Date: 2014-04-14
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

What a great day! Now that the trail is up on the ridge the treadway has gotten more gentle. It looks like we follow this ridge for 30 odd miles, on into Damascus. The trail keeps coming back to the top of the ridge and one can watch their progress by the change of the view down below. Initially there are lots of rocky outcrops at the ridge top. These mountains are old. The rock seams are almost vertical, and slabs push themselves up into the air. Beautiful. I am reminded that I have lived most of my life in areas that the geology is mostly effected by the last glaciers. Here it is the steady erosion of time on what was once a huge mountain chain. The trail here has become smoother, and not so bound by masses of rocks that I expect further north.At TN91 I came upon trail magic. Trail Magic! It's been a while. The local Baptist Church keeps a secure steel box filled with drinks and snacks for hikers. They replenish it daily during April and May. It never ceases to amaze me, this outpouring of good will towards hikers. We receive so much. And right there at TN91 I met Marilyn, someone who's been reading my journal. It was so humbling to come out of the woods and find someone there who had been following my hike. What do you say? Her husband, The Leopard (age 66 like me), and nephew John hiked with me for a while. They were doing a 6 mile training section. Thanks to all three of you for your support and encouragement.When I got to Abingdon Gap Shelter Zacksquatch, Mogli, Cactus, and Aroo were there. There was a bit of applause over my first 20 mile day. Again, humbling because Cactus and Aroo were in the middle of a 32 mile day. And Aroo had recently done 57 miles in 26 hours. Cactus is well on his way to a triple crown. The hiker community is wonderful. I don't know what else to say. I enjoy this fellowship SO MUCH.It was great to see Zachsquatch again. We met way back in Neel Gap, 31 miles into the trail. I hadn't met Mogli before. She's doing a section SOBO. But she was wearing Dirty Girl gaiters, which I haven't seen on anyone else yet. Hers were a different bright pattern. So we swapped one gaiter each. I smile every time I think about it. And we talked about the I Ching. And Miyazaki's films. You just never know who you're going to meet on the trail. I love the fellowship at the shelters, at the end of a day of hiking. Laughter is easy. The shared experiences. Cooking trail food. Nursing sore feet. It's wonderful. All the cares of the outside are on hold. Damascus is tomorrow. Town food. And then it gets dark, hiker midnight, and we all settle in our sleeping bags for a night's sleep.When I started in Georgia it took me all day to do 10 miles. Today I did 22.7. And while that's modest relative to many hikers, it's a big deal to me. My legs are stronger. My feet don't hurt as much as they did. I've lost, I'm guessing, between 15 and 20 pounds. I feel terrific. And now I'm confident that I can put in relaxed and sustained 15 to 18 mile days that will take me well up the trail. "It's not about the miles, it's about the smiles." That is so true. I feel like the trail is molding me into a legitimate thru hiker. I said in one of my pre-hike entries that I hoped to be a tween age hiker by Damascus. I feel like that's what I am.