Big Bulgin' Birthday Bunion

“The researcher is really trying to examine each information source and find evidence to support a theme when they’re going through the triangulation process.”

Triangulation. Triangle. Pyramids. Pyramids are triangles. There’s an outcropping in the Smokies that some call The Pyramid…

And just that quickly, my mind rocketed away from Dr. P’s in-class lecture on data analysis in qualitative research and straight into the vortex of one of my most researched routes in the Smokies. For years I’ve dreamt about seeing the Smokies from a different perspective. I’ve scurried off trail a few times to explore a few cool areas like Little Duck Hawk…

pic: Ash

(can ya see the tiny lil Zach climbing the rocky ridgeline?)

But never could seem to find the time to set out on the one route that always lingered in the back of my mind.

pic: Ash

But there I was… early October… 11 graduate classes into the year and knee deep into a +20 page research paper on the effects of mental health on collegiate athletes…

I sighed and whispered out loud as I typed the word burnout into the heading of my next paragraph.

“I need to get away. Maybe I should take the Friday off before my birthday and just do it?”

Alexis having no clue what I was referencing looked up from her laptop with her always encouraging self, “Dude… you should totally do it!”

2019 had been one of my toughest years. I traded a high stress/toxic work environment for a low stress/healing work environment so that I could add a new stressor… graduate school. Yep. I went ahead a did that thing I swore I would never do. I went back to school.

I figured being a full-time grad student, full time employee and being a volunteer for the Make A Wish Trailblaze Challenge would be enough to push running to the back seat, but surprisingly enough, this year’s running exploits had been solid. I think having to really learn to manage my time a bit more helped establish a more efficient running schedule and routine. Instead of being all willy-nilly about my miles, I started being more regimented with my runs and training. To be perfectly honest, the first time I actually train trained for a race was for Pinhoti 100 in 2018. Ash outlined a baseline structure of a training plan and followed it to a T and ran my most successful race to date.

pic: Matty Fierce 

Although I couldn’t give my full attention to another training block like Pinhoti, I manipulated a training block the best I could to have another solid outing at the Hellbender 100 in April of this year.

pic: Whiteblaze Marketing

I found that I enjoyed racing more when I was pushing myself a bit harder. I had always just gone out with the intentions of finishing races, but I’ve discovered there’s something extremely satisfying in putting in genuine effort, having a plan and seeing how (or if) it comes together. This makes racing a blasty blast while at the same time making those long, unstructured mountain adventures even more enjoyable.

The next day after class, I walked into the clinic and asked the ladies, “How do yall feel about me taking off the Friday before my birthday so I can link up a long mountain weekend?”

“Yea of course!”

God I love my new job.

Before I get into the details of this adventure lets go ahead and get all the “but isn’t this dangerous?”, “what if you have to be rescued?”, “that sounds dumb and irresponsible” bullshit out of the way. First and foremost, I’ve always been extremely cautious and have thought through, researched and weighed the risks of each one of my adventures. My risks are calculated with the simple premise surrounding coming home safely to the love of my life, Kati (aka – Dark Princess). And for this specific adventure… I even took an extra step (mainly to ease the mind of OJG’s wife Katie) and took a GPS tracker, bear spray and packed enough supplies and clothing to spend daaaaaaaaays out in the mountains if this went poorly.

The researched route I’d been wanting to do for so long starts at the END of Porters Creek Trail, goes off trail for approximately 2ish miles, climbs up Charlies Bunion and ends with a nice little trek on the AT. There isn’t really a simple way to complete this route… especially alone. Ideally… if I had a partner… we could park one car at Porter’s Creek Trail and another at Newfound Gap. This would make the total trip around 9 miles. Well… I didn’t have a partner and wanted an ALL-day adventure for my birthday, so I took a lil looksy at the GSMNP map and mapped out a tough lollipop…

The route I decided on was approximately 30 miles. The plan was to start out on Alum Cave, head up LeConte, descend Brushy Mountain Trail and connect Porters Creek Trail. At the end of Porters Creek Trail, I’d bushwhack and spend approximately 2ish miles off trail navigating up to the ridge below Charlies Bunion. I’d then climb from the base of the Bunion, connect with the AT, take Boulevard Trail up to Cliff Tops where I’d meet Ash and Bailey for a beautiful sunset before descending back down Alum Cave.

