Mile 2190.9: The End (?)

The rain wakes me up. I’m already nervous for the day that’s about to start and the weather doesn’t help lowering my stress levels. I sit quietly in the corner of the shelter, it’s still dark all around me and the only noise comes from the boiling water on the stove. I’m not thinking about…

Mile 2185.7: Family, friends and fun

“There are no places to obtain supplies or get help until Abol Bridge 100 miles north. Do not attempt this section unless you have a minimum of 10 days supplies and are fully equipped. This is the longest wilderness section of the entire A.T. and its difficulty should not be underestimated. Good hiking!” reads the…

Mile 1742.9: Kindness Can’t Be Bought

“People won’t be as nice to you up north,” once told me a man in North Carolina. He assured me that I would’ve had a hard time finding rides, enjoying some trail magic, and that majority of people would’ve thought that I was homeless. God, he was wrong. The day after the Connecticut Challenge I…

Mile 1358: Hard as Rock

The light drizzle tapping on the shelter’s aluminum roof wake me up. I feel rested and ready for what was expecting me that day. “It’s time for some climbing,” I think, while tying my beat up shoes. The endless rocks definitely took a toll on them. While crossing the bridge at Lehigh Gap I look…

Mile 1257.9: The Other Half

“Damn, half gallon  of ice cream is not easy to carry in your stomach,” I think while heading back to the trail, leaving Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I spent all morning sitting outside the general store, pondering the pros and cons of hiking with such huge amount of dairy inside my intestines. After finally…

Mile 944.4: Loneliness

Loneliness can be brutal, especially if your minds starts taking trips into unknown territories. Wednesday morning I wish Dubs a safe flight. He’s flying home for a wedding and won’t be back on the trail for another five days. Mac decided to go back to the trail early in the morning, mostly to avoid spending…

Mile 729.1: Time to say bye

“I think I’ll stay another day here,” says Cruise Control, almost heedlessly. It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon, during one of the few moments of relax at Trail Days. The sun hasn’t been out much but the alcohol and the endless parties around tent city helped us not worrying much about the weather. I look at…

Mile 514.5: Dear Mom

I made it to 500 miles! Almost a quarter of this crazy adventure is already behind me and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience so far. So much has already happened and I wish you could see how happy I am out here, living like a bum, without showering and eating like every…

Mile 428: The Trail Provides

Sometimes you have a strong desire for something but no way to get your hands on it. Sometimes you wish for something to happen, even if it seems impossible. Well, here on the trail things just happen, unnoticed sometimes and mostly in a magical way. This past week has been characterized with unbearable heat and…

Mile 31.1: Trail Faces

The faces of the trail is what struck me the most in these first few days on the Appalachian Trail. Nobody looks the same, we all have a different story to tell and we’re here for many different reasons. This trail is Kevin, the first guy I met on this journey. From Florida, 27 years-old…