Date: 2017-04-30
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up fairly early today to the sounds of hikers packing up camp in the shelter. I slept pretty heavily but was also thrown off by being in a cramped shelter that oddly enough had a locked fence facing the front so we could lock our food in the shelter with us and make it bear proof. It was unsettling to sleep in a cage. I was exhausted from hiking high mileage days and I was excited to do a 10.5 mile day today and take it easy. My feet were sore and I felt stiff but I started the day with a downhill section to some big rivers so I at least had a chance to warm up. I walked under I-40 today. It was funny to follow white blazes along the highway and acknowledge that that road could (and in the past has) taken me horizontally across the country, but now I am choosing to walk vertically on a slightly slower highway.I stopped at Standing Bear Hostel shortly after. The trail went within walking distance of the hostel. I had only planned to restock on some splurge items (candy bars and such) and continue on my way. I happened upon a violin though before I departed and hung out for an extra hour or two than I'd originally intended. It was amazing to have a violin in my hands! Played all the fiddle tunes I know by the river. When I finished my repetoire, I realized that Fallen, a hiker that I'd recently met, had started to play the hostels guitar. We jammed for an hour. I love singing and it's nice to have a ukulele with me but the violin was quite special today. I was able to play the melodies in my head (unlike on a uke) and there was no pressure to think of words to accompany my melody (like when I sing). I was feeling so refreshed after playing the violin, that I was tempted to push for a longer mileage day. The hostel worker had planted a seed in my head to check out Max Patch summit today and my new friend Simba had the idea to watch the sunset on the summit and then descend to the shelter by headlamp. So much for having s short day to rest! I wound up hiking 18.8 miles today! I spent 12 hours in transit today but about 3-4 of those were breaks.The summit of Max Patch was unbelievably beautiful. It also took my breath away. There was a 360 view of rolling hills, fields and mountains. The summit was covered in grass. We decided we've finally discovered our living room (given the assumption that the Earth is our home). The grassy field felt like a green carpet. After dinner we ran around barefoot and did some yoga. This was the first time I've had a comfortable location to do yoga since starting the trail. It was amazing to have a view of surrounding mountains no matter which way I oriented myself while stretching. It was a bit too cloudy to have a sunset but there were still quite interesting patterns of clouds and reflecting light in the sky as the sun went to bed and the moon rose. Once it got dark, Simba and I finished our last few miles of the day by headlamp. Today was so unexpected and I can barely wrap my head around how much I loved every moment. Even the ten or so miles where I was steadily plotting up a mountain and sweating my butt off. My body feels good after doing an 18.8 mile day. I'm thoroughly impressed with myself. Not sure if I'll push to Hot Springs tomorrow. It's supposed to thunderstorm in the morning but it'd be nice to get in tomorrow and try to see some familiar faces before they head back into the woods.