Hiking Trail Journals

Appalachian Trail 2003 - Chelsea's Journals

Entry #140 - September 13, 2003

9:15 PM - Ahh...The Appalachian Trail. Where else can you bust your butt up 1,500 feet of rock, only to find a viewpoint obscured by 10 smelly, sweaty, bearded thru-hikers?? Some aspects of this trail are truly starting to disgust me. Oh well - only 246 miles to go. The climbs are really getting tiring, though. Does it really make sense that a "footpath" should require iron foot & hand bars to scale 15-foot rock walls? I THINK NOT!

Another beautiful day, though. Went over Wyman and Moody Mtns - about 10 miles, but it was enough - about 7 hours of work. Got to South Arm Road around 4:00 & set up our tent by the river. Our plan was to get a ride to the campground 4 miles down the road to the showers and maybe get a snack or two. Went up to the road to hitch and almost immediately a guy comes driving up in a truck with his wife, asking if we want some Oreos. Of course we did. He then offered to drive us down to the campground & they waited while we showered & brought us back here! Amazing, the kindness of strangers. They're section hikers from Massachusetts, I think. Neighbor Dave & Chickadee. We were back by 6:00 to have dinner & a fire. A nice night with the stars, and the moon will be up soon.

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