2017 Appalachian Hike

Let’s see if I can stay awake while I write this tonight. I typically do this when I go to bed. Bed time is between 8&9 every night.  As soon as it’s dark all the hikers are asleep. I doze off frequently while I’m writing this. There are many times I wake up around 2:00am and find my phone laying on my chest. Then I finish it. 

23.5 miles today. No rain. This is good because rain makes rocks wet and slippery. 

There was a particularly challenging climb today. In fact we were told if the rocks are wet to not go on it. There is another way around it. But the rocks were dry and I’m wanting to keep my hike purely on the marked AT. No blue blazes. It was much harder than I thought. 

At the end of the bridge is the mountain we had to climb. This is the most scared I’ve been. It was straight up rock climbing. Having to find foot holds and places to grip with your hands, with my heavy backpack on. I actually got to a spot and was stuck. I couldn’t figure out how I was going to make the next step safely and I couldn’t figure out how to go back down. Luckily a group of five young hikers came up behind me. They coached and encouraged me the rest of the way up. 

I wish I could have taken more pictures while I was up there, but I was quite literally to scared to try to get my phone out. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. 

Engineer, Maple Syrup and I are in our tents tonight. Timber is in the shelter. 

We have 20 miles to hike tomorrow into Delaware Water Gap.