I’m in Abington, VA for the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Assn annual Gathering. There are lots of hikers here; I’ve been running into people I know all afternoon. The group is currently out on the patio at the venue for afternoon hot dogs, beans and potato salad.

I went out on a hike this morning along the Virginia Creeper Trail. It’s a rails to trails project that starts here in Abington and goes through Damascus, then along the river paralleling the AT. It was an awesome 6 mile out and back hike.

The world reveals itself to those who travel on foot.

Werner Herzog

I’m getting ready to go back for another section in a couple of weeks. This time I’m looking to finish the southern section of the trail with a hike from Damascus, VA to Standing Bear Hostel, where I finished my section last spring. If completed, this section will add about another 230 miles to the trail I’ve completed; making a total of 1,500 miles done!

I’ll be attending the ALDHA Gathering near Damascus before I hike. I’m looking forward to fellowship with other hikers and reconnecting with the AT. Aquaman, 2023’s winter AT SOBO Thru-hiker, will be there and I’ll even be running a workshop on slicing Dyneema.

I’v got a new tent for this trip. I finally bit the bullet and bought a DCF tent. I liked the X-Mid 1P I hiked with in the spring so much, I upgraded to the same tent in DCF. It’ll shave 3/4 lb off my pack weight and save some set-up time too. There’s a video on my YouTube site, if you’re interested.

Follow my blog and YouTube channel, I’ll be hiking again soon! Puffin

“You’re off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting. So get on your way.”

Dr Suess

After finishing the Smokies and the 240 mile section from Springer Mtn, GA to Standing Bear Farm, TN I’ve decided to head home and call it a “section.” Other than the weather, which was horrible, it was an amazing experience.

It was the first time I hiked with the “bubble” of thru-hikers going NOBO. In fact, Trail Jesus accused me of being a thru-hiker; I felt like one too. I met so many amazing people and made so many friends.

My initial goal was to get in better physical shape; mission accomplished. I realized it when I hiked up Cheoah Bald in 4 hours. I tried out a new tent; the Durston X-Mid 1P was amazing. There were multiple gear failures; a broken pack, a leaking sleeping pad and some terrible food. The big surprise was learning to have patience and hike slower. Persistence was also found; with the bad weather, it would have been easy to quit so many times. And I found angels, oh so many amazing people who offered assistance and encouragement.

I want to say a special thanks to Renegade who generously gave me a ride off trail along with companionship during my final push through the Smokies. And best wishes to Bright Spot and Bluebird; great hiking partners.

And again I realize why people hike the trail.

Final Section Stats
Days 28 (3/12/23-4/9/23)
Start - Springer Mtn (0.0)
End - Standing Bear (241.5)
Total section miles: 184.1
Section Avg:  8.0*
Total miles on AT: 1220.0
   * Zeros (4) not included

Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.

Charles Dickens

I started out early today and the rain has stopped. But only for a short while; it restarted and rained for most of the 10 1/2 mile hike.

The views continued to be filled with clouds, and the rain continued all the way to the end of the hike. It felt great to be out of the Smokies and have the national park behind me.

The gem of the day was meeting Chris, who just finished a fastest known time of the Benton MacKaye Trail. He’s a Triple Crowner and he’s the real deal.

AT Thru-Hike Stats
Section Day #27 (4/8/23)
Start - Cosby Knob (231.1)
End - Standing Bear (241.5)
Today's mileage: 10.4
Total section miles: 184.1
Section Avg:  8.0*
Total miles on AT: 1220.0
   * Zeros (4) not included

Life’s Tragedy is that we get old to soon and wise too late.

Benjamin Franklin

The hike today was a long one in the rain. Including the distance from the shelter to the trail it was 13.4 miles. I was surprised at how quickly the miles went even though the weather was absolutely horrible.

I arrived at Cosby Knob Shelter in time to get a spot before the crowds arrived. It was a good thing, because the rain continued on to the next day.

AT Thru-Hike Stats
Section Day #26 (4/7/23)
Start - Peck’s Corner (218.2)
End - Cosby Knob (231.1)
Today's mileage: 12.9
Total section miles: 173.7
Section Avg:  7.9*
Total miles on AT: 1209.6
   * Zeros (4) not included

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

Buddha