OJG offered up a spot at his cabin the Thursday night before I was to set out on the Big Bulgin’ Birthday Bunion and after a long drive up from Alabama, I was greeted by Matty Fierce with a tall glass of whiskey and a chair on the back porch. I’ve been beyond blessed with some of the best damn friends imaginable.

I woke up to 2 chipper and perky lil faces staring at me from the edge of the couch. Kate and Sela (Matty Fierce’s youngins) were ready to start their day. I wasn’t. The simple fact that I woke up on the couch instead of the upstairs bedroom was a pretty good indicator I may have had a lil tooooo much to drink on the porch! Oh well… the toxins would seep out throughout the day. I walked out onto the porch and was greeted by the most perfect day.

I had sworn to myself I would bail on the whole thing if there was even the SLIGHTEST chance of rain. The route involved traversing an area that gets devastated by flash floods and I had no intentions of risking that or slick sandstone on the climb.

After one final run down with OJG, Katie and MF of my intended route, and a “last known photo,” I set out for the hour or so drive to Alum Cave trailhead.

I arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am… a solid 2.5hrs behind schedule. I wasn’t on a super tight schedule but wanted to leave myself a good amount of daylight to navigate the off-trail section in case there were any unforeseen issues. I did a quick gear check, scarfed down a Clif Bar and set out for a fun day of exploring! Despite the overcrowded Alum Cave and heavier than normal pack, I made pretty good time up the mountain.

As I descended Trillium, I came face to face with the llama train carrying the supplies up to the lodge.

I took a small break at Trillium Gap to eat another Clif Bar and turn on my GPS tracker. I’d been up to the Brushy Mtn summit multiple times but had never had a reason to take the actual Brushy Mtn Trail. Surprisingly, it was a satisfying and free flowing descent! Thankfully by the time I reached the bottom of the trail to connect with Porters Creek Trail, the pesky whiskey hangover was gone.

As I made my way down the 2.7-mile Porters Creek Trail, I couldn’t help but think about the one person that inspired me to do this route, Jenny Bennett. A line from one of her blogs had always stuck out to me…

"Porters Creek and Lester Prong in the Greenbrier form pathways for rockhoppers that lead to mystierous and difficult places." 

And that's EXACTLY where I wanted to go... somewhere mysterious and difficult. 

Blue Ridge Outdoors wrote an excellent article on her life. 

Her story even inspired me to write a song called “TheLast Stream” under my acoustic folky side-project band named Anakeesta Sun. 

I walked through the camping area at the end of Porters Creek Trail and slid down an embankment to drop into Porters Creek. I was a little over 16 miles in when I left the actual trail and headed out on the adventure I’d been waiting to do for years. As I rock hopped down Porters Creek, I silently wondered where Jenny’s body was found.

Porters Creek was relatively low and navigating the rocks was simple and straightforward. However, the further I traveled up the creek, the tougher it got. I started passing over small cascades that were covered in moss and slippery rocks. Since I was alone and had no cell service, I had to be extra careful with my footing. One tweaked or busted ankle could be a potential life-threatening situation. But this place was everything I had hoped it would be. It was remote, beautiful and felt like I had stumbled upon a lost and forgotten ancient world.

I continued to meander and navigate the slippery Porters Creek until I finally arrived at the Lester Prong junction. I bid farewell to Porters Creek and continued my journey up Lester Prong.

