March 25, 2011

After a cold, semi-sleepless night I awoke when I heard zippers and stuff sacks being activated. I packed up, ate some poptarts and the three of us hit the trail. One guy was a teacher from upstate New York, and the other fellow was a roofer from the Boston area. It was another clear, gorgeous day. The terrain was challenging by the weather was cool and perfect. By the time we stopped for water at Justus Creek, two more were hiking with us. Our goal on that second day was not clear, we would just hike and see how far we could get. We reached Gooch Mtn. Shelter around 1:30pm and decided to press on to a place called Woody Gap. One can camp where ever they please along the trail, but when you aren't at a specific shelter you can just hope to find water and level ground. We found a great spot around 5. After about 12 miles for the day, my body was worn out but not injured in anyway, and our spot was on a high ridge with a great view. As the sun set, the negativity started to jump back into my head. The second night was difficult for me. I wasn't scared, but I felt lonely and very selfish. The worst part is, I knew it was all just BS, but to start the trail feeling this way, made me begin to doubt my ability to finish it. The days were filled with excitement, and the nights with strange things..