Day 56
Miles today: 20 miles
Miles so far: 1055.5 miles
Campsite: Buck Pond Campsite

What a weird, awesome day. Today was the day I said “enough with the roadwalks”! I started hiking alone at 520am to get as much as walking done as possible. It started fine and strong and took the SR4 road to avoid 2 miles of downtown road walk. I hiked about 8 miles and met up with Grits again. Went to the bathroom and came up, and he was already gone!

The road was full of construction and we still had 12 miles of road walk to do. It was dangerous hiking, cars zooming at 55mph while on a tiny construction shoulder is not what I call hiking. You know what I said a few days ago about not yellow blazing this darn thing??  Well that was a lie. Prior to a one lane conversion construction zone, a black car with tinted windows pulls up and someone yelled out at me to get in the car. It took me back, I have never been told to get in the car from a stranger. It took me 2 seconds to recognize that FrontPage, Handlebar and Alex was talking to me from the car.  They had gotten a ride and then I jumped in the car with them. Squeezed in the back, with our hiker funk, we laughed and laughed. This stretch is ridiculous! Bad road and construction?! Just crazy. The driver dropped us in Harold. A few miles after our planned campsite but we decided to keep hiking, we had skipped a chunk and it was too early to stop.

We hiked another 9 miles thru the woods and some roads. FrontPage and I walked side by side and Alex and handlebar was half mile behind. Suddenly, a bus stopped by and asked of we wanted a ride. We looked back to look for our friends but couldn’t see them. We said hums and a head popped out by the driver told us to get in! It was Handlebar! The bus driver gave us a 4 mile bump to SR 87. AWWW YEAH! skipping more stupid road walk. I NEVER WANT TO WALK A ROAD AGAIN!

From the convenience store, we started walking on another 55mph road and handlebar and I walked together while Alex and FrontPage was behind us. 20min or less on that road, a black pick-up truck pulled on the other side. SNOOPY AND MONKEY! It was another hiker we had met a month or so before. They asked if we wanted a ride to the campsite. We looked back and the boys were nowhere to be found. Snoopy told us they were already in the truck. Hahahaha. AWww YEAH! “F” these roads.

So made it to Buck Pond Campsite a day earlier than expected due to the trail magic we’ve received. Snoopy and Monkey had made our day!!

What a day! We all chatted and laughed how this trail shouldn’t be called a “national scenic” trail. Yes, it is pretty but these busy road walks are mind numbing. I do understand the trail is still being created and they are trying to get access to get hikers of the trail.

I had inner struggles the first times I got a bump pass the road walks in the past. After 60 days of hiking, my goals has changed for obvious reasons. We won’t get the title of “thru-hikers” but it doesn’t bother me anymore. Hike your own hike. Live the life that makes you happy. Happy trails!