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Tuesday–June 15, 2021
Trail Day–116
Trail Mile–-15.6/1,268.6
Location–Dripping Rock Parking Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, then to Wyndham Resorts Days Inn, Waynesboro, AT Mile 850.0
There’s one more long run to make up winding mountain gravel roads to get me back on trail this morning. So, we’re up at five. Safari gets coffee going, followed by a fine (microwave) breakfast. We manage to get out and rolling shortly before six. After only one (short) wrong turn, Safari has me back to the Tye River–crossing the suspension bridge and into my climb well before eight.
It’s a beautiful, cool, clear day for hiking, but I soon discover it’s going to be a not so great hike, what with the unbelievable cobbed-up jumble of rocks and boulders. And the incredibly difficult tread lasts for the entire day. I’ve negotiated some very tough trail this hike, but nothing comparable to the scary and dangerous conditions experienced today.
I’ll not elaborate other than to say I wrecked my trekking poles, took three bad falls–and hiked hard for 12 hours to cover 15.6 miles. Looking forward to a better day tomorrow…
Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.
If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
(Thich Nhat Hanh)
