Comfortable in Smithsburg, MD

Today was a much needed maintenance day. I slept in, called Merrell (shoe company), went grocery shopping, organized everything for my next couple of hundred miles... and then just sat around!

Since I haven't mentioned this yet, I would like to take a moment and announce that I have hiked a little over 150 miles so far. When I look at the official AT distance of 2174 (or so) miles, I feel a bit underwhelmed by my status, but let me say that this has been no small feat. I think half of the battle has been getting myself out there on the trail, and am happy to say that I have hiked any portion of the trail. But don't take this chatter as a sign of retirement, I'm just trying to give myself a pat on the back and get myself ready to keep on moving!

And how better to push on than to do so in a leisurely fashion? Tomorrow I am set to do my first "slack pack" day. This is a fairly popular way that hikers do day trips when shuttle services are available: you leave most of your possessions where you are staying, carrying a day pack filled only with things that you need for the walk, hike for the day, and then get shuttled back to your lodgings at the end of the day. In this case, my generous mother has volunteered to drop me off and pick me up on the trail tomorrow so I won't have to carry close to 40 pounds with me! I'm looking forward to feeling what 15 miles feels like without the dead weight!

As I mentioned above that I was on the phone with the Merrell shoe company today, I should reveal that my second pair of shoes is beginning to fall apart! I have them wrapped in duct tape so that they hold each day I wear them. As a result of my conversation (and a bit of whimpering) with the people of Merrell, I am being shipped another pair of shoes, and this time, a new higher-end model at no extra cost! Hopefully this new pair will be the end of my shoe woes.