Kevin's AT Thru Hike

Day 84, Wednesday, 6/8 – I woke up, ate at the continental breakfast, did my food resupply, then hit up a coffee shop with Half Time.

So a little bit on the lei I’ve been wearing. Genie got a care package over 3 weeks ago from his folks. Just for fun, the care package included a few leis. Genie didn’t need all the leis, so he gave me one and he gave Half Time another. None of us planned on it, but we’ve all worn the leis ever since (or have had them attached to our packs). It’s also surprising how well they have held up. I thought they would have broken by now.

They’re fun and add some flare, but they also have a practical use. I’m convinced it’s easier to get a hitch while wearing a lei. In town, Splitzy, Birthday Sandwich, and Broadway found leis, so now we all have one. The lei is the way.

There was a neat used book shop next door to the coffee shop. Half Time and I browsed for a while, but didn’t find anything that would have been light enough to justify carrying.

It was noon when I left the book shop and parted ways with Half Time. He is taking a zero day in Waynesboro to recover. Just as I was starting to hitch, Karen, from the bookshop came outside and offered to give me a ride back to the trail.

I got back on trail and put on a new audiobook. I finished Anna Karenina and started Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

I ran into Broadway on the hike, and we took a short spur trail to a view called Chimney Rocks. Here she is taking in the view.

I wanted to hike 35 miles over the next 2 days, and didn’t really have a firm plan for how far I wanted to hike today. There was a shelter 12 miles in, and a tent-site 16 miles in. When I got to the shelter, I saw that it was 0.3 miles off trail, so I passed it. Then I saw that the tent-site was a paid campground, so I passed that too. I ended up hiking 17 miles to mile Quarry Gap Shelters (mile 1087). I set up my hammock and am camping with Birthday Sandwich, Genie, Splitzy, and Broadway. I set the tarp up too, because it’ll be raining overnight.