Day 274

Day 274 (AT 78) : 30 miles

I got an early start this morning but was quickly angered as I lost the trail immediately and was bushwhacking in the general direction of where the trail was supposed to be. After a short time I was back on trail and trying to get up near a high ridge as the sun was rising. I kept getting peaks through the trees which were incredible and I got to a summit just after sunrise.

Later I got to Barron Moauntian which had a lookout tower to climb up and it was awesome. I felt more angst with every ladder rung and once I reached the top I was petrified with the beauty of the breathtaking panoramic view . I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many red trees.

I was surprised with how hot it was today. For most of the day it wasn’t noticeable but when I got out of the constant tree cover and was on an exposed rock I was cooking.

Late in the day I got to Shaw’s hostel. I was only planning on buying a little peanut butter and charging up my phone for a bit but I ended up staying much longer. I met some really awesome people and ended up leaving much later then I had expected. Once “there’s always money in the banana stand” was brought up and multiple people got it, I knew it was a good crew.

I knew in the back of my mind I should’ve left earlier but sitting around the campfire slugging some beers was just more appealing at the time. I ended up staying until the last person went to bed, which was probably around 11 maybe, and then did a few more miles really late in the night.

Song of the day: my sacrifice- creed