Less than 1000 miles remain

I’m writing this from Hamburg, PA, on my first rest day after 9 days of hiking since DC. There’s not a lot to do here at my highway-side residence, so I’m deciding if I want to reluctantly take a lengthy ride-share to make it to a movie theater this afternoon. 

Things are feeling a lot more routine now, so there’s a lot less to write about. While the excitement has worn off, it’s made room for feeling genuinely relaxed more frequently, which is particularly pleasant in the woods. 

Since leaving DC, I’ve traversed Maryland and crossed the official halfway mark, where I attempted and failed the famed half gallon challenge, where hikers try to eat a half gallon of ice cream at the general store. I did come close, finishing the 48 ounce tub, but not quite having what it takes to finish the pint afterwards. Next time. 

I’ve been in the northern half of the AT’s time in PA for a couple days now, in the area known as “Rockslyvania.” This has proven to be the biggest challenge to me so far; there aren’t many viewpoints or summits, the crowds of thru-hikers have thinned dramatically, you need to walk very slowly and carefully, the terrain is flat, and the bottoms of my feet are taking a beating. All my muscles feel good, my foot skin looks normal with no blisters, but they have become very sensitive. With the novelty of trail life wearing off, and the challenges of this section of the trail, I’m willing to call this a minor low point of the journey. I’m still enjoying the days out here, and I wish I was hiking instead of resting today, but I am looking forward to emerging from PA.

I have a lot I’m looking forward to! I’ll be spending the weekend with Clara and Tony, and will be entering familiar parts of the country when I get to New Jersey in 80 miles. Getting to NYC, Mount Greylock, the i90 crossing near The Lee Service Plaza, the White Mountains, and other northern locations with emotional heft will be very exciting. 

Crossing into the last 1000 miles definitely felt sad, but I think it served as a good reminder to take all this in and get as much out of this journey as I can.