.) I¢ll take down my hammock and reload my pack. I¢ll brush and floss my teeth (yes, Tim¢¦I¢ve been taking good care of my teeth here on the trail!) and take my medicine. I¢ll don fresh underwear and socks. Finally, I¢ll put on my hiking shoes and gaiters and hit the trail once again. My water supply is good, so I don¢t have to worry about looking for a stream for at least a couple of hours. Today looks very promising. The sun is shining, the temperature is mild, the birds are singing, and I am in a beautiful stretch of Virginia woods. What more could a girl want? (Maybe a good morning kiss¢¦I¢ll have to see how Tessa feels about it.) Today is going to be a good day. I feel it. Hope your day is wonderful, too. Happy Trails!LATER: I¢ve been hiking at a good clip for two hours straight, and now I¢m going to take a ten-minute break and eat some trail mix. Oddly enough, I just don¢t seem to get tired of it. It¢s the perfect mix of dried fruits and nuts, salty and sweet, crunchy and chewy, plus a little decadence afforded by the m&m¢s. Good stuff.Anyway, I wanted to take the opportunity to write a thank-you note.Dear Trail Imbecile;Thank you so much for leaving a big pile of trash next to the trail for others to enjoy. These trees, grasses, flowers and assorted plants can get so tedious mile after mile. Seeing that colorful pile of garbage was a refreshing treat. And those plastic wrappers that will be here virtually forever¢¦what a great legacy to leave behind for the next passers-by. Finally, the beer cans were just the perfect touch. I¢m so excited, because you know what I¢m about to do? I¢m about to pick up all of your crap and put it in my backpack and haul it out. After all, it¢s only 5 days from now that I¢ll be able to dispose of it properly. In the meantime, I wasn¢t carrying enough weight anyway, and it¢s truly my pleasure to haul your sh%$ out of the woods. So thank you, Trail Imbecile, for adding some color to the trail with your lovely pile of garbage. The world is lucky to have such a thoughtful and considerate hiker as yourself gracing the trails. Keep up the good work! And thanks for adding to my load. I hope to one day shake your hand (and maybe wring your neck.)Gratefully, SunshineP.S. I just cleaned up your mess, and I could tell that animals have been chewing on the plastic bags you left behind. That ought to be really good for their digestion! You are a true prince. Moron. 8:49 PM:I¢m bushed. I did 17 miles today, but I was shooting for 20. I can never seem to meet my goals, but 17 miles is fairly respectable out here. This isn¢t easy terrain. Perhaps tomorrow I can hit a 20-mile day. I really want to start pushing harder. I¢m one of the last northbound (NOBO) thru-hikers out here. I¢ve taken too many zeros, hiked too few miles per day, and lost a couple of weeks on the trail when I went home, and now I¢m out here pretty much alone. I ran into one thru-hiker today. One. And just one day hiker. I saw two people on the trail all day today. It¢s a little lonely, but as long as I have my dog and my music I¢ll be okay. I¢ll just keep on keepin¢ on, come what may. I¢m too tired to even eat. I¢ll have dinner for breakfast tomorrow. All I want to do is lie down and sleep.