The surroundings become more unnerving the further I traveled up Lester Prong. I had read numerous reports about the flash flooding in the area, but words can’t put it into perspective. Signs of flash flooding were ERRRRYWHERE. Massive trees were haphazardly scattered throughout the ravine, piles of big rocks and mounds of dirt were chaotically pressed against the rock facings. It was a haunting reminder of how powerful nature can be.

I started to become more alert the further I went up Lester Prong. It was imperative that I took the 2^nd tributary off Lester Prong. Every tributary would take you to a different ridge. Take the 1^st and you’ll have your choice to head up The Pyramid and Falcon Point on your way to the REAL Bunion OR take Middle Ridge to the AT. Continue following Lester and you’ll end up climbing the Jump Offs. But neither of those were the day’s destination... my intentions were to take the 2^nd, scurry up the ridge and climb the Tourist Bunion. The Tourist Bunion is what most people refer to and have come to know as Charlies Bunion, however, there’s also a very very small and select few that call this “Charlies Bulge.”

It wasn’t necessarily difficult to figure out which tributary was the 2^nd, but it wasn’t exactly easy. Once I started going up the 2^nd tributary the environment turned rough. The walls of the ravine started getting extremely steep and left me wondering when/where I was supposed to start making my way up the ridge. Everything I’d read was pretty vague when it talked about finding a spot to start veering up to the ridge below the Bunion. I took it as a “just find the best looking path and go for it” kind of approach. I came to a massive boulder that had been lodged between the walls of the ravine. It was about a 5-foot ledge to get to where the boulder was stuck, but there was no real way around the rock. I back tracked a few yards and decided to climb up and work my way around the rock. This proved waaaaaaay more difficult and sketchier than it initially appeared. I climbed up about 15 feet to the left of the rock and started slowly inching my way along the steep embankment. The ground was loose and unstable. I semi-worried that the ground would give way and I’d fall the 15 feet down onto the hard rock floor. After a few minutes of slow, heart racing movement, I came along the opposite side of the lodged boulder and continued up the tributary. Things started getting hairy again in the ravine, so I finally decided to just take the chance and start veering upwards along the ridge. I can’t even begin to describe the thickness of the rhododendron and steepness of the grade I was climbing. Multiples times it felt like I was having to pull myself up (in pullup fashion). Once I hit the spine of the ridge… I started belly crawling. Yes. BELLY CRAWLING under the rhododendron thicket! “Slow moving” isn’t even a fair statement. To put it into perspective… once I left the actual trail at mile 16… the next mile took me 37 mins. The second mile took me 54mins. The last mile took me an 1hr57 minutes!!

I finally popped out onto a rock cropping that I had read about. Standing on a rock cropping that few people have stood upon and staring UP at Charlies Bunion and the Appalachian Trail was a dreamlike experience.

I took a few moments to take my phone off airplane mode and shoot out a text to the group thread that was following me on the GPS. Thankfully I got a text to go through to let them know I was fine but moving extremely slow. I put away my phone and dipped back into the woods. I moved through a beautiful thicket of spruce pine. Again… the steepness is hard to describe without experiencing it firsthand! I navigated the intricate root systems of the trees as I pushed upwards towards the Bunion.

I eventually hit rock and started carefully scrambling the narrow ridgeline. Looking out to my left I could see Middle Ridge in front of the ridge with The Pyramid, Falcon Point and the Real Bunion in the background.

I continued my careful voyage along the rocky and steep ridgeline…

And eventually got to the base of the Bunion.

The final ascent up the Bunion wasn’t toooo sketchy or hard… but it was very very real. With the exception of one single move that I had to allow myself to fully commit, most of the movement contained firm, secure hand holds. The topography in the area is filled with sharp drop offs and if one were to fall… it runs a high-risk serious injury or death. I never felt nervous or scared… it was just one of those “you need to be freakin’ sure” moments.

There was a single person sitting on top of the Bunion as I topped out…

*hiker turns around, looks at me and turns away*

*hiker turns back around*

Hiker: “You know… most people just use the trail.”

