Carbdoctor - Appalachian Trail Journal - 2013

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Eagle eye
City: Aberdeen
State: Maryland
Country: USA
Begins: May 27, 2013
Direction: Southbound

Daily Summary
Date: Mon, May 29th, 2017
Start: Keys gap
End: Bear' den
Daily Distance: 14
Trip Distance: 28.0
Hours Hiked: 9.5

Journal Stats
Entry Visits: 1,303
Journal Visits: 2,286
Guestbook Views: 26
Guestbook Entrys: 0

Gear list

Appalachian Trail Map

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Step

Leaving IHOP in Charles town West Virginia with our appetites satisfied of pancakes, I checked the weather. Forecast says rain all day, but as we started the trail at 7:30 AM overcast and not raining. The trail looks like a small stream, i'm sure it's going to be a long muddy day. We were all eager to get started and set our pace, game on.
After about 5 miles and still no rain thank goodness, we stopped to take a picture of my kids there was a big rock I told my son, Luke get on top the rock and act like he was stepping on my daughter, Jesse head. After taking the picture, Luke jumps off The rock and I hearing make an ouch sound thinking no more about it. Just before the Blackburn center there was a very nice overlook took a few more pictures. Reaching the Blackburn sign on the trail we were 6 miles into or hike, this is where I plan for us to eat lunch. We started stepping down the steep hill to Blackburn center decided not to go knowing that we would have to hike back up to continue the 8 mile trip to the Bears den

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Hooked, that all it took 6.5 miles from on the Appalachian trail from Keys Gap West Virginia to Harper's Ferry. I was not even finished and already starting to plan the next hike.

Tonight at sunset walking on the snowy road,
my shoes crunching on the frozen gravel, first

through the woods, then out into the open fields
past a couple of trailers and some pickup trucks, I stop

and look at the sky. Suddenly: orange, red, pink, blue,
green, purple, yellow, gray, all at once and everywhere.

I pause in this moment at the beginning of my old age
and I say a prayer of gratitude for getting to this evening

a prayer for being here, today, now, alive
in this life, in this evening, under this sky.

by David Budbill