Date: 2015-06-06
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 13.6

Don't worry! I just going home for a double zero plus nero. At least, that is the plan. I don't intend to be one of those hikers who gets sucked into the comforts of home and never returns to the trail. I need the adventure! The ice cream! The therapy and catharsis of the hike! I also have nothing better to do with my life (and come on, what's better than hiking the AT, anyway?).It was raining when I woke up. I was super bummed until I left the shelter to pee, umbrella up, and realized that it wasn't raining hard at all. Best of all, it had completely stopped by the time I was on the trail.I packed up and was ready to go by 5:45. I don't think Chris was ever ready before 6:20 at the earliest. I felt so speedy! Lighting Red Panda, back in the game. I taped a note to Chris on the side of the shelter letting him know where I was getting off the trail and that I hoped to be returning sometime on Tuesday (as well as some sappy thanks for hiking with me, I had a good time blah blah blah). There is a small chance that he might actually see it and read it at some point. I expect him to be at least a day ahead of me when I return to the trail. It seems like if he isn't hiking with me, he is a day ahead of me.Then I headed north, retrieving my bear bag (which only took me about eight tries to hang last night) on my way, eating my breakfast as I walked. Back to my old solo routine.I have been so tired lately. I just never get enough sleep. My diet sucks, too. I just kind of wandered down the trail this morning, half-asleep, eating cold oatmeal out of a ziploc bag with a titanium spork like the insane backpacker wacko I am.Even though the rain had stopped, the hike was still wet. The air was thick with humidity. The rocks were slick and my sneakers were wet and I slipped and skidded down the rocky sections of trail. I came REALLY CLOSE to falling right on my butt more than once. Thankfully, my trekking poles saved me.I passed a few people out day hiking. Yesterday a group of four men had stopped to ask me questions about thru-hiking (they were particularly interested in knowing about how I get my food). They had expressed their admiration of my hike, which boosted my self-esteem a little. It is good when that happens, when people pass me and say, "Are you heading to Maine? Good for you! I'm impressed." It reminds me how lucky I am to be on the trail. And after weeks of hiking, with no real good breaks, with sore feet and a tired body and a tired mind, I need that perspective.It seemed like it took forever to reach Caledonia State Park. 13.6 miles is a lot, but they were mostly easy miles. A lot of rocky parts, but also a lot of nice, flat, wonderfully painless miles. By the end, my feet really hurt. I was kind of anxious to be done walking. At the same time, I know I will be super anxious to get back on the trail in a couple of days.I made it to the park about an hour before I was supposed to meet dad and Cindy (his girlfriend). Actually, I hiked 10 by 10 (ten miles by ten o'clock), and 11 by 11, AND 12 by 12. I told you, lightning Red Panda is back in the game. And also just starts hiking really, really early.I wandered around looking for Funk's brother and/or a bathroom. I found the bathroom first, resisting the urge to buy french fries from the snack bar by the park pool. I never found Funk's brother. I cleaned up in the bathroom and looked for him some more but then dad texted me to let me know he had arrived, so I redirected myself towards the park entrance, where I enjoyed DOUBLE HUGS. I missed my dad. I was so glad to see him.He looked at my legs and said, "You're bulking up!" Just what every girl wants to hear... thanks, dad. I know that I have gained AT LEAST five pounds since the beginning of my hike. All those M&Ms and trail magic hot dogs, Wayside ice cream cones and cookies from Chris's mom have gone to my thighs. At least some of that weight is muscle, though. Sometimes when I am climbing, I think, "My legs are SO STRONG!" They are beastly. It is awesome. I hate my chafing thighs, though. The chafing is so annoying. I was so skinny for a while after losing weight in Korea. I miss my chafeless legs. I hope to regain them someday post-hike.Then dad handed me a bag of Milano cookies. DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ONES. I love Milano cookies. Even bulkier body, here I come. Butt, prepare yourself for more cookie fat!I changed into clothes they brought with them (cotton! So soft! So dry!) before getting into the car. Five and a half hours to get home. Five and a half hours of forced sitting. What a dream for my feet, so used to carrying 150 pounds for 9 hours a day."Did you have lunch yet?" I asked them, trying to decide if I should immediately break into my cookies. You know how I am with food. I want it. All the time. If dad and Cindy weren't going to stop for food on the way home, I would totally polish off the cookies. But if they planned to stop for lunch soon, I really wanted a salad. A nice, cold salad. With crispy lettuce. And maybe chicken. Gotta have that protein.They told me to keep an eye out for a place I might want to stop at for lunch on the way home. I didn't care. My only request was a salad. I was too tired to pay attention to the road signs once I was in the car, anyway. The motion of riding made me extra lethargic."There's one of those Cracker Barrels up here." Cindy eventually said. "If you want a salad.""Aw, yes!" I cheered from the back seat. "Let's go to Cracker Barrel! I've never been there, I keep hearing it's good."So I ate a biscuit, and cornbread, and a salad with tons of delicious veggies and chicken. And I had sweet potato fries, too. Because I can. And you know that once I got back in that car, cookies made their way into my tummy. It is going to suck to have to lose all this pudge after I end my hike, hahaha.The drive home was long. It was weird to ride in a car. I usually travel so slowly... three miles to an hour instead of sixty. It is crazy to think about how many miles I have covered on foot in two months compared to how many can be driven in 5 hours."Have you heard any Whippoorwills?" Dad asked me as Cindy drove."God, I want to KILL them!" I shouted in frustration, memories of sleepless nights due to incessant obnoxious bird calling. They laughed. They don't understand my pain. There have been two nights when the stupid birds have kept me up for hours at night. Once at Trent Creek. Once at Blackrock Hut, when Chris asked, "Does anyone know what that bird is?" And like three of us answered, "Whippoorwill." And then we all proceeded to complain for an hour.I shared my horrible Whippoorwill experience story then tried to take a nap. Not comfortable. We stopped for gas and I hobbled off to pee (in a real bathroom), then finished my cookies. Dad seemed surprised. I think I might have to skip dinner. Not because I am full (is this even possible?!) but because I am so tired I am starting to feel sick.Less than two hours from home and twin reunion time! I haven't seen Candace in almost a year. That is TOO LONG for twin separation. I feel bad that I will probably just arrive and shower and crash into a heap of hiker on the kitchen table. Tomorrow we will have a big fun picnic, though, and I can harass her all day. Hooray!