#trail name

Golly & Slam passing me on 4/16/2016

Jah Ire Cactus Sister Last Minute Portugal Shooting Star New Dave Orbit Mom Shaggy (no.1) Shaggy (no.2) Mass Recon Rocky Moose Mouse Juice Peanut Butter Big Fudge Fortune Cookie Napster Snap Jelly Ankle Cheetah Golly Slam Purple Haze Learning Curve Corn Cob Big O Quicksand Cinnamon Mamba Oats The Roman Noodles Pup Nova Box Turtle Johnny Rocket Sailor Bear Bag Champa Stay Weird Bangles Night Reader Old Fox White Girl Disco Couscous Just Right (JR) Cyborg & Son Creature (no.1) Creature (no.2) Toast Sooner or Later Scott (Behind Me) Blue Bandanna Magnet Popsi Wanna Chair Chicken Foot

I'm definitely crashing already tonight so I apologize if this isn't the most coherent post. But since I won't have internet after today, I'd better post now. Hit the trail on Monday around 10:30. Hiked to Woody Gap through the most which was neat! And then up a Mountain that wasn't too bad. Still going at a Snail's pace on the way up, but the point is I get up the mountain. At the top was a magnificent view! I called some people from the top and spent an hour just enjoying the sun and the view. It was glorious and made the slow hike up worth it. Flew down to Lance Creek and hiked with a guy named Cody. He was super nice and had hiked 16 miles that day! I can't even comprehend that. Gosh. Camped at the creek which was my first good night's rest on trail! The sound of the creek covered up the noises and it helped me a lot. I think I'm getting used to it maybe? Also adjusting to peeing in the woods at night. The things you learn on the trail! Hiked up Blood Mountain the next day. Super slow at first and then sped up in the middle. There was a big section without white blazes that made me nervous, but I was still on the trail. The climb up Blood Mountain wasn't as terrible as Sassafras, the switchbacks were nice. I'm still slow, but it was ok. Came across a guy who was basically delirious from lack of water. Concerned enough that I hiked with him the rest of the way. Someone had given him water and an electrolyte packet, but still. Reminded me that I needed to drink and eat! The descent of Blood Mountain is actually what killed me. It was a rocky maze and absolutely killed my knees. The most painful part of the trail for me so far. Emily and Michelle (two girls hiking!) came across me and hiked the rest of the way down. I was going sooooo slow too! Very kind of them. I was so relieved when I saw Mountain Crossings! My knees were done for the day and I was for sure taking a zero. Some people said they saw Mackenzie and Kayla (now Happy Baby!) head up the trail and I was devastated. We had been planning on getting a cabin together for the night. After asking at the store it turned out the rumors were wrong, they had already acquired a cabin! I started crying again. No shame. A lovely lady who worked there felt sorry enough for me to drive me to the cabin. Very kind of her. I bought a coke and sandwich and finally ate! I had only eaten a poptart and clif bar for those 7.4 miles. NOT GOOD. But my hunger kicked in and I ate a bunch more food. I'm hoping it'll only get better. My body would just not let me eat! The shower was glorious and they had actual shampoo, which was also perfect! Towels and such. Free laundry (deodorant does indeed make a difference...) was also super useful! Watched Great Expectations which was... weird. Made some calls and crashed early in my own bed! Yes! Definitely taking a zero day, my body needed a break! I woke up early the next morning. My feet had also been suffering down Blood Mountain. I could feel pin pricks in them and couldn't feel my toes well. Disconcerting. I decided to go up to Mountain Crossings for a shakedown of my pack and ask about my feet. Turns out my shoes were 1.5 sizes too small. Ouch. I'd actually torn a hole into my darn tough socks. Good job, self! And I thought they were big when I left! Wound up getting new shoes and superfeet inserts. I also had to get a new sleeping bag. My Sea to Summit Down Trek Tk II is already completely balled up and almost useless after four days. Thank you REI and your return policy! Sent my four season sleeping pad home for an 8oz one, smaller fuel canister was also acquired. And a legit spork. That double ended light my fire spork is terrible! Sent home my fleece and bowl/cup as well. All in all I cut around 3lbs, maybe more. My body says thank you! Went to Walmart with Happy Baby and her husband who was visiting. Acquired food and braces for both my knees and wrist, which was oddly also hurting quite a bit. McDonald's as well! Perfect! Now it's almost 7 and we still need to make dinner. So much to do before sleep and I'm already tired! Gosh. Hoping to finish a letter and gather up the other odds and ends to mail home tomorrow. Also just found Blazing Saddles on VHS.... perhaps tonight's entertainment? Who knows. Not sure what I'll be up for tomorrow, but I need to get moving. Starting to feel lethargic here! Next resupply is Hiawassee! Around mile 69. Woah. Who knows what adventures lie ahead! Oh! I might've said this already, but I have a new trail name. "Cecilia" like the Simon & Garfunkel song. It's the song to sing while alone in the woods! I have more to say but it's going to have to wait, I'm too tired!

