Date: 2017-05-07
From: Nature's inn hiker hostel

To: Nature's inn hiker hostel
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: snow

I woke up excited to start my day. The shuttle got me to the trailhead and I was hiking by 9:45. It made me a bit nervous to start my long day so late but I started my hiking day and assumed I would be moving faster because I had a lighter pack on my back. I bought a lightweight, frameless sea-to-summmit bag in Franklin which worked well enough for my day hike. It was not very efficient though. I had to stop everytime I wanted something from my bag and I often had to untie myself from the Paracord hip and chest belts that I had fashioned. I found myself constantly taking breaks and having to readjust.Heading south bound was very exciting but also slowed my pace significantly! I was having fun socializing with my bubble throughout the day. Thruhikers can communicate with hikers behind us on the trail through the log books in shelters and yesterday morning I was expressing my wish to be able to communicate with hikers ahead of us. Well, that's exactly what slackpacking south bound for a day will give you. I passed the goon squad at the start of my miles which was nice because I hadn't seen them since Hot Springs. Found out we'll both be in Erwin tomorrow. In the middle portion of the day I passed a lot of unfamiliar faces, hikers that I have been traveling close to for a month but never knew it. I was saying hi to the north bounders I passed as if they knew that I was also a thruhiker but I was disguised as a day hiker. It felt a bit like skiing at Killington on an off day. I always wave at the lift operators out of habit but I never know if they actually recognize me.It was finally sunny again! It was cold traveling along the ridges and there were even remnants of the snow storm that I had missed when I hopped off the trail yesterday. I was thoroughly enjoying having a lighter pack. It made it much easier to run and dance as I traveled along flats and downhill sections. I was feeling stressed by time constraints though because I wasn't moving fast enough. I was getting close to Sam's Gap, the gap closest to the hostel I was staying at. I knew I had plenty of energy to finish my big mile day but didn't want to make the hostel owners come pick me up at 9pm. I called to check in though and it seemed they'd be willing to come get me so I kept pushing.When I arrived at Sam's Gap, there was trail magic and I found myself sitting with some fellow hikers, drinking a margarita at 4:30 with 8 miles still left to hike. A few minutes later, a shuttle from nature's inn rolled up to fetch the hikers I was sitting with. It felt like a sign that it was time for me to head home for the night as well. I had put myself in an awkward position because I had chosen to head south bound for the day and I didn't get all my miles in. It would now cost me an extra night at the hostel, extra shuttle rides and put me a day behind to go back for those miles tomorrow. I'm skipping those miles for now and I don't care. Well, I may feel a little guilty, but not enough to do anything different.It was nice to get back to the hostel at a reasonable hour. I had time to cook up some tasty vegetables and farm fresh eggs that I bought from Taft, Sarah and Michael. I've had an amazing stay here and I'm very appreciative of their hospitality. I showed up cold and wet and longing for some sense of home, or at least something comfortable. This stay was a good break to allow me to recharge a bit.