Date: 2017-10-31
To: Stealth site 
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: few clouds

10/31Stealth site at 1785.213.8 milesAt 5:45 I woke up and checked my watch. I groaned internally. I was still tired and wanted to fall back asleep, but I had to get up so soon I knew that I would feel worse if I fell back asleep than if I just got up. Reluctantly I turned on the light in my bunk and got dressed for the day. Mine was the first light to come on, but the others soon followed me. I packed up my remaining gear, then staggered down to the kitchen. I knew it was too early for breakfast, but there was a light on and I hoped for coffee. Lots of coffee. Jim had the percolator going. It wasn't very strong yet but I poured myself a cup anyway. I sat by the heater and blearily stared at nothing. The others came in and probably said things. I ate a donut and got more coffee. Soon we were all ready to head out. Fearless and I to Dennis Cove Rd. Sleepy Bear, Sierra, and JD to a point 11 miles further out. It will be the last time I see Fearless for a while, if at all. I should cross paths with the others for a few days yet if they keep slackpacking. In fact I saw them shortly into the day, before I reached Moreland Gap shelter. I spent the morning trying to walk briskly enough to stay warm. My pack groaned, stuffed with Goddess' generosity. It will be a while before I need to buy any snacks. Gradually my legs remembered how to carry a backpack up mountains. By lunchtime I forgot about how heavy it felt in the morning. I remembered that in 2010 this section felt like a very long series of pointless ups and downs. Now it feels like a very gentle path, with lovely soft footing and mild inclines. Funny what a difference time and mileage can make. I remembered being here with DeLee 16 years ago, and with Cody, Stickwalker, Belle, and Mountain Man in 2010. Near here DeLee had given me a carrot cake power bar for my birthday. Fellow hikers had walked on coals and gender swapped their clothes. The other thruhikers and I had camped along a cascading stream. I had fought a migraine. I had felt down and texted JD and DeLee for moral support. Memories cascaded around me like the rushing streams I kept encountering. It warmed up a little in the afternoon but remained brisk. It was an invitation to keep moving. I started to tire, taking brief standing breaks more often. I decided to stop at a bench by a view to rest. It was a nice spot, but gnats showed up to torment me. I shouldered my pack and moved on, ready to find a campsite. I stopped at the next stream for two liters of water, then walked on with an alert eye on my surroundings. In under a mile I found a pleasant campsite a few dozen yards off the trail. Within a few minutes I pitched my little tent and strung up a bear line. With satisfaction I sat in the waning sun to eat and consider my day. It wasn't my longest day ever, but it wasn't bad. I was carrying a heavy pack in fairly cold weather, which is strenuous. My foot barely twinged after it warmed up. I'm very pleased with its progress. I still must walk slowly, as a faster pace hurts it. But either I don't have to be as careful with it, or I've made the process of careful step placement automatic. I'm honestly not sure which it is. Much as I enjoyed hiker company over the last few days, and look forward to it again, the prospect of a quiet evening in the woods is attractive too. It is soothing to be alone in the woods. Doing what I want, when I want, without having to coordinate with others carries its own taste of freedom. In the morning I'll make coffee in the dark while disturbing no one. Or I'll sleep past dawn and have a lazy breakfast in bed without bogging down another's schedule. Either way I'll enjoy it.