1665 miles

Jerry and his wife, Susanna, own the restaurant and store in Troutdale, VA (the old Troutdale Trading Post), and they and their staff take good care of hikers that come through. I've been eating every meal here (burgers, reubens, sweet potato fries, green beans, fried okra, cornbread, chocolate milk, and a ham and cheese omlette -- not all at once, but all delicious, even in memory!), and now I'm borrowing their computer (which they offer freely to hikers). Since I'm the only one still here today, I may, for the first time, not have anyone looking over my shoulder and waiting their turn to get on the internet. In that case, I may write a little more....

Matt took me by surprise the other day by asking, point-blank, "Are you having FUN?" I think if he had asked, "How are you?" or "How is the hiking?", I would have answered - and truthfully - "Good." But the word "fun" threw me off and made me hesitate.

You see, it's gotten cold on the trail, and that has changed my hike. Before, I liked everything about the trail life and every minute. Now, for the first time, there's some aspects I don't like. There are moments that are not fun at all, and the truth is, I'm having a hard time accepting that as a natural part of this hike. I mean, it was bound to happen! How could I expect to not encounter difficult spots or down days? Lately, it seems I have a good morning, but a not-so-great afternoon. Or a good day followed by a not-so-good day. Smooth switchbacks, then rocky ridgelines. And every other day, I'd get to the shelter after dark, which I really don't like. I was getting frustrated.

And then yesterday, it occurred to me, that okay, the cold is changing my hike whether I want it to or not and it's not going anywhere, so maybe I've got to change the way I think about the hike.

Let me try to explain with an example: On sunny, warm days, I tend to take many breaks throughout the day and linger at nice overlooks or stretches of woods. When the weather is not so pleasant (overcast or rainy), there's no reason to stop, so I tend to pump out the miles. So when it got cold, I just walked, and I found myself doing more and more miles. The faster I go, the sooner I'll be done with the trail and be out of the cold. Yes, I know, I began thinking like that, so out of character! Without realizing it, I was letting the cold dictate my hike.

So yesterday, I thought, if I'm going to reclaim my hike, I need to make sure I can be warm enough to go more slowly. My priority was to get warmer gear then, even if that meant getting off the trail for a bit. I know it sounds so obvious, but it was like an epiphany to me: The idea of the cold as something that I could accept and enjoy. I felt better as soon as I thought it.

So that's where I'm at now. I take this idea for a road test tomorrow when I climb up in elevation and enter the Grayson Highlands. Jerry graciously shuttled me to the outfitter in Damascus and waited while I shopped (that's patience, bless his heart!) so I would have a way back. We headed back to Troutdale, and I was as chatty as can be because I was so excited again about hiking!

I'm about to enter the part of the trail that is dearest to me: the Grayson Highlands where I first backpacked, the Smokies where I first fell in love with the mountains, and somewhere between the two, where I first heard about and stepped foot on the AT. My hike is slowly but surely coming to an end soon. There's lots to savor, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I've got the patience, will, and good fortune to do so.