Day 6
Starting location: Neel Gap (at the hostel)
Start time: 9:20 am
Initial mileage: 31.3
Final Location: Hogpen Gap (Pick up at Green Dragon Hostel)
End time: 4:50 pm
Final mileage: 38.2
If I have learned anything in 6 days on the road, it is that everything is relative.
There are good days and bad days.
There are good sections and bad sections.
There are good minutes and bad minutes.
It’s very funny how what’s bad one day can be good the next.
On the access path, there were downed branches everywhere. That sucked. Later, I found entire trees on the other side of the trail, forcing me to go through the forest to get around. That really sucked. The last few miles of the Approach Trail had long stretches of downed branches, which “weren’t that bad” compared to whole trees.
On day 2, I walked in 25 degree weather on snow and ice and it sucked. Then I slept in 10 degree weather. Which really sucked. On day 3, I walked in 25 degree weather and «it was pretty nice» compared to overnight.
On day 3, the climb up Sassafras Mountain was a brutal, icy, snowy climb. On Day 6, a similar tough climb up Levelland Mountain was dry and clear and “not that bad” compared to climbing on ice and snow.
Sure, some things suck right now. But everything is relative. Those moments pass. And sometime the next few moments suck worse and you long for what you had before!
All difficult climbs end.
All the cold nights end.
All wet and muddy sections end.
On the Appalachian Trail, everything is relative. If we can remember that, everything we are facing now will be a little more bearable.
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