Mile 380

So far, there are two things I have learned while hiking the trail; The first is that everyone, whether superstitious, religious, or none of the above, deals in Karma. They have a saying out here; “The trail provides.” On the surface, it is a silly catch-all for dumb luck or good timing. When you start to really listen, though, it goes deeper. It’s an idea that if you put yourself out there, it comes back to you when you need it most. Take care of the trail and its people, and it takes care of you. It is incredible to witness. However, those are stories for another time.

The other thing I have learned while out here is that although the trail provides, you, of course, need to stay on the trail to make room for that. That is where cultivating your morale comes into play. Even those traveling in pods are responsible for their individual morale. I watched three hikers in 3 weeks drop out because the mental game was too much for them to handle. They didn’t cultivate their own morale, let it eat away at them, and eventually let it overwhelm them.

Yesterday, my morale was dipping. I had hiked out of town, then passed by the following hiker haven. The bubble I was hiking with decided it was time for a zero. I thought I would be happier in the woods, so I pushed down the trail. The following morning breaking away from the bubble had planted the seeds of doubt. I woke up in a foul mood. Everything was damp (my least favorite state). Despite the exceptional day just prior, my morale was sliding. Today those seeds were beginning to take root. It was when I was at the top of Roan Mountain that it sank in.

Here I was at one of the destination shelters of the trail (The highest one on the AT. Very posh.), and instead of feeling excited, I felt trapped. With bad weather on the horizon, I took a chance and called a B&B off the trail. This is unusual for me because I don’t like to stray more than 2 miles off-trail, and also, places are booked solid in the height of the bubble. I was still trying to figure out my goal in calling when a woman on the other end picked up and, to my surprise, just so happened to have a single bed open for the night. We chatted briefly and arranged a pickup, including two nights stay and a slackpack service. I was immediately elated! Not only would I get TWO showers, laundry, breakfast, dinner in town, and resupply, but also a whole day of hiking backpack free! I honestly danced down the mountain to greet my chariot, sleep off a delicious steak dinner, and avoid the hail storm that attacked the overcrowded Roan Mountain Shelter (those that stayed did not enjoy it). It all lined up for me, and my morale has definitely improved.

You might say that was convenient, or you might say I was lucky, or that I just made a simple reservation at a B & B. Me? I say, “The trail provides.”