Thumbin’ my way to North Carolina

Finally, one of my favorite trail songs that I’ve been singing since Maine is relevant (Wagon Wheel)! I’m finally out of Virginia and have been going back and forth between TN and NC the last few days. I’m getting really close to the Smokies, and GEORGIA! Only 340 miles left!

Virginia had an epic ending with the Grayson highlands, Mount Rogers, and Damascus. Thankfully the weather warmed up a little and melted the snow! However, I’m sad to report that I did not see any of the famous miniature ponies, I guess they were hiding from the cold. I also had a great trail angel experience with another southbound hiker named Gramps. While hitchhiking into town, we got picked up by Cody, a recently retired fireman who offered to put us up for the night in his big beautiful home in the countryside. Gramps and I of course were happy to accept! It’s amazing how much I trust people on the trail these days. I’ll go home with just about anyone and eat ANYTHING someone offers me (or even random things I find lying around, haha). Anyway, Cody turned out to be an extremely great dude. I was a bit worried at first because he gave me a lecture on how to protect myself as a woman in a world full of crazy people, complete with some demonstrations of self defense moves. Turns out he’s just really interested in that topic and has been training for the upcoming zombie apocalypse. Anyway, super nice guy and fabulous cook. He even took us to the local fall festival, which was a really fun way to experience backwoods Virginia culture, haha!

Damascus was a cool little town with a lot of other hikers there, including my buddy Cody Coyote! I saw Junco, possibly for the last time, which makes me sad! He was slowing down to visit home and friends in the area (he’s from NC). However, I’ve noticed I’m much more motivated to put miles in when I’m hiking alone. Also, without anyone to complain to or commiserate with, I find I am less apt to overanalyze situations and thus blow my struggles out of proportion.

Since leaving Damascus I’ve been hostel hoppin. This is my 4th night in a row to stay inside and get a shower! Believe me, this is definitely out of the ordinary, but I’m very appreciative! The hostel prices have gotten much cheaper in the south, so why not? My favorite was the trail-famous Kincora hostel, run by the legendary Bob Peoples. This was the best deal at a hostel yet, as I got a shower, laundry, private room and homemade dinner for $5. Also, I got to hang out with some trail legends, Baltimore Jack and Seiko. They’ve each hiked the trail 9 and 13 (?!) times respectively, which is absolutely insane. How anyone does this trail more than once is beyond my understanding, but I loved listening to their stories. Then the hostel I stayed at last night was called the “Greasy Creek Friendly” because apparently there is an unfriendly neighbor next door who is hostile enough! Haha! The lady who runs it, Connie, is slightly crazy but very sweet. I was the only guest, so I got special attention! We watched a movie last night in her cozy home and she fixed me an awesome banana split.

I’ve been climbing some pretty killer mountains lately. Yesterday I went over the Hump and Roan Mountain (over 6200ft high!) in gorgeous weather. The views were the best I’ve seen since Vermont. Today I climbed Unaka mountain, which reminded me of Maine with a dense spruce forest on its summit. The trails in TN and NC generally seem to be better maintained than much of the north, and besides the climbs, the walking isn’t hard.

Physically, I am ready to finish the trail, but I’m not sure if I’m ready mentally. I’m looking at just about 2 and a half more weeks in the woods, and that already has me reflecting on my time out here and what it has meant to me. I thought I knew myself pretty well before this trip, but I’ve learned more about myself than I could have ever imagined. Also, I’ve been inspired and challenged to take these lessons back to my life at home. I’m not sure how these two worlds (pre-trail and post-trail) will merge… Hopefully I’ll get a better idea over the next couple of weeks. While it’s nothing to worry about, I just want to ensure I take advantage of everything I’ve experienced out here. But as a good friend recently said to me, “why do you think you have to have it all figured out?” Good question. No one has it all figured out, and I shouldn’t feel pressured to. The only way to “figure” life out is through experiential learning, and I hear it takes a lifetime 🙂