Date: 2018-10-27
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob
Miles today: 12.9

Crazy BritWell today is a bittersweet day as it¢s the last night I will spend in a shelter on my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2018. Its been a great trip met a whole lot of really great people, men and women with one goal to complete a thru hike, and of course those that are just out to do a few sections, with the promise that they don¢t know how long it will take, but hopefully they will fulfill their dream. I feel very sad for the hikers that have had to leave the trail for one reason or another, it will still be out there waiting for you.We envy the section hikers as in a few days they will go home to a warm house with hot showers, and a faucet you can just turn a handle and water will come out!!!!.Today has been a really tough day, it¢s been really really and I do mean really cold. The zipper broke on my rain jacket which was not a good thing so I have it folded around me, my waterproof gloves which cost a fortune have lost their waterproofness.Of course with all this nonstop rain the mountains are full of water, and the man made AT Trail is a perfect channel. I have 3 pairs of socks one is in my sleeping bag and is only for nighttime use, nice wooly socks perfect!!! My other socks and liners are soaking wet from wading in the endless stream of water, which I might add is freezing cold. I have on my thermal long johns with my waterproof trousers, these work great.I have on a long sleeved thermal top, an anti sweat tee shirt, a mid layer jacket, and a waterproof top. On my head I have a buff, a peaked cap and the hood from the waterproof jacket. So you can see I am all ready for the cold, but it¢s still cold.Now it¢s going to be sweet going home to Janice, great bed cuddles at night, a shower, great food to fatten me up, seeing Stacy and Sandra and Little Wyatt, the only other male in the house. I can go fishing with my mate Hobie, going sailing on Sunday with Greg Petrat on his Schooner at a great regatta.Of course I have my workshop got to do some projects in there related to the AT Trail, so I am a lucky man at my age of almost 71 years old, to hike this trail of 2189 miles in one calendar year, I am very thankful. My thanks go out to my Great Friend David who taught me the ropes, he is a great Guy.There is not a lot to say about today¢s hike it was 12.9 miles of slogging it out in the rain, wading at times. I even got blown off the trail by gusts of wind, it was that powerful today. There were no views as I was hiking on a ridge line at about 4000 to 5000 ft up in the famous Smokies clouds. So it was keep warm by keep hiking only took two short breaks as you soon start to feel the coldness starting to penetrate. It¢s tough because I have one of the best puffy jackets you can buy a Montbell 900 fill with a hood but it¢s no good in the rain as it¢s Goose Down, once wet is worse than useless.So that was my day, I am sorry that it will be over, hope I readjust to normal life, and not be too much of a pain.Even as bad as today was, am I going to miss it, you can bet I will. Tomorrow I will be a Thru Hiker on one of the Worlds Top Ten Hiking Trails, and I Love it out Here!!!!!!.I am sat in my sleeping bag with my Puffy on woolly socks and thermals, drinking a Hot chocolate, it really is simple!!My good friend Dan Caruso is going to be waiting for me as I come out of the Forest at Davenport Gap tomorrow to drive me back to Nantahala to get my car I will then visit with him, looking forward to seeing his house he is restoring in Blowing Rock. Then on the way home have a visit with Juliet my Stepdaughter, looking forward to seeing herAs you read this I hope it will give you an insight into living on the edge, all you have to do is take that first step, you won¢t regret it