3 Nights In A Row Of Luxury

Day 32

Monday April 24, 2017

Miles: 273.4 - 279.3

7:20am - 12:43pm

Cloudy, cool turned humid

Staying at Basecamp again

We did another quick slackpacking day of 8.9 miles. It was easy in hiker terms. But It was by no means a walk in the park. The elevation profile of the Appalachian Trail looks very similar to an EKG print out with all the possible bad rhythms except flat lining. It has been a month since we started and we are beginning to feel our trail legs getting stronger  carryimg us up and over the peaks more enjoyably. 

Nothing stood out today except we had no rain. First day in a week that we haven't been drenched. The trail is still wet, muddy, and slippery but it is so much more fun when the weather is agreeable.

Our Day Hiking Lunch 

Since today was uneventful I decided today's post should be about a thought I had weeks ago when I was hiking a rather difficult section. I was comparing the trail to childbirth. 

Some baby's are planned and some come by chance. It's the same with a thru hike. There are those who plan for months even years before they set foot on the trail and others just fall into it. Then before the baby comes there is labor. Sometimes it is hard and grueling and sometimes it quick and easy. One just never knows. The trail is just like that. Some days we huff and puff and drag ourselves up and over the peaks one at a time breathing and swearing why'd we ever do this. Then we finish that one (contraction done) and slumber down to the gap gearing up for the next and begin huffing and puffing all over again. This goes on for hours. But once we make that final push and we are at the highest summit of the day with the view breathe taking (the baby) we forget all about the pain we just endured.

And some of us forget real fast about all the pain and agony and do it a second time. 

Happy Hiking.