There were lessons learned today. 

  
1. Always check google maps to see if you’re driving within 10ft of where you’re ending your hike. I could have gotten a shuttle today and saved myself the trouble on Sunday. I spent some time beating myself up for not doing my research, then forgave myself. I was busy this week. 
2. Always check and make sure that the gps location of the trail head won’t confuse your navigation system. Apple maps (and google maps) both wanted me to jump off an interstate overpass, evidently. I spent an extra 30 minutes trying to get underneath the interstate, once I figured out what was going on. 
3. The sun sets later now. I could have hiked further. But honestly, I was exhausted from so little sleep. You can probably tell how tired I am from my face in these pictures. I look haggard. 

  
4. Always check your leggings to see if there’s a hole in the seat. Spoiler alert: there’s a hole in the seat of my leggings. I didn’t bring shorts because it’s freezing all weekend. Good thing I’m hiking south so the chances of someone watching me hike up a mountain from behind are slim. 

5. My fanny pack is my new favorite piece of gear. 
But it’s been a good trip. I headed east after a terrible test and once I saw the mountains I felt enough stress lift off of me to actually listen to music. 
There was a confusing road walk, but the sun was shining and I was outside. 

  
  
The hills were green, a color I haven’t seen yet on the trail. They looked like they’d been colored with a glitter crayon. This could be due to the fact that I decided to be risk averse and leave my glasses in the car, so everything is a little blurry. 

  
I passed some hikers, including one guy playing a …tiny island banjo ? What’s the word for that? While he hiked. It was beautiful, to hear music drifting to me. 
Then I thought, ‘my word, is it snowing??’

  
‘Yes. It is.’

  
  
The trail was fast and pleasant and I laughed out loud at how much I loved being back here. 

  
I stopped hiking about 6 today. I did about 6 miles. I could have kept going, if I’d pushed myself, but since there are so many more hikers on the trail it’s definitely not a great idea. And then the weather is supposed to be crap tonight, so I wanted to make sure I got a safe tent site. Don’t want a tree falling on me because I hiked too late. I haven’t gotten my lesson in tent site selection from Carpenter yet, so for now I’m sticking to established sites and hopefully with other people. At least for tonight when there are supposed to be huge gusts of wind. 

  
I’m camping with Cambria, Turtle, Lionheart, and …lionheart’s brother. They’re all NOBO thruhikers and I like them all. Cambria has a trail journal, which actually I think I’ve read some of, and she’s heard of Gonzo, also through the trail journal community. 
But now it’s cold and I’m tired and I wish the dang sun would set so I wouldn’t feel bad about going to sleep. 

MVP: fanny pack

LVP: snow