Making Miles

Brandon is cruising. It could be that his pack is significantly lighter. Or maybe he has found his "trail legs". The delicate diet of cheesy bacon pasta sides and snickers on the trail accompanied by large pizzas and burgers in town could be giving him the boost he's been needing. Perhaps its the fact that his girlfriend, Michelle, came out and showed him how its done!

Brandon and Michelle atop Charlie's Bunion in the Smokey Mountains

Whatever the reason; better yet, combination of reasons, there's no denying that Brandon is doing well.

I talked with our hiker today, as he was resting and resupplying in Irwin, Tennessee. He reported a chilly night last night, with temperatures dipping down into the mid to low twenties. That, combined with getting a little wet the night before and during the day, he didn't get the best nights sleep he's ever had. It won't be too long before he's wishing the cold back as things heat up for summer. At least he's got a little bit of natural insulation left, although its quickly diminishing. Knocking out twenty to twenty-five mile days is an incredible workout. And there's no doubt that he's burning more calories than he's taking in. The thru-hiker diet plan blows the atkins, south beach, caveman and any other diet plan out of the water. It's the eat whatever you want, and still burn more calories than you could possibly take in plan. Oh, and by the way, you also get to walk from Georgia to Maine. Pretty awesome.

Panoramic View atop Max's Patch

On the phone with Brandon, I got a few "I told you so's" in. For example, Brandon was initially carrying some sandals for after hiking while he was at camp called chaco's. Although very comfortable, they weigh in at a whopping 2lbs. Brandon has since switched to a pair of Croc like shoes called Waldies, weighing just 12oz. You can tell a thru-hiker anything, but until they actually get out there and experience it, some things you just have to learn for yourself. This begins to fall under the principle rule of thru-hiking. H.Y.O.H. Standing for "Hike Your Own Hike". Anybody can question what you do, or why you do something. But no one is going to tell you you're doing something wrong. People will put in their two cents, and you can do with it what you want. In a media driven world, with so many opinions flying around, everybody wanting you to believe in a certain thing; what a nice lifestyle change. Then again, that's just my two cents.

Brandon is planning on being in Damascus, VA next week. The weekend of the 14th is a huge thru-hiker festival in Damascus called Trail Days. This is where all the hikers get together in the "friendliest town on the trail", Damascus. Damascus, VA is approximately a quarter of the way to Maine. Every year, the entire town revolves around this festival for the weekend. If you have never been to Damascus, it is a great place to visit. Take the entire family. You can hike part of the AT or take a 17 mile downhill bike ride down the Virginia Creeper Trail (an old railroad bed). The two actually overlap for a few miles. Reaching nearly the quarter complete mark, its hard to believe. However, the next section is over 500 miles, all in the state of Virginia. As Brandon becomes more comfortable with the physical aspect of the challenge, the mental challenge will begin to set in. I believe Brandon has the right attitude and skill set to overcome whatever he may encounter. Afterall, he's just walking, right?

All for now,

Spencer "Warpzilla" McKay