Date: 2016-06-22
From: Hemlocks Shelter

To: MA 23 - Mile 1,529
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Began hiking a few minutes before 6:00 a.m. because I was thinking of increased miles to see if I could handle them. The morning was comfortably cool. Chin Music, one of my favorite prior year thru-hikers, wrote that the initial 3 miles today were among the hardest to date so I was anxious about today's hike. My experience has taught me that the trail's conditions due to the weather's impact can significantly change one's perspective. It didn't take long though before the challenging trail was encountered. The challenges primarily consisted of steep, rocky descents. They weren't long in duration but they were tight and required careful foot placement, maneuvers that slow me down. I couldn't really tell how slowly I was hiking and was pleasantly surprised to arrive at the Jug End View, Mile 1,515.4, that marked the end of this challenging section. The view there was expansive and the rocks provided amphitheater-like seating, the perfect spot to have breakfast.Today had the intriguing possibility of hiking with Spirit of 76, Teach, & Steady. Spirit and I recently exchanged messages and I returned to the trail yesterday thinking that our paths might align today. Well it almost happened. By the end of the day, Beth picked me up and drove us to Great Barrington to visit. We all started hiking February 16th and it's been months since we've seen each other but the ease as we spoke reminded me of how quickly Beth and I are able to speak with our closest lifelong friends. It doesn't matter how long since we last spoke, we speak and share as if we've never been apart. Dinner came and went and our trail stories just kept flowing. It was way past hiker midnight when it was apparent we were all running out of energy. None of us know how many miles we'll hike together in the coming days but we took great pleasure realizing that we're this far along in essentially the same place. We know that our Feb 16th starting group includes Subman & Suds, who are may be 5 days behind, and the Big O, who may be 5 days ahead. Even before the stories and sharing began, I found myself being bombarded with recollections of my trail experience. It was like a highlight reel of sorts, memories of people, places, and the challenges.There was plenty of hiking today too. The trail had lots of pine needles, lots of long stone walks, walking through flat pastures, and started with those tricky descents. The trail was wide in parts and very tight in other sections. Can't say that I liked the tight trail as I couldn't help but wonder if ticks were finding me again. I told Beth I was lucky she picked me up when she did. My intention this morning was to hike another 2.5 miles today, and while there was time left in the day to do those miles, I was really tired and my hips were squawking by the end of the hike. I leapfrogged with a clean hiker a few times. Each time we passed each other we talked a bit longer. My question asking about the origin of his trail name led to a long period of hiking together. This is One Boot's eighth year of hiking the trail and he's hiking to the beginning of the White Mountains this year. During his first year, a black bear came within a few feet behind him as he was sitting at a shelter. He said the bear jumped back as far as he initially jumped. The bear was menacing and returned a few times despite One Boot getting help from others in the shelter to shoo the bear away. The bear made off with and gnawed one of his boots during one of bear's visits to the shelter. One Boot will have just 350 miles to go after he finishes his hike this year. I really admire hikers who return year after year. It has to be hard starting each time without trail legs and then leaving just as the capacity to hike more miles is realized. A special thanks to Dottie. She's a trail angel who left many water jugs along the trail the last couple days. The water was cool, refreshing, and so appreciated.Day 2 back was easier mentally than yesterday. I found myself getting back into the physical challenge of the trail. All in all it was a very good day. And as I've said before, Beth made the day so special. Beyond driving me to my trail friends, she was there to meet and spend time with them too.