Me: “Yea… I know.”

It was perfect. No fanfare. No questions asking where I came from. No puzzled looks. Just a fleeting moment of personal joy and satisfaction.

I didn’t spend much time at the Bunion… just enough time to help the hiker take a few pictures and to eat an Arby’s sandwich. I took one last look back at the Bunion and valley I had come from before heading out on the AT to finish the rest of the route. I love this place.

I made a brief stop at a water pipe near Icewater Spring Shelter to refill one of my flasks to get me through the next 12 or so miles. The sky started darkening as I pushed along Boulevard. I was almost convinced I wouldn’t make the sunset but as I started the climb up to Cliff Tops I was greeted by an enthusiastic Ash and Bailey!

The three of us sat back and let God take over and dazzle us with a slow burn sunset…

It was the perfect way to kick off me and Ash’s 2^nd annual joint birthday weekend.

Once the color started fading from the sky, we began a lively 5 mile descent. As we bounded down Alum Cave with a distant fire red horizon as our backdrop, I couldn’t help getting a little emotional. It had been a tough year. Real growth is hard and sloppy… and this year had been the biggest year I’ve ever had regarding genuine personal growth. In the end, this adventure, one that I’ve had my eyes on for years, served as a pleasant reminder of the essence of my core values and the firm belief that one should always stay true to themselves.

Stay magical.

Treat Yo Self - Nantahala Adventure Run (NAR)

When was the last time you took an entire day for yourself? A day where you woke up and spent time with you and only you. No friends. No family. No real pressing obligations... a day where you simply spent time in your own head? A day where you treat yo self to whatever it is that you truly love doing...

This type of day is a rarity for almost every single person walking this planet.... including myself. Yea yea... I know what you're thinking and I've heard it all before... 

1) "You get to spend TONS of time in nature...”

2) “You get alone time ALL the time...”

3) “You're ALWAYS in the mountains on an adventure somewhere...”

And my favorite… 

4) “If you had kids you wouldn't have that much freedom..." 

Well I’m here to tell ya… you sacrifice and make time for the things that mean the most to you.  

1) Yes. I make it a point to spend as much time in nature as possible because I feel it's extremely important for a person's well-being to be connected to the natural world. I place my connection to the universe and God extremely high on the totem pole. 

2) Where it may seem that I get a ton of alone time... I don't. Between work, the wifey and running with so many fine folks… there’s only a few moments each day that I truly get to myself.   

3) I am very fortunate to have a supportive wife that lets me wander out and take my adventures. I try my best to at least get to a non-local area to run at least once a month but again... I usually take these adventures with other people and very rarely venture off alone because most of the time the mountains are more fun with friends. 

4) You’re damn right I wouldn't! And that's one of the reasons we've made that life choice. Because we like to "DO WHAT WE WANT!" 

Kidding... kinda...but seriously...we do like to do what we want. 

"But Yall would make such awesome parents...." 

"Don't worry yall will change yall's minds..."

Highly doubtful. But if we did... it's a lot easier to decide to have a kid than it is to have a kid and then decide it's not for us. Ya can't just be like...

"Well son... it's been a solid 6yrs... but I'm through with you now. Good luck. Goodbye forever."

Now I'm no expert... but I think that style of parenting is frowned upon. I also think people get the wrong perception of people without kids. We've been brought up to believe (especially in the South) that you must follow this step by step process and spread your seed to live a happy, fulfilled life. Go to school. Get married. Go to church on Sunday's. Buy a home. Have babies. Spoil your grandchildren. Grow old and watch your shows on the television. All that is fine and dandy but that's not the only formula for happiness. I'm a big believer in the "you do you" movement. Does it make you happy?

 "Yes!" 

Is it causing me or any other people harm? 

"No!"

