A quarter of the way (day 49)

When I left my tent this morning, almost everyone else had packed up and left camp. I felt like a child who is late for school. It was a beautiful morning, which made it much easier to get ready quickly. The school had been open for the day and I was told that a magical trail awaited me. Sometimes it pays to get up late.

Pit stops

I knew there would be many stops along my walk today. The first one was about 2 miles away. The AT crossed Interstate 81, so I stopped at the truck stop to get some snacks. I always wonder how people perceive me when I enter their cities with a big backpack. I guess they’re used to it. Today was a very hot and humid day, and I was happy to have a store where I could stop by for a Gatorade.

Quarter of the Way!

I planned to do my real resupply at the Quarter Way Inn, a lodge just off the trail a few more miles away. The name clearly indicates that the property is located near the NOBO AT access point. But for some reason this didn’t occur to me. When I came out of the trees and saw the sign, I was surprised and excited.

I’m a quarter of the way to Maine. It seems impossible and should have been achieved a long time ago. There was no one around me, so I took a photo and celebrated with myself. When I finally arrived at the hostel, I was craving another sports drink to combat all the sweat I was losing. The Quarter Way Inn was lovely and came highly recommended. Although I was not staying, the place was nice and cozy. They had resupply: food, drinks, and frozen gluten-free pizza that I made in the microwave.

A cat was dazed in the living room, and if I hadn’t stayed in Damascus, I definitely would have considered spending the night. By the time I crawled to the door, most of the midday heat had passed. The trail immediately resumed through some grass that I had been warned was reputed to have ticks. I wasn’t too worried until another hiker and I noticed dozens of small nymphs crawling on our shoes as we hiked. My clothes and shoes are treated with permethrin, so I was able to get them off quickly. But I definitely did a good check once I arrived at camp for the night.

Challenges

Tonight I’m in my tent at the Knot Maul Branch shelter. It was just me and another hiker, but I heard someone else enter the dark. My allergies are now in full swing and I’m sneezing like crazy. There are new challenges every day.

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