Kevin's AT Thru Hike

Day 123, Sunday, 7/17 – I started my day hiking with Genie and Splitzy. We climbed the 2 miles up to Bromley Mountain, which actually ended up being a ski hill. We ran into Birthday’s friends, Chloe and Flask. They were enjoying the views from the top of the lift. We joined them for a little while. I laid in the fall protection netting, which also served as a fairly comfortable hammock.

We hiked down to a road and ran into trail magic. Gravy Train had a grill set up, and was cooking breakfast sandwiches and hotdogs. He had a ton of snacks and drinks too. I could tell Gravy Train had been to a music festival or two. He had electronic music bumping from his car and his trail magic had the overall vibe that we were camping at a festival. I had some positive nostalgic feelings and really enjoyed the break. I was there with Amazon, Pathfinder, 100 Grand, Pounder, Gandalf, Yard Sale, and Splash.

I left trail magic with 100 Grand and Genie. 100 Grand lead the way, and he’s a strong hiker, so we sped to the top of Styles Peak. I was out of breath and sweaty, but it felt good to exert myself to that degree. The peak was gorgeous too. The forest changed to pine trees and there was a lot of moss on the forest floor as we climbed. We took our packs off at the top and stopped for a water break. I had a bit of anxiety, so I did some light stretching and yoga which calmed my nerves.

I hiked on alone after resting at the top of Styles Peak. I struggled emotionally on the hike and I felt like it was hard to keep it together. I felt insecure and ashamed of myself for the mistakes I’ve made throughout my life. I have a hard time accepting myself.

I stopped for lunch at Peru Peak Shelter and met back up with all the hikers who were at trail magic this morning. It was a beautiful shelter with shade and a nice water source.

I hiked on alone again after lunch and ran into Crinkle and Dreamer. They were eating a meal alongside a large stream. I refilled my water, chatted for a while, and then pushed on.

I hiked 20 miles to Little Rock Pond (Mile 1675). I set up my hammock and tarp tonight. I was expecting rain tomorrow, but I didn’t know when it was going to start. I didn’t have service so I couldn’t check the hourly forecast. I figured it would be better safe than sorry.

After setting up my hammock, I headed over to the shelter and cooked up dinner. I then sat on a rock looking out at Little Rock Pond before retiring in my hammock for the night.