Day 89
Start: Hightop Hut
End: US 33, Elkton, VA
Miles Hiked: 3.4
Miles on AT: 910.0
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Last night was peaceful and for that I was grateful. I wasn’t in a hurry this morning since I had a short walk, but I left the shelter around 8 am, before the other hikers had gotten out of their tents. The plan was to get to Elkton and meet up with Janitor.
It was such a beautiful morning. I enjoyed the crisp, fresh air, the dewyness of the grass, and the bird songs that filled the air around me. I enjoyed a spectacular view at the top of Hightop Mountain and passed a few day hikers as I made my way down to the road.
Instead of taking the trail to Swift Run Gap, I road walked the last mile, hoping to catch some morning views of the mountains instead of staring at trees.
I skipped along the rock wall barrier that lined the road, enjoying the freedom to play along with nature as I pleased. The key to having an enjoyable thru hike is to have fun with it instead of being so serious, and that’s exactly what I was doing.
I arrived at the Gap in no time and found my ride shortly after. It was 9:15 am. Once Janitor and I were reunited (and I had a shower) we got some (can you guess?) BBQ and enjoyed the rest of our day together.
And that’s day 89.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.