Then you keep doing you and I'll keep doing me. I believe that when it boils down to it... life consists of 3 simple steps: 

1) birth 

2) experience 

3) death

It's seriously that simple. We as humans have a tendency to muddy up and complicate that middle step. Listen... it doesn't matter which religion you choose to follow... which political party you voted for... if your skin is light or dark... if you have a red dot on your forehead or a turban wrapped around your head... are in love and like to kiss the lips of someone with the same sexual orientation as you or your just plain confused about your own sexual orientation... whichever path you decide to take... if you can manage to wander through this life and truly show love and compassion to your fellow human... there's a damn good chance at personal happiness as well as making this experience a pleasant one for others. 

And just because a person lives the kidless lifestyle ... doesn't mean that they have this magical stash of time and are constantly free to do whatever the hell they want. It just doesn't work that way. End of rant. Regards. I love you all.

NAR (Nantahala Adventure Run) links the Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail for a scenic 55-mile loop tour of the Nantahala Forest and has somewhere between 13,000-14000ft of gain. I've done the entire AT portion of the loop as well as a few miles of the Bartram... but have never gotten a chance to take a stab at the entire loop. I first heard about NAR when I got the invite to run the loop with a small group of my favorite local adventurers back in 2014. I'm real glad it didn't work for me to attend back then because they started their loop in an absolute downpour and the rains didn't let up. I think everyone bailed by mile 20. The thought of being in a warm cozy brewery sipping colbeer instead of being wet, cold and miserable for +15hrs in the mountains sounded way more appealing to everyone... especially since NAR isn't a race and is just run for fun. Luckily the forecast for my attempt called for sunny and 75.

After a long day of work, I set out on the all too familiar "Friday Five" (aka the 5hr drive up to the Appalachians). Per my usual "quick weekend trip to the mountains routine" I stopped by Arby's for dinner and then by Wal-Mart for a few mountain running necessities...

I hadn't really thought too much about dropping any aid for my NAR attempt since there was an abundance of places to filter water and a little supply shop around the half way point. But I figured since had to pass by one of the trailheads on the way to the cabin... I might as well stash a small cooler of goodies to have at mile 41ish.

I finally arrived at the cabin around 11pm and I did a quick walk around the house to ensure everything was in proper condition... but mostly to check for any killers hiding in the closets or behind shower curtains. All was clear thanks to the attack spider that had been hired to protect the house. 

By the time I got my gear packed for my adventure it was almost midnight. I still wasn't all that sleepy so I cracked open a beer and sat outside on the deck and enjoyed the cool, quiet night. I finally finished off my local brew and headed to lay down to try and find sleep.

I guess it's the old conundrum of when you know you’re about to lay your head down to not get much sleep which then causes you not to even get the sleep that you could be getting... (yea read that again... but I know you know what I'm talking about.) because I fell asleep at 12:45am and woke up at 2:30am. I should've just stayed up and started earlier but I guess even a 1hr45min power nap after a long day of work and long drive is somewhat beneficial. 

I heated up a breakfast burrito, poured a cup of coffee and went out onto the deck to enjoy my 3am breakfast. The world was totally still and silent. No sounds. No wind. The moon was bright enough to silhouette the distant mountains and I silently wondered as I gazed upon Cheoah if the conditions would be similar up in the mountains. At 330am I drove down the windy road into the gorge to the NOC. After a quick gear check on my tailgate, I walked across the bridge to the NOC outfitter's store to begin my journey. The place was a ghost town. Not a soul in sight... No passing cars... Just the soothing hum of the river behind me. At 4:03am I pressed start on my Suunto and set off southbound along the AT. 

The last time I made the long steep 6 mile / 3000ft trek up to Wesser was over 4th of July weekend when I was in a sling and throwing up everywhere. It was nice not to be immobilized in both aspects this time. There usually is at least a small group of campers at the designated campsite a mile out from the NOC but it was completely barren when I went through this morning. My mind started creating all kids of scenarios of why there were no campers... 

