June 13 (Day 47) 

It did rain last night, but nothing came in through my tent, so no problem.  

Today was my shortest day of hiking on the AT without going into some town or other place to resupply. I did a total of 8 miles today.  

I got up later than usual, took my time with breakfast and took my time packing up my gear this morning. There were two really scenic spots along this 8-mile stretch. Both of them were large rock outcroppings that jutted out from the trees on top of the ridgelines, and I spent some time at each one since I didn’t have very far to go.  

I first heard thunder today at noon, and it continued intermittently for a few hours before it finally started raining at about 4 p.m.  

I didn’t want to hit the I-81 interchange until tomorrow, so I can stay on schedule to meet my sister. There are a lot of services where the AT crosses I-81, so I should get a good restaurant meal, and I’ll be able to hit the grocery store too.   

June 14 (Day 48)

It rained a lot last night, but it stopped just before dawn. I walked the 10 miles to the I-81 interchange before noon and was able to eat an excellent restaurant lunch.  

I’ve also been debating the question of new shoes for a while, and today I finally broke down and went to the outfitter here and got new shoes. I think 700 miles is all my current boots could take. Also, I’m trying something new with this pair. I have been wearing boots, but I’ve chosen a lighter trail shoe this time. It has a little less support, but it’s lighter and it certainly has more cushion. I’ve also gone up a size to 11.5 in hopes that my feet won’t feel squeezed any more.  

So, tomorrow will be the big test for my new shoes to see if they’re doing me any good. I also had to buy all new socks, as all my pairs had holes in them.  

It has stayed very cloudy all day, and from what I hear, tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same. Hopefully just clouds, not too much rain.   

June 15 (Day 49) 

Just as forecast, it was a very cloudy morning, and it was difficult to tell whether it was really going to rain or not. It stayed misty, and it was actually quite nice to walk in weather that couldn’t have been much more than 60°. The only problem was that with the air so saturated, water was dripping off the leaves of the trees all day.  

My new shoes seem to be working out excellently. Today was not their ultimate test, but my feet felt just fine after walking today’s 18 miles. Also, I put no bandages on my toes, as I have been doing for my smallest toes. My boots were squeezing my toes together, causing them to rub and form blisters. But, no such problem with the new shoes.  

One of the biggest changes with these shoes is that my feet feel so much lighter, which means walking feels like it takes less effort.  

The other big change is that, before, the first thing I did whenever I got to my destination for the night (except maybe get water) was to take my boots off, because it was uncomfortable just to sit around in them. But tonight I’ve been glad that I can keep my shoes on without hurting my feet al all, because it’s pretty chilly, as it has been all day.  

The question now is whether these shoes will be able to hold up for several hundred miles.  

There are still a lot of deer around, and I also saw a turtle on the path today. Of course, he went into his shell as soon as I approached. I was going to move him off the path, but I couldn’t tell which side he wanted to be on. From the way he was facing, he was heading directly northbound on the AT, just like me. So, I left him there.