1st & 2nd Peter
Stealth campsite to Dalton MA - 18.9 miles hiked today - 1571.8 total AT miles hiked to date
Happy Independence Day! Today marks exactly 45 years to the day since I finished my last extended backpacking trip. On July 4, 1976 I walked into the Navy base in Sigonella Sicily after 2 months backpacking Europe with Bill McNett. Great times.
Today’s hike was not as memorable. Trail conditions were some of the worst I’ve encountered in months. With all of the rain for the past 3 days, the trail was either submerged under water or covered by mud. There was no avoiding soaked feet. In addition, what would usually be simple creek crossings, became sketchy attempts to cross over and through overrun banks and crossings.
I did have some interesting encounters despite the conditions, including meeting the official AT chaplain, Bone Spur, also known as Chris Estus, a United Methodist pastor from Houston who is thru hiking the trail as part of that ministry this year. He had actually heard about me prior to our meeting, the hiker with the broken wrist. We had an interesting conversation and will likely meet again as he is flip flopping back and forth on the trail to meet the most hikers possible. Other interesting things seen and done today included a Big Mouth Billy Bass seen mounted on a tree, a stop at the Cookie Lady for a free cookie and some Elderberry punch, a six pack of soda as a roadside trail magic, and a section of trail recently cleared for logging.
I made it into Dalton late in the day, and will stay in town tonight to dry out everything and try to de-prune my feet.
Until next time…
Does that big mouth Billy Bass talk?
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