So, there's no wind... there's no sound... there’s no movement from the world... am I experiencing the Oz Effect?!? Is something crazy about to happen?! 

I started freaking myself out as I furthered pursued thoughts about Missing 411 and the possibility of alternate realities but shook those theories from my mind as I approached the Jump Up. I opted out of climbing Wesser Fire tower since it was still pre-sunrise and there would be no real view. I dropped down into Tellico Gap a little after 6am (mile 8ish - 2:06 total time). Climbing out of Tellico was peaceful and around 7am I grabbed my first scenic view of the day as the sun was starting to illuminate the world... 

I could hear some campers stirring up in the camping area near Cold Spring Shelter but there were no occupants of the shelter itself. The sun was up by the time I went through Burningtown Gap. The high winds from Hurricane Irma had caused a lot of blow downs up in the area and I spent a lot of time having to maneuver around downed trees and branches... 

After I climbed out of Burningtown I saw a bear dart across the trail but it wanted nothing to do with me and continued its journey elsewhere. Funny enough I had seen a paw print in the same area years ago when I came up and ran and out and back from Tellico to Wayah... 

The area around Wayah was bustling. I saw one unenthused hiker making his way down the AT, a cheerful couple having a coffee over a small fire and a group of guys breaking down their campsite. It was a beautiful morning to be out on the trails... Especially at the higher elevations where the leaves were slowly starting to change. 

I was half expecting Wayah Bald summit to be overrun with people but to my surprise it was completely void of all human life when I arrived (mile 17ish - 4:42 total time)! I climbed the stone stairs to the top of the tower, sat on the edge of the structure and enjoyed the gorgeous sunrise while chomping on a Chick Fil A sand which. It felt nice to be moving on my own terms without a structured time scheduled. 

After finishing half of the sandwich, I rejoined the AT for a mile so before it connected to the Bartram Trail. 

I hadn't spent much time at all on the Bartram so I was looking forward to exploring some new single track. To my surprise the 2.5 miles down to Sawmill Gap were gorgeous! Other than the blow downs from Irma... The trail was nicely groomed and provided scenic vistas of the distant mountains and would occasionally cut its path through open fields. Sawmill Gap parking lot was completely empty as I passed through.

I had read that the last 3 miles or so down to Nantahala Lake were extremely steep but was surprised of how steep some sections were! Between the massive amount of downed trees/large limbs and the steep, leaf covered slippery terrain... it was not a very enjoyable descent. I was relieved when I finally popped out at the road. 

I followed the road for a bit before arriving at the Lakes End Grill and Marina (mile 25ish - 7:00 total time). Though the owner offered the spigot around back so that I could refill my water but I purchased some water, a Gatorade and a Mountain Dew to help support the little store. 

I spent more time than I probably should have at the marina talking with the owner but it was a nice morning out and he was an interesting cat. 

After a 30-minute lunch break and the 2nd half of my chicken sandwich… I started back along the road until I veered back onto the Bartram Trail. 

I was caught off guard with how much fun the next couple of miles of single track turned out to be! I soaked up the fun because the single track eventually gave way to mundane, rolling gravel roads.

With no wind or even the slightest of breezes, the day was starting to heat up by the time I arrived at Appletree Group Camp (mile 31ish - 8:45 total time) 

Appletree was a beautiful area and there were a few large groups set up camping.

The section between Appletree Group Camp and the Duke Energy Powerplant/Raft Put In area was hot, humid, overgrown and not much fun at all.

Though the trail wasn't hard to follow, it was extremely annoying (and itchy) to have to plow through the overgrowth. 

