I was on the trail by 615 with no where to go but North. Sometimes there is something special about seeing the day begin, watching the sun rise and watching the birds and the bees begin their busy days. The morning was clear and the day began with the wonderful sight of the sun. The temperature was comfortable and the walking felt easy. Very quickly I made it to a highway intersection and decided to treat myself to a nice breakfast as well as pick up some more snacks for the next 45 miles (day and a half). These are the times in town I realize how much I miss coffee. It never ceases to amaze me the I can go from not having coffee for two weeks to have 4 cups at breakfast. It is one of the small trade off I have come to accept in exchange for doing something this amazing. Through the first two weeks of this trip I realized I was losing weight WAY too quickly. It was time for a big change in strategy to keep my body strong for this 9 month attempt. I dropped a few comfort items and fill that extra space with more snacks. When it convenient I also try to replenish my snack stash as I walk through towns. The strategy is working well and I have been able to keep on some semblance of a winter coat. After breakfast and picking up a large number of snacks I climbed back into the spine of Appalachia. It was a beautiful day and I had almost as much urge to sit on the side of the mountain and look back at how far I had come as I had to hike on. The trail was well maintained with leafless deciduous trees the entire way. I came to a shelter about 20 miles in where I met Einstein. A fellow thru hiker who was spending the night there. I pushed on and climbed up to the Chestnut knob shelter for a respectable 29 mile day. This shelter is perched right atop a mountain with the most incredible view of the surrounding hills and mountains. It was amazing to watch the sunset from up here. Tomorrow will be another early morning since I need to be at the Bland, VA post office before it closes. At that point I can see who won the Oscars as well.
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