Make it count: Day #67

Monday, May 18 - Day #67 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 7.7
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 872.0/2,193 (39.76%)

Waynesboro, VA - Quality Inn Hotel (864.3) to Calf Mountain Shelter (872.0) - tent at Calf Mountain Shelter

Total ascent - 1,998’
Total descent - 1,079’

Total States Completed - 3/14

**Rain Day - started raining when I got out of the shuttle. Rained steadily the rest of the day

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Next chapter of the journey begins today. I’m currently in my tent at the Calf Mountain Shelter - all alone. It’s been raining nonstop ever since I got out of the shuttle which brought me back to the trail. Fortunately, the temperatures are sitting around 50 degrees - not low 30’s. This has saved me from hypothermia.

Today was a bit different of an approach for me. I had to wait until 9am to go to the post office and pick up my resupply. (Outstanding by the way!! The new shoes are feeling good so far!). I then came back to the hotel and spent time packing all my gear with the new shipment. I then drove 20 minutes to return my rental car and had the Stanimals Hostal caretaker pick me up and bring me back to the trail. All of this took some time - and I only got on the trail about 12:15pm. But that was sort of the goal - I knew I only wanted to go about 8 miles to the first shelter location (the next Shelter/tenting location was at 21 miles - I didn’t want that distance with a heavy pack)

My pack is probably the heaviest it’s been all trip. I’m fully loaded up for 7 days (108 miles). The goal is to finish the Shenandoahs on Sunday. I’ll then go into Front Royal, VA for a resupply. I then have about 53 miles to Harpers Ferry, WV - where I intend to take a Zero (a real one - not one where I’m driving hundreds of miles). Harpers Ferry is at Mile 1,025.9 - it’s known as the “halfway point” of the AT trail (although the actual halfway number is 1,096.5). So - 10 days from now (May 28) - I should be in Harpers Ferry if things go well. I’ll be out of Virginia, over the 1,000 mile marker, heading into Maryland, a couple days from 50% completion — lots of good stuff on the horizon.

I just have to keep focused - take each small segment one at a time. I feel it helps me to project out a bit - it gives me something to look forward to. I was so thankful for relatively good weather in the Smokey’s (not so cold and I didn’t get much rain). Unfortunately, I’m paying for it this week. The weather forecast shows rain all week long. Tomorrow- 70% chance of rain all day with totals of an inch or more. Again - the positive side is the temperatures are only expected to get into the low to mid 40’s at night and mid 50’s to low 60’s in the daytime. This isn’t perfect beach weather - but I’ve seen much worse. The main bummer about nonstop rain - it makes the course more difficult/dangerous - which makes me slower - which makes me spend more time out there - which makes my body hurt more. So - not really a fan of nonstop rain - regardless of the temperatures.

To give perspective on why I talk so much about weather and elevation profiles - I like to understand what I’m getting myself into when it comes to these factors — it helps me mentally prepare. I know several people on trail want to know nothing about the upcoming course or weather - they just deal with it when it comes. I can’t operate very well like that.

Here’s to consistency. Here’s to keeping myself inspired. Heres to keeping it going. Here’s to a good day ahead on the AT!

Goodnight from rain soaked Virginia.