Due to lack of cell service, both day 21 and 22 will come out today

Day 21

I was planning to head out before McKay and rocket because both of them had been having foot pain and were going to stop by the outfitters to see if they had any recommendations. But when I woke up in the morning McKay let me know the bad news. “It’s getting worse,” he said. “I’m taking the day off.” We made plans to meet up in a few days. 

The news of McKay falling behind did not pair well with the 30 degree weather as I stepped outside. But I knew my first walk was just to the diner, for cinnamon rolls (the size of my face!), eggs and coffee. So I hoisted my pack on and walked over. 

I saw Brian (made up name) sitting at a table by himself so I asked if I could join him. We caught up on our hikes and got to chatting about life back home. He told me he was an attorney, working in litigation when he got COVID in 2023. He got sick from it, but not terribly. but he got two lasting symptoms that have lingered ever since. First was brain fog and the second was an absolute fear of anything in the future. 

He told me that he knew it sounded crazy, but ever since COVID, he’d been unable to plan anything. Even this trip, he hadn’t really planned much. He had just gone buying gear until he felt like he had enough and hopped a flight to Atlanta. Any more than that would’ve paralyzed him with fear

I was shocked to hear so I asked him all the questions on how he was doing. “Just being out here and only worrying about putting my left foot in front of my right foot and then my right foot in front of that one has been so good for me. I’m not better. Not close. But I feel like I can see some change coming.” Fingers crossed. Even as someone who hates planning like myself, that sounds terrible. 

Haribo came by our table to say hello. Apparently he had come into town late last night and couldn’t find a place to stay. A passing car had offered him a work for stay. “Come help us clean up after the hurricane,” he was told and he’d have a place to stay.” With that he gave us the information on where to go and when to volunteer if we wanted to join. I told him I did and I’d see him there

With time to kill before volunteering, I wandered over to the outfitters. Since the hurricane had come through in September, they were acting as the post office as well. I chatted with them for a while until they convinced me to ship home a bunch of crap I wasn’t using (good bye hiking sandals!). But the process to ship was get a box at the outfitter, walk to the visitor center, use their WiFi to complete the USPS forms, print on their computers, walk back to the outfitters, tape up the package and then drop it off at the post office (which was just being used to collect packages). 

1 hour later, I had my label printed (look out mom and dad, package coming your way) and was able to help Komerican (portmanteau of Korean and American) get his done too. We only cursed the USPS site a dozen times a minute. And that took a lot of restraint. 

With that I walked over to the volunteer site. When I arrived there were 4 or 5 local guys clearing debris from a trailer. Only half the trailer remained up right, the rest was a pile of rubble. I jumped in and, for 2 hours, we hauled debris from the trailer to a dumpster out front. Wood, metal, insulation, toys, clothes, mattresses, all of it. 

The townsfolk were hillaruous and welcoming but it was a sobering task. The storm had come through in September and the town was still so devastated by it. But seeing it first hand, pulling out a child’s dinosaur doll from the mix, was a tough way to the start the day. I had to keep reminding myself that this was 7 months later. I hadn’t even seen it when it was “bad”

After leaving that, I walked on for 16 miles. Exhausted but thinking about how lucky I am to be out here. I often find myself thinking “holy shit, I can’t believe I’m doing the AT.” But today it was different. It was more “holy shit, I can’t believe I am able to do the AT. That this is my big worry”

That I am fortunate enough to be in a place where I don’t have real issues to worry about. My town wasn’t just devastated by natural didstater. I didn’t just lose everything. I felt a little silly stressing about where I would set up my hammock, if I should have the spam or the chicken tonight or whether to walk 12 miles or 15. These weren’t problems. 

I spent all day thinking about the people of hot spring. They had been so welcoming. They had served us food and helped us figure out our gear and every one we met smiled and waved, never letting on how hard it must be for them right now. 

I ended the day (way later than I meant) at a campsite with one other guy. A bowl of ramen mixed with mashed potatoes later and I’m crawling into hammock. 

Miles: 16

Elevation gained: 4,500

Months since the hurricane: 7