We’re officially over 100 miles in, and our spirits couldn’t be higher. In the last week, we’ve made it through the border into North Carolina, crossed our first 100 mile threshold, hiked and felt our strongest, and met some wonderful characters along the way.
I think the question we’ve heard the most thus far is: what’s it like? And at the risk of sounding like an utter cheeseball, the experience has been nothing short of indescribable. (But I’ll do my best)
We’ve found a pretty good routine of waking up and eating a quick breakfast on the go, hitting the trail between 8-8:30am, and we will typically hike for about two hours before our first rest stop. That is, unless there is a scenic view crying out to be noticed, a beautiful new flower budding up, or any other enticing sight that keeps us from toddling up the trail.
We hike and hike and hike some more, stopping periodically for breaks, lunch and the occasional water refill, though it’s apparent through Peeta’s rare refills that she is quite the dehydrated hiker.
After we hike for anywhere between 8-10 hours, we find a spot for our tent and in no time at all we have set up our “home” for the evening. The tent is popped, dinner is made, comfy clothes are donned and after some brief chats with our neighbors, we journal or play a quick game of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, and are off to bed. Despite my poor sleep patterns in normal society, it’s rare that we get less that 10 hours of sleep on the trail. Granted, a lot of that time is just spent shifting around trying to get comfortable on the root digging into your back.
However, I’ve merely only told you what our day to day schedule looks like, not what the day to day feels like. I could write a lot about all of the emotions and thoughts that have propped up on the trail, but never once have I doubted ourselves. It’s been such a pleasure and a novel experience to completely immerse ourselves in the not so glamorous life of a thru-hiker.
There’s a certain freedom in waking up each morning with nothing on your agenda but a walk through the mountains. It feels so good to end the day with sweat crystals on your brow, knowing you earned your sleep and not wanting to be anywhere else in the world. Everything is heightened: the way you savor your food, the appreciation you have for the good graces of others (thank you trail angels!), the joy that comes with a warm sunny day and the mysticism of a foggy morning. It’s been nothing but pure bliss, and I’m not bullshitting you either!
Even through the hangriness, the aching feet and the puffy morning eyes, at the root of it all is just the overwhelming feeling of fulfillment. Contentment. We’re feeling stronger than ever, having completed our longest day thus far of 15.5 miles! But the trail wouldn’t be anything without its people.
We’ve met so many endearing and wonderful folks on and off the trail. Church groups that fed us breakfast, solo hikers with a passion for stories, retired vets finding solace among the trees, young, old, boisterous or quiet…but none of them frail. Every single person we’ve met has had an enduring spirit about them. Every person is out on their own mission, finding their own joy in different ways. And that, to me, is one of the most beautiful things to see out here. People seeking their Katahdin for the first or the 5th time, but always with the same vigor. If there’s one thing the trail has taught me, it’s that health has no age, there’s 70 year olds out here kicking my butt!
I’ll end this post with a measure of gratitude for the folks along the way that have given us laughs, stories, tips and tricks and of course…food! If I’ve learned anything from the trail up to this point, it’s that good people still exist in the world, and they’re around us everyday. 🙂
Happy trails!
A short footnote from Peeta: Katniss is spot on! This continues to be a truly inspiring experience and every day the woodlands come to life as Spring is in full swing…truly magical!! It’s hard to imagine that all this beauty is found along a single dirt footpath spanning the East Coast.
We will soon be entering Smokey Mountain National Park and Karen G will be joining us for the next 140 miles or so. Looking forward to continuing on as a trio. Although I did have to warn her…NEVER, EVER hike behind Katniss after a dinner of freeze dried Kale and white bean stew. 😂
Katahdin or Bust! 
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