Date: 2016-04-27
From: Punchbowl Mountain shelter

To: Punchbowl Mountain Crossing on the BRP
Miles today: 0.4

A big part of hiking the trail are the people you meet. In the case of last night, Pants, Zen and '76 are all artists. '76 paints in oil and is apparently successful as she can make a living off of her art - not something that most artists can do. Zen and Pants are either finishing or just finished school but in either case have not been able to deploy their skills to earn a living. In all, they are great folks and I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet and share the trail with them.I did not sleep so well last night. The frogs sang on and off all night and I kept waking and looking at my watch. The frog song was really strange - one would start, then a couple more would join in - then the whole freaking pond would join in.....then all of a sudden they all stop at the same time ....and it was strangely quiet. Then the whole damn thing would start over and over and over again.I got up at 4:00 to pee and tried to get back to sleep. I finally gave up at 5:50 AM and started packing up. We were meeting either Oma or Marsha from Three springs at the BRP at 8:00 - so there was hardly any rush needed.'76 joined us for breakfast and after all was said and done, we left the shelter at 7:25 having nothing left to do but hike to the road.We were at the BRP in such short order we should have waited another 10 or 15 minutes to leave - but here we are - 159.3 miles and 46,000 vertical feet in elevation change later - done with our big walk for 2016. It is funny how these things play out. There is a ton of planning, preparation and training that goes into a hike like this. The logistics alone can be mind boggling. I worked on this trip for at least six or so months. Then there is the anticipation that the trip is actually happening - that series of moments where you worry you forgot some critical thing or screwed up the trip flow plan and miscalculated the miles or something silly like that.Then the trip actually happens. It feels at first like an out of body experience - WOW, we are on our way! Then the actual walk begins, and it feels like you have finally come home. The comfort of seeing those white blazes ahead of you, the feel of the earth under your feet, the smell and sounds of the forest around you and the magic that you find along the way.And, before you know it, all of the planning, miles, experiences and encounters are now behind you. All you can think about after is getting back to the trail. The sense lingers as you follow the progress of the folks you met on the trail, letting the miles that they are now experiencing that you have already walked play out in your head.None of this would be possible if not shared with my hiking buddy Greenie, as I would not take on an endeavor such as this alone. I so admire his love and passion for the trail and envy his ability to write and record our experiences. He always sees things with a different lens than I do. But having been a writer professionally he has honed his skill by experience. I always get the feeling that if he could stay and keep hiking he would. Just as getting on the trail feels like coming home, leaving it feels like moving away to a foreign place. I gain comfort in knowing that I can always go home.