Hello everyone out there! Since this is also the blog I’m showing family and friends back home, I thought I’d better explain the concept of trail names. A big part of being an Appalachian Trail (AT) thru hiker is finding your trail name. Some people go into the trail with a name in mind, others discover it while on the trail. Since I’m an incredibly impatient person, I have decided to pick a trail name for the time being. Perhaps someone will give me a better name into my hike but for now my trail name is “Daughter”.  Daughter is a funny name, why’d I choose that? Mostly because I’m completely obsessed with music. The past several months have been about figuring out where I’m going with my life and deciding to go on this hike. During this time, I’ve listened to a lot of music. So much music. Music listening all the time. And in this listening, I’d become completely obsessed with the singer-songwriter Elena Tonra. She’s the lead singer of the trio Daughter. I find her to be an incredibly honest singer and their performances are very raw emotionally. Every lyric she writes I’ve been able to relate to at some point of my life. Even though I’m not in such a dark place right now, it’s a reminder of where I’ve been and that it is possible to be successful even with that following me around. Elena Tonra’s been plenty successful through it, why can I succeed as well? From a more practical standpoint, I am also a daughter myself. Maybe it makes me a strange 23 year old, but I actually like my parents and am very glad to be their daughter. If it hadn’t been for all their loving and support I wouldn’t be about to hike the AT at all.  All right, enough of the sappy stuff. From here on out this will be Daughter’s blog! Unless there’s a magical name change.  I wish you all the best. -Daughter

I am currently in Gatlinburg, TN. My oh my this is quite the intersection of nature and humanity. I enjoy visiting the towns along the trail. I am clearly not a purist in that I need to be on the trail 24-7. I love experiencing all the people and towns along the way. I could tell stories for hours about all the wonderful people I have met. Speaking of people I have met, there is a wonderful phenomenon of thru-hikers (and some wonderful section hikers!) developing a "trail name" along the way. Some of my favorite trail names this year so far include the following: Stairmeister, Scout, Swashbuckler, Apple, Hot Sauce, Kennedy, Wrecking Ball, Oconee, Unity, Stick In The Mud...and I could go on and on. I too have a trail name! Most people on the trail don't even know my real name. They only know me by the name given to me by the trail. I have had a few names given to me by people on the trail: Avocado, Guacamole, Cheesesteak (which is a lame/cliché Philadelphia reference), but the one that stuck came not from a person, but a deer I met on the trail. On day three of my journey, just past Woody Gap, three deer crossed right in front of my path. The largest of them stopped and made eye contact with me, and while looking into its eyes I looked deeply into my own soul and had a series of flashbacks to a Boy Scout camp I went to and then volunteered at in following summers called "Silver Stag". It was a leadership course for Boy Scouts in the Philadelphia area, and it helped shape me in ways which brought me to where I am right now. I could write a whole book about the Silver Stag course and everything I learned from my time there. Namely, the self-confidence it takes to go on a journey this long and keep going without stopping (except for in a few towns along the way :P). So as a result, my trail name is Silver Stag! Tomorrow I head back into the Smokies for more adventures, and I will likely post a few photos later this evening. Peace and Love to you all, Silver Stag

So I told a few fellow CT hikers (who have hiked most of the PCT and several other long trails) that I had calculated out my daily food rations to 4300 calories and they thought I was a little eccentric for my meticulous planning and thus named me 43, which could change if I do anything or say anything that could be a little more absurd than just counting my calories.