Tall trees reached heavenward and poison ivy blanketed the ground around me like an itchy green photosynthesizing snow except for in this small patch of well worn earth directly in front of me. It looked as if a multitude of hikers had camped here over the years. I scanned the area looking for the next blaze.…
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The pack creaked as I hoisted it onto my back. Or was it my back that moaned under the load? I wasn’t really sure which had protested more. The pack weighed more than 50 pounds, way too heavy to carry for the next 137 miles. Yet that was my goal: 137 meandering miles along the mountains…
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I stood in the parking lot savoring this moment. The years of anticipation, the months of planning, the hours of reviewing my guide book, and the countless trips to outfitters and grocery stores had brought me to this moment: my first day on the Appalachian Trail. It was 11:00 a.m. The gravel parking lot where I…
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