Appalachian Trail 2009

This year's hike was a success. I really enjoyed getting back in the mountains. It was also great to help two people enjoy their first hike ever: my 8 year old nephew and my husband. Both claim they enjoyed the experience and will hike again.

We never did see the governor of South Carolina. ;)

Some of my favorite moments:

The sweet smell of a cool breeze as we walked.
Seeing the stars above me as I slept in my hammock.
Knowing that I could give all the other hikers a run for their money, even the 20 year old guys. It wasn't really a competition but it's nice to know.

There are a few stories we can tell. A large, angry rattlesnake gave us some trouble on our second day. He was sitting 3 inches from the trail and he was not moving. In fact, he was coiled up and rattling. So, we listened to the wisdom of an old Chinese proverb and....headed out into the woods so we could simply walk around him. That day was challenging in more ways that one. It was the longest, hilliest day but it was only the second day which meant our packs were full. Add in an extra sleeping bag from my nephew and my pack suddenly weighed 40 lbs.

After that, it was smooth sailing. The other major hills were scheduled for the end of the week when we had eaten most of our food (i.e. lighter packs). Beautiful days. Cool nights. Only 30 minutes of rain. Good times.

Well, there were mice in our packs almost every night but that's just part of hiking. The mice seemed to prefer my peanut butter pretzels. At least the little vermin had good taste.

I, too, would love to hike next summer. Maybe hike 40 miles in 4 days and take a few days to ride my bike. A bigger physical challenge. Plus, the roads up there are awesome for riding. We'll see.

For now it's time to get back on track with my Beach to Battleship training!