Day 9 // Tick Tock

Saturday morning consisted of the usual routine: wake up, make breakfast, pack up and hit the trail. I said my goodbyes to Steve who was sleeping in the shelter's loft, and walked a short 3.6 miles to Dicks Creek Gap (US 76). A few hours later, Michelle arrived to pick me up.

First stop: Cracker Barrel!

Official AT mileage for the hike ended up being 69.6 miles; including the approach trail: 78.4 miles. I averaged 9.35 miles per day (excluding the short half day at the end).

In the end all of my gear worked great. The only piece of gear I changed was my backpack. The waist strap was a little too large for me so I swapped for a medium sized (bright green) pack.

This winter I had a chance to sleep in some cold weather, so I decided to add a warmer top quilt which I intend to use until Virginia. I also replaced my camera with a waterproof/shockproof model. My family has been very supportive and showered me with gifts of hiking clothes at Christmas.

Fast forward to today: my bags are packed, affairs are in order, I'm ready to hit the trail. The only thing holding me back is the countdown. 29 days... tick.. tock...