Date: 2017-03-25
From: Stealth camped, Rich Mountain

To: Stealth camped close to Jones Meadow
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Why is it so easy to talk with another thru-hiker? Day 21: 13.4 milesIt was another beautiful hiking day on the Appalachian Trail with a bit of a late start though, due to my late hiking last night. The camp site I selected was perfect. It's funny how you search for the perfect site and will hike later and further just to be certain that you found "it", even though all you are going to do is get in your tent and go to sleep. Perhaps it's the challenge of the hunt? So today was a good day to stop and chat with other hikers. Sometimes you are on a mission and believe it or not, you just don't have time to talk. It might be that you need to get into town for resupply or that you know you have to lay down some miles and can't stop to talk. In any case, I found myself chatting with several people today. Some were individuals on day hikes, section hikers, and other thru-hikers. It's always so easy to talk to them. It must be because of our common interest. Day hikers and section hikers all ask the same questions. They long for the day that they themselves will take their own journey. Other thru-hikers want to know where you started that day, how many miles you will do that day, and where you plan to end your day and so on. Hikers don't talk about current events or politics. One may try, but all they get is an eye roll and left alone to talk to themselves. In fact one hiker openly reminded his wife that they agreed on no politics on the trail. No, we talk about how many calories are in what we are eating. We talk about the next water source or what the most recent weather report looks like. The 24 hour news cycle isn't front and center with a thru-hiker... trying to figure out how to consume five thousand plus calories so that you can hike another day is our priority. It's what we have in common that makes it so easy to talk with another hiker. One final thought for the day, the story of Lou... While hiking today I thought back to a time when one of my sons and I were section hiking the AT with a dear friend. His name is Lou. Lou is one of the finest gentlemen I've ever met or have had the pleasure to know. At the time, I would have been in my late thirties or early forties while Lou was my senior by twenty plus years. He was a real strong hiker and we would struggle to keep up with him. Lou was soft spoken, kind, considerate, and someone easy to respect and admire. Well one day we had stopped hiking and Lou had walked over to where another hiker was sitting. Lou looked in the same direction as the other hiker who had remained seated and simply remarked how peaceful it was. Without skipping a beat the other hiker looked up at him and said, "It was". In other words, he had made it clear that Lou had interfered and interrupted his peaceful day. Lou, being the gentleman he is, gracefully stepped away. I share this story because that hiker missed out on meeting Lou. His life would have been enriched and far better off if he had stood up, introduced himself, and made time for Lou. If he had, his day would have improved tenfold. I promise, Lou would have done the same if the roles were reversed. Isn't time for making time for each other?Whistler