Meetup: Day 17 – Wednesday 7/29/2020 – 1537.4 – clear, sunny, cool, windy. I stayed in my sleeping bag until 4:45 am and got on trail about 5:45 am. Overall it was an uneventful day. There were some climbs, but nothing major. It was cool and windy so I kept my down vest on and wore wool gloves too. It was so uneventful that I listened to audio book to help pass the time. My shoes and socks dried out. Near the end as I was approaching Justin several day hikers said “You must be Tartan” your son told us about you. This happened in the last three miles. One was a lady NOBO section hiker named Knock-out. I began to mention how tough yesterday was and how much I needed to see my son. As I spoke I got choked up, excused myself and quickly continued on my way. I don’t often get emotional but after the stress of yesterday I did. After a short climb I got to Justin. I was so relieved. The social and emotional connection is so important. I dropped my pack, my poles and hugged him. It felt so good. I had made it! Later this day Glider, a hiker, stopped by for a Coke and stayed over an hour telling us about his hiking, falling down on trail, ex-wife, life,… Each hiker has a story to tell, but his was a bit too much information.
