700 and Counting



Hiking Above the Clouds

I’m sitting in the empty lobby of the lodge at Fontana, NC, with JusMel watching another thunderstorm blow through the valleys of the southern Appalachians. We booked a room when the forecast called for clear skies today through next weekend. Now we are elated with our decision. You just can’t trust the weather on the AT.

I hit mile 700 of my hike yesterday. That kind of amazes me. It’s only 1/3 of the trail but by far the most I’ve ever walked in the woods. It’s kind of crazy when I think about it. So I try not to do that too often. Tomorrow we start our hike through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That will be incredible, I’m sure.

JusMel is ending his hike after we leave the park. I plan to keep going but I am starting to think about  ending my own hike. I feel like I’ve accomplished all of the important things I wanted to do. The only major goal left is finishing the whole trail but that’s not so important to me. I have some pretty clear ideas of what I want to be when I grow up and what I want to do. So maybe I’ll walk another 100 or 200 miles and go home. There’s a lot of adventure waiting there, too. Meanwhile, I hope the rain stays away for the next few days and the trail in the Smokies is dry and the views are clear.


Home for the Night.  Brown Fork Gap, NC
Sharing ice cream at Nantahala with a butterfly









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