Day 1

Day 1 (Benton Mackaye Trail): 12 miles

I’m back. I’m back to the simple life of putting one foot in front of the other. I’m back to carrying everything I need on my back. I’m back to having my mood heavily influenced by the weather. I’m back to taking pride in how long I can go between showers. I’m back to hardly ever knowing where I’ll sleep at night. I’m back to mouth breathing as I’m hiking uphill wondering when it will be over. I’m back to flinching at every stick I kick cause I thought I heard a snake. I’m back😁

I didn’t get started hiking until 4 o’clock. And I really wish I would’ve looked at the elevation profile before I started at the trailhead. It turned out to be a 4,000 foot climb straight up. A hell of a way to start a trail.

It feels a little strange starting a trail and not being in peak physical shape like I was last year. I’m curious to see how much more it hurts getting into hiking shape this year after not physically preparing as much. My body is also still fairly wrecked from a weekend of hard living. I started the CYTC last year still slightly hungover so it’s a nice little tradition I have going.

I forgot decent hiking clothes, including a non-cotton shirt, so I had to stop by Walmart on the way and pick up a new fit. Big thanks to my boy @austin_williams_28 for dropping me off to start.

I didn’t really feel like buying groceries at Walmart so my fuel for the first 2 days is 10 McDoubles and a family size pack of Oreos.

I was feeling a lot when I started walking back on trail: excitement, a little scared, tired, and happy.

It was a nice day until the sky started spitting snow flurries when I was still a couple miles from the shelter. I think there’s only 2 shelters in the BMT, but I’m staying at one the first night. It’s cool to stay in them when they’re not infested with starving mice in the winter.

FYI: I’m going to hike the Benton Mackaye Trail and connect it to the Pinhoti Trail. I am starting in the southwest tip of North Carolina and will walk to near Birmingham Alabama before I fly west to continue.

Song of the day: at all-kaytranada