Trail Notes – May 1

Well, look at that! May already!

Seems like with the new month, my worry circuits are kicking into high, unwelcome gear. In the course of an easy, 8 mile walk through the Cumberland Valley, from Boiling Springs to Carlisle, I managed to fret extensively over the following topics:

•  Am I staying in hostels too much?
• Will you all start thinking I’m not really doing the full experience for staying in hostels?
• How am I going to get my budget under control?
• What if I run out of money before the end?
• It’s been two weeks, shouldn’t I be doing more miles?
• Are things going to be okay back home?
• Why am I so slow?
• Why is that horse looking at me funny?

You see, I am a professional worrier. I have a doctorate in it, actually.

But back to the horse. Today’s walk was all pastures, and cornfields, and narrow belts of woods between them. Three times, ascending and descending A-frame stiles was necessary… One of those pastures had two horses who were plainly wondering what the heck I was doing there, but were too polite to ask.

I slipped on the last stile – everything was wet or muddy today – and repulled a thigh muscle I’d pulled a few days ago, so my triumphant entry into Carlisle was more of a triumphant limp for the last two miles.

Tomorrow, I press on to the next shelter, and from there, I hope I can just shelter hop… It didn’t rain on me today, and the weather is supposed to start improving, so while I may get wet, I won’t get cold and wet, and catch sick. A large part of hosteling has been because of the weather, or zero days, and I’m not planning on taking another zero until Port Clinton, 92 miles uptrail.

I did not get to Mass today, and Thursday, the Ascension, I will not close to any towns. I am extremely not happy about either of those. Hopefully, between now and Thursday, if I study the maps better, I can figure something out. I do get a lot of time for quiet prayer while walking. It helps!

I hike on.