I heard something rustling around last night, but never saw it. The only thing I did see was the big bright moon. No one bothered me and I slept as good as humanly possible. I drank my “Death by Coffee” mixture which is the best darn coffee I’ve had on trail. There’s no other place that comes close to the brew I concoct in my tent. It’s rich and creamy, and you only need one cup!

My first few miles were piles of rocks. Not your typical rock pile, but a two-story pile of boulders. I took a picture but you just can’t get the scale of what I have to do to get to Maine. I equate it to Cross-Fit meets Ninja Warrior while carrying a 25 pound pack! It’s truly a sight to see. I’m not sure I trained properly for this portion of the trail, but it is fun, kind of.

After covering a whopping four miles in 3 hours, yep, you read that right, I stopped at AllenTown Shelter for a much needed break. The shelter was nice and clean, equipped with a broom if you felt so inclined to do some household chores. What I was impressed with, was the Privy. I believe it is the nicest one I’ve seen this side of Harpers Ferry. It had proper steps leading up to it, of course a rock to keep the door closed when not in use, a mirror inside just in case you want to check out your grimy self, and a toilet seat that was placed over the deep dark abyss, that I don’t need to explain. It had a plaque on the outside stating the $1000 it cost to construct it, the 200 man hours to build it and all the volunteers who took the time to complete it. It reminded me of our Ski Club “Vorlage.” The sense of pride and the volunteerism of a job well done. Very impressive indeed! However our club has indoor plumbing and not an outhouse. (Just for clarification purposes.)

After my deed was completed, I packed up and headed down the trail in search of the most important element of the day, water! It has been dry as a bone here, no rain or deluge that the East Coast typically boasts about. So water is getting scarce. There has been mention of a Spring but it’s barely producing, maybe a trickle. However, there was mention that another yellow blaze marked a better flowing stream, a bit further down. After a few bonus steps, I made it to a clean fresh supply of water. Needless to say, this is not the Mojave Desert, but it is starting to resemble certain aspects of it. Lack of water, thorny plants and too many snakes!

After getting my precious drinking water, I headed back up, yes up to the trail. My pack was sitting right where I left it. That is one thing you don’t have to worry about while you are out here. Everyone has their own burdens to carry and no one wants yours, or your backpack! The following four miles were the nicest and groomest (not really a word, but sounds right) I have seen in a long, long time. It was an old forest service road that was a bit overgrown, but it sure was lovely to walk on. I was able to pick up some speed and actually look around at the scenery. I don’t dare do that on the last few sections. I am constantly looking at the ground, and not much more.

So today I heard something I’ve never heard before. While I was sitting on the trail tying my shoe, a large female white-tailed deer stopped a few hundred feet ahead of me. She couldn’t really make out who or what I was, but once she did, she had this high-pitched scream of sorts and started bolting. Her two little baby’s came running to her and off they went. I guess that’s Mama’s way of saying “stranger danger” cuz those deer knew exactly what to do and where to go. Right behind Mama’s tail.

As I was getting closer to civilization, I saw these two sweet dogs. One was a cross between a tan husky and a terrier and the other was an older sheep dog. They came running over to me and I was thrilled to get some dog time. The husky took off but the older dog wanted more scratching. I have no idea who they belong to because there was no owner in sight. The older dog reluctantly went down the trail trying to catch up with his friend and then they vanished back into the woods. I hope they have a warm home to go to, where they get fed, loved and possibly bathed. They were looking a bit dirty, but who am I to talk!

I made it to the Highway and it is a speedway. Four lanes, undivided but thank goodness, there is a guard rail I can walk behind. I made it to Lookout Hostel run by a fellow AT Hiker named Yardsale. It’s a beautiful location that looks over the sprawling valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. I planned to hang out here for the afternoon and evening, then get back at it in the morning. The next few days will be low milage as it will be nothing but wonderful, beautiful, climbing rocks till New Jersey! I can’t wait 😛

One last bit of information. I know it’s hard to believe but I busted my very important hiking pole today. Ends up that Cabela’s has my exact pole in stock. After talking with the nice lady on the phone, she would hold the last pair for me, and credit my busted poles. Now that’s service!

Now all I needed was a driver. That’s where Bryan comes to the rescue. He is a YouTuber and writes Regular Car Reviews. He also loves driving fast, so bringing me gear, is right up his alley. He went to Cabela’s, picked up my poles and delivered them to me at Lookout Hostel, in one hot minute! We talked for quite a bit. His real job, besides driving fast cars, is raising awareness for PTSD in Law Enforcement Officers. It’s so important to recognize that our Police Officers are battling stress and trauma daily. He orchestrates fundraisers and auctions super cool cars, like the one he’s driving today. This, in turn, allows their non-profit to get Officers the support they really need. Way to go Bryan and thanks for your help today. Now I can relax, hang out in the nice hammock, drink a cold soda and enjoy all the hard-work I did. My day is done.