Woods Hole Hostel 1567.6 to Jenny Knob Shelter 1589.4 (21.8 miles, 1589.4 total miles)
It took a bit to fall asleep again last night, but Rude and I shared the room well, and when my alarm went off at 6:30, I only snoozed it till around 7AM.
I could still hear rain pattering outside as I lay in bed for half an hour, talking myself into getting out from under the comfortable and warm covers.
At 7:30, I made my way to the resupply closet outside to grab a little tube of toothpaste that I’d paid for the evening before, then made a pit stop to pour a cup of coffee on the porch, where the others were sitting with their own cups.
I brushed my teeth and took a quick shower without washing my hair, changing into my hiking clothes before the breakfast bell chimed downstairs.
We completed our gratitude circle, and quite a few of us mentioned the wonderful time we’d had last night playing games around the table.
I was going to talk about the vast book selection there, but ended up sticking with the games last night as well. It had been healing for me to have such a fun time with the others.
Happy again to be eating with everyone downstairs, I had peach crisp, scrambled eggs, and warm bread for breakfast, talking with the other hikers about our plans for the day.
After eating, I decided spur of the moment to resupply at the hostel. It was a small resupply for options, but it would give me the freedom to hike past the grocery I was going to stop at today, 15 miles in and half a mile off trail.
I knew if I went there, it would cost money to tent and I’d undoubtedly spend money on hot food as well. At Woods Hole, I was able to resupply three and a half days of food for only $26.
I packed up, as most of the other hikers headed out, taking the extra time to clean my room well and set it up for the next guests, as I knew Neville was short staffed for a day or two.
She gave me a hug before I left, and I thanked her for all she’d done for me, and her kindness. Woods Hole is truly a gem for a crunchy gal like me, and I knew I’d be back in the future.
While I was packing, an amazing thing happened. The storm finished blowing away, the clouds broke, and the sun emerged, finally visible after days of its absence, a beacon of hope for continuing my hike.
I felt cheered by this, and got back on the road just after 10AM, ready and eager to be in the woods. I turned off my music I’d been listening to since packing up as I entered the forest on the AT again, wanting to immerse myself in nature.
The forest was wet to be sure, but my shoes didn’t get too damp as there wasn’t overgrown foliage to hike through to start. I had a mile of climbing up to Sugar Run Mountain, enjoying my body getting warmed up as I was only wearing my shorts and hiking shirt, no other warm layers.
Still, it had to be about 60 degrees or so, as we were finally having a run of warmer weather this week. The forest was intensely beautiful, just the right lighting and dampness to make the greenery around me pop visually.
A couple miles later, I came upon a short spur trail to a view that spoke to me deeply. There was a ridge to my left, maybe the one I just came from, and town visible to my right, with a few trees right in the middle.
I stood there in the bright sunshine, talking to the Universe, thinking and talking about Frankie, and setting my intentions for the rest of my hike. To see how strong, how frugal, and how independent I could be.
I wanted to finish this hike right. I’d been through so much, emotionally more than physically, and was hoping to honor this whole journey and pilgrimage by trying to have the best remaining 600 miles I possibly could, understanding how sacred finishing this hike is going to be for me.
I cried a little as I talked -beautiful, meaningful tears of love for myself- before continuing on, feeling better than I had in days. A bit further on, I began descending from the ridge, warming as I dropped in elevation.
I arrived at Wapiti Shelter off a short blue blaze at 1PM, 7.5 miles into the day, where I found Rude, Sundial, and Twig, the latter two the section hiking couple from Woods Hole the day before.
Sundial and Twig were hostel blazing on a slackpack to Weary Feet, about 8 miles ahead. I was avoiding more hostels for the moment, but knew Lucifer was slacking there too today.
Rude was going to hike to a campsite before the road most likely. He asked me if I’d reached my destination for the day, and I raised my eyebrows at him, teasing that he knew me better than that.
I told them I was contemplating hiking another 14.5 miles to the next shelter, which should only take five hours or so. I hadn’t decided yet, because I knew Iroh and Sydney would most likely be there.
However, I had decided to do the kind thing and had Iroh’s hoodie in my pack, from where he’d left it at the hostel main house by accident. I packed it out, knowing he needed it, so I’d have to see them either way.
I ate a granola bar and a Clif bar, read the log book, hit the privy, and was hiking out with the other three by 1:30. Rude was just behind me, and we hiked together for a while.
We hiked over several bridges, through many rhododendron groves and tunnels, and passed a nice pond. Rude told me about his life before trail and currently, and I enjoyed learning more about a hiker I’d known for quite a while now.
He told me that his dad had thru hiked the Appalachian Trail the year after he retired, at 59. Now Rude was doing the same thing the year after he retired, also 59.
He said his dad was still alive in his 80s now, and he’d gotten to talk with him on the phone many times through his hike, telling him what he’d seen and discussing what his dad remembered.
