I hiked in 2003, and did Springer to Erwin in 2005 for a lark, as a way to escape a bad relationship and the death of my mother, and I tell ya, the trail keeps calling me back. Even the 2004 summer after my thru-hike in my adopted hometown of New Orleans, when I was making good money and in love with a gorgeous woman and going out most nights with great friends, those hot sweaty days are a far cry from a silent, dark, and rainy night on the AT in 2003. And I did not know this reality until last night, when over beers I told my good buddy that I miss the trail something awful. I don’t know if it is an escape from reality or just a pause from regular life, what I do know is the smell of the dirt and trees, the sting of mosquitos and the feeling of sand and foot stink at the bottom of my sleeping bag, nothing beats it. Nothing.
Snack Attack
New Orleans, LA
AT 2003
Snack Attack