Wow. Today was amazing. We must be getting better at the hiking thing. This was expected to be our toughest day yet we seem to have breezed through it. I thinl our total walking time was 4.5 hrs to cover 7.8 mi with insane elevation changes. I still can’t believe we covered 5 mi by lunch.

We got to the last shelter of the trip just after 4. It would’ve been sooner but we stopped to refill water before heading down. I have to say this is the nicest shelter we’ve encountered. It even has a nice little loft area. The surrounding area is gorgeous.

It feels good to have the hammock up, firewood gathered, and dinner ready to prepeare with a good 2 hours of daylight ahead of us. Once again we have the shelter to ourselves (do we stink?) So I predict a quiet night just enjoying the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze.

I did come up with a little saying today that helped me up the mountain: Small steps, big strides. I found I can cover more ground if I just take it slow instead of keeping a faster pace and having to stop more often. So remember that in life you can cover a lot with small steps. That’s all for now.

I dub thyself Kudzu. I figured it was about time I had a good trail name so instead of waiting for somebody else to christen me, I gave myself one. If you know anything about kudzu it grows like crazy and spreads everywhere it can. That’s pretty much how I am. Just look at the table at the shelter moments after arriving.

I continued on with my exotic dinner selections. Tonight was garlic and olive oil with vermicelli and chicken breast. It was quite yummy.

Ok, the fire is out (wood too wet to really sustain it), dinner is done, the crickets are chirping, and daylight is almost gone. What are we supposed to do now? The silence is deafening. 🙂

I guess this is why we try not to get to the shelters too early. Oh well. Guess I’ll turn in early.

Oh, a bunny did come by for a quick visit. His name was Rabby.

For those of you wondering if bears poop in the woods, I believe the answer is yes. At least based on the piles along the trail. For those of us that want to poop somewhere else, we use a privy.

Purty, ain’t it? Just hold your breath or wear a bandana over your face.