Rude also said he was surprised he’d made it this far. He’d wanted to hike the northeast at least, but had also told himself if there was a day he decided he didn’t want to be on trail he’d get off, right then and there.
I admired that, as I’d thought and said aloud many times now that I’d die trying before I quit this hike, which felt extreme in comparison. Only because I know for me how it feels to leave a thru hike unfinished, and what I would do to avoid that happening again.
Rude dropped a little behind me after a bit, but not too much, until I let him pass so I could pee and drink some propel and caffeine at 2:45. I saw we’d done 4.29 miles since the shelter and had been hiking 3.5 miles over the easy valley terrain.
I was still leaning toward the 22 mile day, but saw there were a couple backup campsites before that. White Walker had told me about his technique of deciding the minimum miles he’d go for the day, then figure out if he wanted to extend that based on how he felt.
I liked that, so told myself I’d hike to the campsites before the road, then decide from there. When I passed both campsites, I saw Rude had evidently decided to go further, as well.
I stopped and collected a liter of water from Dismal Creek, a beautiful creek flowing alongside the trail through the rhododendrons for about a mile.
I adored hiking through rhododendron tunnels, admiring the way their interlacing, wavy branches created such beautiful enclosures above the trail. It also deeply reminded me of the beginning of my last hike, so near to here.
Just before the turnoff to Dismal Falls, I saw Rude consulting his guide, trying to decide where to stay for the night. It sounded like he was going to check out the falls, .3 off trail, and either camp there or go to Trent’s Grocery.
As for me, I could see I had options for a campsite at 8.6, or the shelter was 10.6 miles away. It was just about 3:00, and I was still figuring on hitting the shelter at 6:20 if I went there.
I wanted to hike till around that time, so I thought I’d just choose whichever I was closest to by then. I said bye to Rude, and hiked up and over a small hill, putting on The Untethered Soul as I went, an audiobook I’d downloaded after seeing it on a bookshelf at Woods Hole.
A couple miles later I crossed the road, and began an ascent of a few miles, which leveled out in various places and was only 980 feet of elevation gain, so it wasn’t difficult at all.
I hiked through a beautiful field on the way up, enjoying the bright sun making me sweat on the uphill, feeling like summer again for a moment.
I switched to music, but had been thinking all day as I hiked, processing everything and hiking out a lot of feelings I had toward the relationships that had ended this year.
There had been a lot of grief and heartbreak in my life the past several years, which I supposed was just a part of growing older, or being lucky up to a certain point.
It was hard for me to not have Frankie when I went through a loss, because he had made me feel so loved. I wondered if and when that feeling might come back into my life one day, or when I’d truly be ready to let it back in.
I’d been trying, but something told me I’d been creating these situations of loss in my life, by choosing the people who had mirrored back to me the emotions I had still yet to fully work through.
It’s a strange thing, to have so much time alone in the woods to think, but at the same time to be so actively still living life out here. The AT is a very social place, even going south, and a lot can happen on trail interpersonally.
I was 3.8 miles from camp at 5PM, still pacing for a 6:20 arrival, though I thought it might be more like 6:15 now. I passed both campsites, reassured that their emptiness meant White Walker and KT would most likely be at the shelter as well.
As I descended to the road, a nice woman holding a water bottle in one hand and a can of bear spray in the other was hiking up trail.
I stopped to let her pass, and when she asked I told her I hadn’t seen a single bear at all this half of my hike, and heard they basically went into hiding when the hunting dogs come out.
She seemed a little unsure of herself, hence the bear spray, but said she lived nearby and I thought it was great she was getting out there. She thought my hike was great, too, and congratulated me before moving on.
I stopped briefly for water, collecting a liter in a puddle of a water source before the final .8 climb to the shelter, which got my heart racing but wasn’t too difficult.
In fact the whole day had been really enjoyable and I turned onto the shelter side trail at 6:15 on the dot, impressed I’d hiked 22 miles after 10AM without even planning too. I guessed being flexible could be enjoyable after all.
White Walker and KT were indeed there, as were Iroh, Sydney, and Q, set up in the woods a bit to the side. There were also a couple older men sectioning hiking.
I gave Iroh his hoodie, and he seemed very grateful I’d brought it to him, and Q was quite pleased to see me. I ate dinner with KT, White Walker, and one of the section hikers, while also setting up my tent next to the shelter.
After dinner, I changed into my warm clothes and called my dad, since I had cell service at the shelter. It was his birthday tomorrow, and I talked with him and my mom for a bit.
They had a new puppy, and my mom had gone with the name Sydney suggested, Willow. They send me a couple pictures, and she seemed very cute.
It was nice talking with them, darkness falling as I did so. Sunset was now at 7PM, and sunrise was 7:20. It was warm this week, but I saw the first frost was expected around Saturday, five days from now. Winter was coming, indeed.