Date: 2012-05-03
From: Front royal hostel 

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 33.5
Weather: scattered clouds

****The following post is not a paid advertisement for the Appalachian Trail Thru-hikers community and is happily brought to you by Eric McKinley himself!****That's right folks, it's me Eric McKinley!! I am here today to talk about a new and FREE way to lose weight, get in shape, and toughen up!! Did I mention it is FREE?!?! (well the concept is.. there are small fee's along the way however) It is called Hiking the AT. It is very simple.. All you have to do is pack a small bag with a few basic essentials. Then you bum a ride to Springer Mountain in Georgia... And your ready to go.. Just start hiking, everyday, for 2,184 miles... nothing to it! And before you know it you will have lost all that excess fat, your legs will be toned and rock solid, and you will be feeling better than ever (there may be some discomfort however while performing the task). The best part is you can eat ANYTHING you want and ALL of it if you want, no worries about gaining weight back. So go ahead and eat that pizza crust you calorie saver! Because on the trail, calories are your best friend. What are you waiting for!?!!? Start today! FREE!!! This is HUGGGGGGE!!!!(this program was brought to you by Eric McKinley)Hello everyone,Today as you can see is my new official record! I am psyched to have hit a new best day, it was not easily achieved however. I got on the trail around 0800 this morning and kicked off my day with two climbs with over 1000ft elevation gain. The terrain was simple, I was frustrated - my water bottle cap was not on tight and soaked the bottom of my pack. Thankfully water dries. I hiked alone all day, it was very relaxing and enjoyable. I knocked out the miles one by one and realized that the Bear's Den was suddenly a possible goal to hit. I did not plan on coming here but I found it a great challenge to shoot for. I picked up the pace and kept a solid 3mph all day long. The climbs were not all that bad and the path was decently groomed. There was a storm not far away but I got to enjoy a nice breeze from it. It was much needed because it was in the high 80's all day long and it was a killer to be hiking in. I drank lots of water today, but it was not enough mid way through. I noticed myself getting majorly dehydrated so I needed to act quickly and get some liquids in me. Thankfully I had some gatorade mix, so I super saturated the water I had left with it and gulped it down. It got me to the next water supply and I drank three more liters there. I have began to drink water straight from springs without filtering them as long as the water is coming straight out of the ground. Most people on the trail do not filter spring water as there is no need. When I came down to a stream crossing about 30 miles in today I saw my life flash before my eyes. I heard a noise up in the tree, as if something brushed up against the leaves up high. As I turned to look a huge branch came crashing down right where I had just been standing a second before... Talk about a Come to Jesus moment! My response was to sit down and take a quick drink of my good old Jack Daniel's... I think it was much needed and deserved!Bear's Den came soon after my brush with death. It was just off the trail at the summit of my last climb for the day. The last 10 miles today was very hard as it is whats called "The Roller Coaster." It is a series of rocky P.U.D.S that are steep and difficult due to multiple climbs in a row. I was very pleased to see the sign directing me here. This brings me to just 3 miles away from WV and from hitting my official 1000 mile mark on the AT. You may notice it says I have broke that because I technically have because I did the 9 mile approach trail at the beginning. Tonight I have relaxed and ate... a large pizza, a pint of ice cream, two soda's, a dozen cookies, a pear... and I am still hungry. By the way I am down nearly 15 pounds! Well time to go get some sleep. I will be in Harper's Ferry tomorrow, the unofficial half way mark! I can't wait to count down from 1000 miles left!