Appalachian Trail: Day 38
Disclaimer: This post is NOT sponsored. All the gear mentioned in this post was purchased by me at retail prices. I have no affiliations with any of the companies or brands mentioned.
I started the day thinking about TTRPG mechanics as this nerd girl tends to do. I named my site based upon the fantasy ranger archetype that I like to identify with after all. Of course I am going to think about RPG mechanics. The mechanic in question for today was the long rest.
Gamers will recognize the mechanic as that thing where sleeping for 8 hours cures all your wounds. Well, that mechanic isn't completely accurate, but it's not completely wrong either. A OTC pain relievers and a night of sleep and I was feeling pretty good this morning.
Sadly, that feeling wasn't to last. Apparently the long rest didn't cure the point of exhaustion that I acquired from yesterday's hike.
I did meet up with Trout, Shaka, Sugar Baby, and Deli at the shelter in the morning. Apparently they had stayed there last night but were already in bed by the time I rolled in.
I got a bit of a late start and didn't hit the trail until almost 9 AM. The "mostly downhill" the guide showed turned out to be a lie. There were still some decent climbs today and they took me way too long.
I came across a bridge with a small waterfall feeding the river. There was a nice pool of water and some rocks which made a perfect place for a break and to soak my feet. The water was really cold.
I finally reached the No Business Knob Shelter around 4 PM. I looked at the guide and saw I still had over 6 miles to go to reach Erwin. After doing some math to figure out my pace, at best I would have reached town around 8 PM and maybe even later. While I wanted to reach town and avoid the forecasted storm for tomorrow, I didn't want to get into town that late, so I opted to stay at the shelter.
Trout, Shaka, Sugar Baby, and Deli were already at the shelter and setting up for the night when I got there. We hung out for a bit, ate dinner, had a little campfire, played some cards, and then I retired to my tent to catch up on journaling and because I'm still tired from yesterday's hike.
Hopefully the 6.4 miles into Erwin tomorrow will be quick and I can get a day to relax in town and sort out shuttling to Damascus for Trail Days in a couple days from now.