Change Of Plans...

August 10, 2013

Start: Carlo Col Shelter
End Carlo Col Shelter
Daily Mileage: 0 on AT (5.2 of non AT)
Total AT Mileage: 51.3

We have been camping at Dolly Copp Campground. It's a really nice campground and we have enjoyed the zeros here. We only intended to take 2 zeros to rest my knee, but it poured all day yesterday, so two turned into three. The plan for today was to hike back up the Carlo Col Trail to where we left the AT and then continue about 5 miles to Full Goose Shelter. We made good time up to the AT, doing 2.6 miles in a little over an hour. We took a break at the shelter and started talking about our journey this summer. Initially, we left with 5 weeks to do 332 miles because it would leave us enough time to feel free. It would be enough time to not feel like we had a deadline. Fortunately, I got a job that I really wanted, but now I have to be back a week earlier. Add to that my knee slowing us down, and we are definitely feeling the pressure of a deadline. The AT is amazing but with my knee and the new end date, the daily mileage has become more of a chore and not enjoyable. I stopped taking a moment at the views to take it all in and didn't want to walk the extra little bit to get to the views because we had to get certain mileage done. Doing that made the AT lose what it's all about. We both want a journey where we can go see the views. Where we can take it all in. We know the AT will be that in the future, but right now, this summer, a different adventure is calling. So DDL and I are doing what may be the most spontaneous thing we've ever done. We are driving west, across the country. We will explore all the beauty of our country by car, and sometimes by foot. I will continue to blog our travels because even we are not sure where we will end up. Now, I feel free.

Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka