Friday, September 18 8:13 pm 16.0 mi
AT 2006.7 Cranberry Stream → AT 2022.7 Flagstaff Campsite
Weather: Cool and clear
Trail Conditions: Incredible! The Bigelows provided some of the best views on trail so far
My Condition: Content and peaceful
Bigelow West Peak was one of my favorite views on trail thus far – sweeping, top-of-the-world panorama overlooking enormous, numerous blue lakes, rolling hills and trees shifting from greens to yellows, oranges, and reds. Met a hiker who I’d been warned about by multiple people at various points along the trail, and texted Blue, Hummingbird, and Puddles to let them know. Apparently this hiker has been incredibly creepy/stalkery/inappropriate and uncomfortable to be around for multiple women on trail. I had barely met the hiker, yet it’s hard to discount what I'd already heard when it’s come from so many different trusted sources. Better safe than sorry. As I rolled into camp, taking in the sunset reflecting off the lapping waves, I found myself reflecting on the past, on the me that started writing at the beginning of this journal. The pain, the heartache, the trials and tribulations that had left me broken. The people I’d lost, the opportunities I’d discarded, the mistakes I’d made, the guilt I’d felt. Through this trail experience, a new “me” has emerged. A multi-faceted, many-sided brand new me. I’m more than just the work that I do, no matter how meaningful I may find it. I’m a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend. I’m a 2000 miler, and soon to be an official long-trail thru hiker. I’m a nerd, a gamer, a dreamer. I’m a lover of candy and carbs and cheese. I’m a proud dogfather. I’m a disc golfer. I’m so much more than I’ve let myself be, and although I’ve had to traverse some of the darkest darks to find it, my light, my reborn spirit, the new me is here, and strong, and here to stay.
Post Trail Analysis
One of the most picturesque days on trail. Today, I’ll let the pictures and videos do all the talking.
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