Date: 2016-03-17
From: Cantarroso Farm in Erwin,TN

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: clear sky

Today was a Nero, meaning minimal hiking. This was done intentionally to set up the Roan Mountain hike in a couple days. In hindsight it might have been a better idea to have hiked more mileage today but what is done is done. Today was fun. Leisurely departure from Cantarroso Farm with shuttle over to Uncle Johnny's . It was good to catch up with hikers there. Papa Monkey headed out before noon. TJ and Morgan arrived - hikers I hadn't seen for about a week. It was then that I apologized to Morgan as it had taken me a while to realize that Morgan was Morgan from Florida, who I had met on Day 1 on the way to Springer Mountain. TJ and Morgan had just done a 32 mile day yesterday and plan to take a zero tomorrow. I saw Morgan purchasing a substantial amount of food and asked him how his weight is doing. He looks great but he's doing what he can to not lose any more weight since he's already lost 26 pounds.Today is my 31st day out here. AT mileage to date totals 346 for an average of 11 miles per day. Am pretty pleased with those totals. It's pleasing to realize that I am keeping up with some of these strong, young hikers but know that there are some hikers who arrive at resupply points and leave so quickly that I never speak with them to know just how fast some hikers are moving. For example, I can't fathom hiking 32 miles in a day. This is my hike though and it's good to be where I am and feeling as good as I feel. Hey, I haven't broken a finger in a while so that counts for something.The question has been asked about whether and how I receive news while hiking out here. It depends on your definition of news. News here involves water sources, weather forecasts, updates about other hikers, resupply points, and "don't miss this upcoming attraction" or "did you see that" moments. Hikers have a unique version of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and what's going on in the non-hiking world is very distant. I didn't realize how quickly this transition takes place and I am not saying I think this transition is right, but my sense is that my perspective on this is shared by other hikers. Patches, a nice guy who Blues Brother and I are with tonight, was asked by his dad recently as to what he thinks about while he hikes. Patches' response was that 75% of the time he thinks about food. I forget his other categories and percentages except that that only 5% involved non-hiking areas of interest. The one constant connection to the "real" world is communications exchanged with loved ones and my recognition of the joy associated with trailjournal messages. I need to speak with Beth regularly. Two days without speaking with her has not happened often and is not something that I think would be tolerable. Beth gets me up to speed about loved ones and our closest friends - often with laughter - and I share updates about hikers she has never met but now has taken such an interest in. I get a second helping of these topics via messaging with my daughter Anne, who often uploads these entries for me. A big surprise is the trailjournals messaging. I am now in touch with some of my closest and dearest friends and relatives in frequency and a level of interaction that far exceeds my interaction when I was at home in the "real" world. It is a bit weird to realize this and is something I hope to figure out better. Right now I just know that e-mails are a highlight every day and that e-mails from everyone are so important whether from those known for decades or from those connected via this hike. Would I like to know more about the "real" world - Yes. But I get by getting pretty consistent word that my loved ones are doing okay and that some are enjoying this writing of my adventure. I literally see the sun come up every morning and am acutely aware of when it goes down every night. One month in. Lots more to discover. Please keep the messages coming and thank you for them. There's plenty of time to think out here and appreciating all of you is one of those that makes it easier to go up and down these mountains.