Daleville
27th May
11 miles
Tinker Cliffs (717.1) to Daleville (728.1)
Late last night I was reading my guidebook to plan my day in town when I realised that camping was not permitted where I was camped. An honest mistake, whoopsie.
Shortly after I read that I heard loud noises outside my tent. Branches were cracking. Something large was walking near my tent. Was it a bear. Curiosity got the better of me. To save weight I don’t carry a headlamp when hiking, I use the light on my cellphone. I opened the tent door. The steps were nearby, maybe it was a park ranger and I was in trouble. I shone my light. Two large green eyes stared back at me. It was a deer. It took a while for my heartbeat to return to normal.
It was an easy, mostly downhill hike into the town of Daleville. Both Delicate Flower and I were looking forward to a meal, showers and laundry. We both lost count of when our last shower was and the wet conditions during the last week have left us rather muddy and smelly.
Right next to the trail is a Howard Johnson Hotel which gives hikers a bit of a discount. In return for the cheap rate the hotel was filled with loads of hikers. After a quick clean up we crossed the busy highway to Pizza Hut and their salad bar. If I’m not eating Subway for lunch I’m searching for a place with salad. Fresh food is a luxury that most people take for granted. Fresh tomatoes, cucumber and carrots were eaten to excess and my body thanked me for it.
The rest of the day was boringly filled with more eating and resupply. I watched a little TV later in the day. If you haven’t been to USA, let me explain television over here. There is over 100 channels but rarely is there anything to watch. So it’s no different from Australia.
Tomorrow I will head out with a backpack filled with enough food to hike 135 miles. I plan to bypass two towns and stay on trail. Sleeping in my tent with the sound of raindrops all night is much more fun than a warm dry bed in a hotel. Really, it is. I enjoy nature, that is my motivation for hiking, that is my motivation for being here. Enough said.
Have you seen my YouTube Channel?
Check it out and subscribe. Then watch the episode 5 below
Next : Day 43 – Heavy Backpack and Heavy Rain
All the best information on the Appalachian Trail:
Complete Guide to the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail Gear List
Appalachian Trail Gear Review
do those vasque shoes keep your feet dry?
Normally yes, they are gortex lined hiking shoes. Only in deep water or heavy rain do they get wet, mostly from water running down my bare legs.
Last sentence is, enough said, countryman.
Right you are.