April 24th was a standard hiker workday. Woke early, walked solo through a smothering mountain fog with rain jacket on then off then on then off, all day breathing air drunk with the smell of earth and pine needles and something like crushed hemlock. A day of downcast eyes and wandering thoughts. The 25th started…Read more April 24-25: Fighting the Flow 

For anyone who's grown up in contemporary society (yes you, the  Neanderthal with the iPhone) it's clear that speed has become the name of the game. There's no such thing now as "taking it slow." Speed has become inseparable from value, and fast is good, whether it's business, sports, cars communication, or anything else. That…Read more April 22-23: The Big Downshift

Made 14 miles to VA 60 by around two in the afternoon. From there flagged down a Nam vet for a hitch into town. Guess the people who are most likely to help you out are the ones who've been in your shoes. He probably saw the mud-stained duo walking on the roadside and recognized…Read more April 21: Thoughts On Mad Mike and Insanity

At this point in my Appalachian journey I was beginning to get a feel for the minimalist lifestyle that the trail encourages. I'd spent days hiking through hail and nights in self-proclaimed "mouldering" three-walked huts. I had eaten horrific concoctions of food with relish, and didn't think twice about digging a hole when nature called.…Read more April 18-20: The Wayside Chronicles

First things first: I'm behind on my blog posts. Again. Time was the one thing I expected to have in spades while hiking the trail, but it's become apparent that even out here the clock never slows. From morning till night I'm on the go, walking mostly, then parsing words with passing hikers, filling water…Read more April 15-17: Shenendoah, Big Miles, and Wildfires

April 14 Woke up today in a little nowhere town. Went looking for a free shower, found one at the Y. After 10 minutes of hot water and soap, came out of there more than clean. Flip-flops, paved roads, shades, and sunshine. No grass is greener than Virginia's in spring. Found Cosmo at Weasie's Breakfast…Read more Zero Day

April 13 Pulled 27 miles today. They weren't small miles either. Cosmo and I woke early, around 6:15 and hit the trail, climbing "The Priest," one of the biggest mountains in the area, before the sun had even crested the horizon. Virginia farmland sprawled outward in every direction, hemmed in by forest and more mountains.…Read more Marathon Day

April 11th: Today was a good day. Cosmo and I woke early, both weary and sore from the 20 mile day before, with a plan for some R&R. At about the midpoint of our hike for the day was a logging trail by the name of Hog Camp Gap. It was rarely used and distended,…Read more Walden in the Mountains

April 10th:    The life of luxury is in the rearview. Cosmo and I have returned to the off beaten track. We planned for a 20 mile day… which started off with a 3000 foot elevation change. Up. And then back down again. It only took me 8 hours to forget what relaxation is and…Read more First 20 Mile Day

Alright, time to pick up the pace with the blog posts. Here’s the quick and dirty for April 9th: Woke up to a mountaintop blizzard Said my farewells to Torch and Tinder Met up with a fellow thru hiker named Cosmo to split a motel room in the nearest town (Buena Vista ------pronounced Byoona Vista…Read more Buena Vista