Today's hike has probably been one of my favorites so far. The hike itself was hard with a lot of climbing and ups and downs. But today I met a hiking partner that I can finally keep up with! Her name is HazBen. She is a wonderful woman from Alabama who is hiking with her husband, Toesack. She just happens to be retired and has knee problems so that's probably the only reason I could keep up! I am a slow hiker and even slower on the uphills. They say you eventually get "trail legs" but I don't think mine are coming anytime soon. Every day is a challenge. My pack weighs more than it should and I'm having a hard time figuring out what I can get rid of. I knew my pack weighed way too much when I handed Toesack my pack, so I could fit though the lemon squeezer, and he said "You are a stout woman" Haha!! I am meeting up with my family this weekend for a wedding and we will figure out how to get my pack weight down. HazBen had to help me up one part where my knee locked up and I started to fall backwards. A gentle shove sent me in the right direction. I am so thankful to have met this couple. I really enjoy their company and southern accents :)
We ran into all kinds of trail magic today. It was a rare treat and much appreciated. Paddy O even got his grill back out and cooked us some hotdogs! They had sauerkraut and bacon on them. It was such a special treat. He played good music and the four of us (Sprout, HazBen, and Toesack) sat around being happy and full. The kind hearts and generosity of people to strangers really makes my heart warm. After that little delight we came across a cooler with fruit and 4 comfy chairs. We sat and ate fruit and chatted some more.
The end of the day was more challenging, we were tired but we made it to the shelter. It had a lot of people because students from Princeton were there for an orientation program. They were up late talking close to our tent and it made me grumpy. I had to remind myself that they can be as loud as they want and they have just as much of a right to be there as I did. I was just exhausted from my hike and crabby. I fell asleep crabby but I always wake up with a smile on my face. How can you not while living this dream?
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| Love to find beautiful waterfalls like this on the trail! |
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| Sprout coming up the trail! |
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| Sprout coming up through the woods |
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| Pretty sure this is an orchid! Never seen one in nature before. |
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| Beautiful sunset today! |
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