Today has been an exciting chapter in my quest for independence. I seem to be in a void of hikers, between my old clan of friends including Free Hugs, Furniture, Rabbit’s Foot, Gloworm and Viewfinder, and an entirely new pack of hikers. I traveled virtually in solitude with the occasional meeting of slackpackers coming south at the service of Uncle Johnny’s. But the silence of the woods gives me wonderful time for introspection.
Today I conquered Unaka Mountain, a stupefying maze of pine forests. I saw a wild turkey and a roaming pack of white-tailed deer. Combined with the blooming foliage, the forest lets me know a new season is ripe at hand. We are both eager to shed our bitter winter defenses.
Tonight I am alone at the shelter, but I built a roaring fire to keep my company—it was my first successful creation too. Tomorrow I climb Roan Mountain, the last 6000 foot peak until the White Mountains. This weekend I will see Mom, which makes me more excited with every step. Good night.
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