[A year ago April 15th, I set out to hike the length of the Appalachian Trail, northbound from Georgia to Maine, with my 7 year old dog, Gracie. Almost nightly, I wrote journal entries about what I was experiencing. The demands of trail life with a dog precluded me from posting these entries during the hike. I've chosen to post excerpts to mark the anniversary of this life-altering experience. Enjoy the journey, I certainly did.]
21 April 2009 - Day 7, Mile 64 - Rocky Mountain -> Deep Gap Shelter
Later start than I would have liked today, but at least the bear bag was a success. And we managed to retrieve our food as well. I was really thrown by the arrival of a female thru-hiker at the shelter who did her first 20+ mile day today. This is not who I want to be, but I'm feeling competitive. This is my experience and it need be nothing other than what I want it to be. Hiking my own hike, no one else's.
I'm starting to get noticeably stinky. Need to rinse my clothes in a creek and take a shower. Nice hiking today, did a better job of keeping Gracie warm. Worried about her for the more northern sections, though.
To Do's for 4/22
feed Gracie/snack
get going at 7:30am
breakfast at Dick's Creek Gap and meet Gary from Blueberry Patch with my resupply/possibility of showering?
keep Gracie warm
enjoy myself and the day
cross into North Carolina?
call Eddie regarding where to send stuff
Highlights: Successful bear bag,
Food:
B - Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free hot cereal & hot cocoa
L - pesto pasta
D - refried beans & polenta
Retrospective: Hardcore (aptly named) continued to keep up a pretty consistent 20 mile per day pace, and I still managed to see her at least one other time (at Mountaineer Shelter). When I first met her, it was too early in the hike (and I was too inexperienced) to realize that when you hike with a dog, you hike the dog's hike. Gracie & I did crank out some 20+ mile days, overall, our daily average was just over 12 miles/day, including rest days, and that was perfectly fine. And, I hiked with the most wonderful people as a result.
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