At every little stream crossing I passed I would douse my buff in the cold water and wipe down my itchy legs and cool my head/neck/chest. The trail finally veered away from the river and started meandering up into the mountains again. The relief was short lived after I discovered the ridiculous amount of spider webs that crisscrossed the trail. Every 10-15yrds I would break through another spider web. It was frustrating but I eventually stopped caring as I started to slip into a normal ultra "low" and which forced me to turn my focus on getting myself back into a happy state of mind. The trail seemed like it twisted and turned forever. Every time I thought I was going to stumble upon Percy Creek the trail would pop over a small creek and climb again. I pulled out my 2nd chicken sandwich and started nibbling on it to pass the time. As I finished half of my sandwich I reached Percy and rock hopped across the bubbling creek. I had been to Percy Creek one time before with OJG and Kyle during my first ever trip up to the NOC. I started to get into a groove and pull out of the "low" once I was in a familiar area. The climb up to Rattlesnake Knob went by fairly quickly and it felt good to be running again as I descended towards the trail head. Before making my way to the Duke Energy trail head I got a view of the last big climb... 

I dropped down to the Duke Energy trail head (mile 41ish - 12:23) to where I had stashed my cooler the night before. 

I refilled my pack and downed my purple drank as I walked the road over to the raft put in area. 

I'd covered the last 14-mile section before with OJG so I was familiar with the long 5.5 mile / 3000ft climb that was ahead of me. Instead of dwelling on the climb ahead… I stayed focused on the nice flat, concrete path along the river. 

The climb from the river to Cheoah was tough. I moved slow for the first few miles and even took a sit break to eat the last half my chicken sandwich above Bartram Falls. The woods were getting dark but sunlight was still bouncing off the mountain tops above. I set a goal to be up on top of Cheoah Bald before the sun set at 730pm. After the relentless uphill... I eventually left the Bartram trail and rejoined the AT for a half mile before reaching Cheoah Bald. As I approached the bald I caught wind of the wonderful smell of a fall campfire and could hear cheerful voices. I was welcomed by a group of campers and an excited yellow lab (mile 47ish - 15:09)

I chatted with the campers for a few minutes and wondered over to the opposite side of the bald to watch the sun set. 

After watching the sun set over the horizon I made my way back over to the fire. By no means was it cold... I just really wanted to enjoy the warmth and the smell of the fire as I got my pack ready for the last 8 miles of my journey.

The familiar descent to the NOC was peaceful in the dark. The moon was bright, the woods were quiet and I was happy. The 8 miles passed by quickly and before I knew it I was at the railroad crossing at the NOC. 

The NOC was in the exact condition as I had left it earlier that morning... a ghost town. There were no cheers or high fives... no whimsical dance party... no rainbow unicorns... no finisher's medal... nothing. It was just me, it was just how I liked it and it was perfect. I crossed the bridge back to NOC outfitter's store, hit stop on my watch and took a seat on a bench. It had been a long, long time since I had spent this much time in the woods alone and it felt rewarding to be back covering longer distances again (mile 55 - 17:39 - finish). As I sat alone in the dark I reminisced on the past 9 months. Between volunteering the first 5 months of the year as a hike leader for the Make a Wish Trailblaze Challenge and the 3 months I was immobilized for Douche Shoulder surgery... this was one of the first times I had been truly alone on an adventure. I had missed me. 

I drifted back to reality when my body started to shake from the cold. I walked back across the bridge through the abandoned outdoor paddling Mecca, tossed my pack into the back of my Element and drove myself back up to the cabin. After a hot shower and 2 colbeers, I drifted into a dreamless sleep. 

I woke up to the most gloriously chilly Fall day. I fixed a cup of coffee, grabbed my favorite blanket in the cabin and sat on the back porch silently ringing in the first day of the best month of the year. So much weird, coincidental shit (that I didn't mention in text during this recap) happened on the trail the day before and I was slowly putting the pieces together on how the universe and God had spoken to me. Though it was a simple, straight forward outing... it will forever be one of the most meaningful and well remembered days of my life.

Whether its 5 minutes or a complete day… I encourage you to take some time to spend with yourself. You’re the most important person you’ll ever know.