Mon, May 9, 2016 It would be a level, dooown, uuuup, level, blip, blip, dooown, corrugate, blip, camp day and camp would be rather interesting but I’ll wait till we get there – it won’t be long. Another day of pleasure amidst the cycle of growth and decay while walking on the earth to which […]

Sun, May 8, 2016 It was a grey, misty day on the crest before Simms Gap.  I was the early riser.  The profile was dip, corrugated, long mound, dooown, blip/blip, uuuup, level, camp. Pictures tell me little forest flowers were blooming, small, sharply pointed leaves were turning an iridescent green and fallen feathers were fluttering […]

Sat, May 7, 2016 I had breakfast at a nearby restaurant while others went farther up the way to Hardee’s for their morning fare.  Wonder and another wanted to share the shuttle back to the trail.  We had agreed on a 10:00 a.m. departure. A more typical AT thru-hiker and the fellow from Trent’s with […]

Fri, May 6, 2016 Would this be another zero?  Would my boots arrive? Sometime mid-morning I felt the need to press on the issue of my package arriving.  I had the day before as well.  The post office had no package for Hiker Sojo.  Of course, that’s who I was – and that’s the name […]

Thu, May 5, 2016 This was a zero day waiting for boots.  Somewhere on the trail I had stopped to call Merrell about the serious issue with my toes.  I had sat on a boulder off to the right of the trail in a generally flat area.  A hiker passed as I was working my […]

Wed, May 4, 2016 I have many privy shots.  The toilet paper holder at Wapiti Shelter was to the point. The privy is a helpful little hut when available – privacy often minimal or absent entirely but for mutual respect.  Some were loaded with toilet paper – some had none.  I always had some napkins […]

Tue, May 3, 2016 There was nothing unusual about rising and departing the shelter that morning – except IT DIDN’T HAIL! Wildcard left before me without a word.  It was another overcast, wet morning.  Better rain than hail – at least for the sake of the tent. A little over a mile in, I crossed […]

Mon, May 2, 2016 This was going to be a fairly easy corrugated day although up is up.  It had rained during the night and the tent and ground were wet with drops sparkling in the morning sun.  The day would be uneventful but for perhaps 4 points One: Spring was pushing out more and […]

Sun, May 1, 2016 It was still raining when we awoke on May 1st.  In crowded, rain-soaked quarters, waking is more of a communal than an individual event.  But don’t imagine vigorous chatter.  It is a quiet time, each attending to his/her personal needs: dressing (always modest, usually in the bag), collecting and organizing gear, […]

Sat, Apr 30, 2016 Applejack and I had chatted about the length of our daily advance on the north.  I had said I was going to be aiming for 20-miles-plus in the less mountainous terrain AWOL was projecting.  Applejack was a little nonplused and thought perhaps he should be aiming as high as well.  Although […]