Day 128 (Mile 1747.7 – 1765.4):

Thinking back, I thought this was a short day because I was the first one to get to the camp site (Trapper John Shelter) hours before anyone else, but 17.7 miles is pretty decent for a day so not too sure why I think this. The math checks out for the distance from where I got off the trail in Hanover, NH so maybe I had intentions and the daylight to get over the next mountain, Smarts Mountain a 3200 footer, but didn’t have it in me.

Anyway, I was back on the trail after a very enjoyable time with the Madison’s. David tried to make sure to get a picture in the exact spot he picked me up from to I think see if my Mom could tell difference between the photos. I don’t have the photos, but I am pretty sure I was wearing my rain gear in the pick up photo. 😀

Shortly, like almost the exact time I split from David, I saw Pheasant Melon, Dozer, and Umbrella Face walk up the block to get back on the trail. I was a little surprised and happy they were not ahead of me with how long I had spent off trail in Lebanon, NH, but like a couple of other people such as Young Gandalf, they had all took more than one zero in Hanover.

I wish I took the time to write (type) down what I was thinking during those 17.7 miles, but I hope it was something along the lines of accepting my close friend’s decision and looking forward to the less than 500-mile journey ahead of me. To this day, April 27, 2018, I am so very happy I made the commitment of asking her before the summit. A great amount of weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I felt as if I was hiking the hike for myself if that makes sense to anyone reading this. Not that I wasn’t before, but I was now being completely honest with myself now, true to myself.

So as I mentioned above, I made it to the Trapper John Shelter camp area before anyone else, tent all set up and everything so I start to re-watch what I had on my phone for entertainment, Rick and Morty S03E03 “Pickle Rick” out loud and I start to hear some really loud hustling behind the shelter and a tree fall, so without checking it out, I climb the fire place about half way up above and start making loud sounds phone in hand still. I am thinking it is a moose and I learned a while back on the trail not to mess with those so I stayed up there until I finished the episode which was maybe 15 more minutes. I don’t know what I did next, but no one saw me up there, which was probably for the best in my opinion. It could have been a squirrel behind the shelter and a random tree falling for all I know. =P

Later that night Young Gandalf and a few others joined me, not in climbing the fireplace, but the campsite. 🙂