May 28 - Living Like Kings

From PJ:

Patriot's friends from home are hiking with us, so we had marinated chicken and roasted potatoes last night. Today I left before everyone and already hit trail magic this morning. Now someone just told me there is trail magic half a mile ahead. Tonight we will have steaks for dinner. Living like kings out here.

And only hiking 16 miles today!

Taking a break at Cedar Cliffs. Mile 846.5

We did a 3,000 ft climb yesterday and that was a challenge. Took a while with a lot of people.

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Only one snake today.

One of the craziest things about hiking so much is your calorie intake becomes very important. I've been trying to eat 500 calories for breakfast and lunch (each) which can be tough when you're carrying food for a week or more. Also been drinking over a gallon of water most days. Today was awesome, but an aberration. Trail magic definitely thins out the further north you go. Usually very hard not to run a calorie deficit.

It's weird how routine everything has become. I can't say I sleep great out here, but I do enjoy just laying down after hiking all day. I can lay in the grass with bugs crawling on me and still be comfortable.

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Tomorrow we hit the Shenandoah's. The trail is supposed to be relatively easy through there. A good thing about the touristy areas is that the trails are usually a little easier. Still some climbing, but the terrain is usually much easier than normal.

Also there are little stores and restaurants right off the trail there.

We're really exicted to be getting into the 900s and of course 1000. Every 100 mile marker is a big mental boost, but 1,000 will be huge. Also should be out of Virginia in a little over a week.

Still taking it easy this weekend, but on Tuesday will pick up the miles. 20 mile days will be relatively easy in the Shenandoahs.

West VA and Maryland will be really quick. Some people try to do 4 states in a day. Camp at the edge of VA and hike to the southern edge of PA - 40 miles or so. Not me, though. I plan on stopping in at Harper's Ferry. I'm not gonna stay at the hostel tomorrow. I got a ride in town to resupply, but will come right back out.

I'm excited [about seeing family in PA], too. Still haven't taken a true zero day. A couple short ones, but it will be nice to rest. And eat!

I might go a hundred or so miles into PA before I meet with mom, hopefuly Clyde Miller will do a little section of the AT with me. He'd love it!

There are a good amount of dogs out here which is fun. The day we had the hound dogs it was pretty cool to have hiking companions. I think that Clyde would be fine hiking on the AT, but I'm not sure about camping. He's a foo-foo.