Date: 2009-07-27
From: Unionville, Ny

To: NJ 94
Miles today: 12.0

Day, 2112 slack packing miles today. A slack pack is where you get driven by car to a location up the trail, and you walk back southbound to the same location without your full pack on. I usuall just take a couple liters of water and a snack. You can really bang-out some miles this way if you want to. I was pretty tired today, and didnt want to take a whole zero day, so I got in 12 miles before noon, and just lounged about afterwards. The trail can be super magestic when you are not expecting it. You can be just truckin along, sweating your ass off, thinking sh** I have had to of gone at least 3 miles from that last shelter. Bitching and moaning to yourself, then you reach a little ridge, and there is beautiful view with a great place to sit down, and it is in the middle of nowhere, and you just take it in, and reflect how cool it is that you are there, and all of the other people that would enjoy that view with you if they could. Today, the things that hurt: The balls of my feet, the middle toe on my left foot, all over my arms and legs where the mosquitos have left their love bites, and general soreness in the legs.It is really funny watching hikers walk around in town, and in the morning especially. During the day these people are athletes, plunging forwards an average of 15 to 20 miles over rugged terrain, hauling packs that are average 30 lbs, and consuming close to 3500 calories. Then they look like cripples, and folks you might see waddling into a luby's, hobbling, limping, rubbing aches and bruises.While on the trail, you have hours of time to plan and analyze your plan of attack when you get into town. Lets see....I am going to hit up a gas station for a quick tasty beverage and snack, then to the hostel, then the library, then laundry, then figure out your next resupply, and the grocery store, and ohhh a nap , that would be sweet. And then you arrive finally, and just sit down somewhere and just cant seem to get anything accomplished that you thought you would. The rocking chair you have found at the hostel seems like the most perfect place to be ever, and you just sit there for 2 hours, and belch and fart and rub, and laugh, and try to move as little as possible. The grocery store is a funny place.Once you finally get there, you are beyond overwhelmed by all the choices to make, and you basically do a lot of staring, and think of all the tasty things there are to eat. If you are not careful you could spend an hour just walking around. Not to mention all the other things you planned on doing that afternoon: post office, camp store for additional gear, contacting friends and family, plugging in your ipod, drying out all of your wet stuff, reading your book, watching sportcenter on tv, trying to negotiate the weeks coming miles, and how far you have to go in the next 4 days.And it doesnt slow down. You are surprised to find out how time flys when you are just sitting and relaxing. Then of course you have to stop and thank and appreciate all the people who have helped you get along. The many hitches you get from the many different folks, and of course Dick Ludwig....DA MAN. Thanks Dick