McAfee Hikes

Date Written: 9/02/2024 | AT Mile 389.6 | Day Total: 0 miles | Gain: 0 ft

Zero day today for my birthday! It’s nice to wake up knowing today is a rest day. My dad made kielbasa and eggs this morning. I had a cup of water, coffee and chocolate milk in front of me. Very filling!

Last night we soaked my backpack so I put it on a gentle rinse cycle in the washer for a few minutes. I let it air dry outside for a bit.

We opened some cards after breakfast from friends and family. Lots of nice notes of encouragement! I spent a lot of time this morning responding to texts and calls. It was great to see and hear all the support.

For lunch we went to a little deli and I got an Italian sandwich. There was a ton of meat so I ended up eating half and saved the other for tomorrow while I hiked. We went grocery shopping for the next two days I have to get to Hanover NH. It’s 45 trail miles away but I’ll be doing ~15 miles tomorrow while my parents drive up Mt Washington.

We relaxed this afternoon and I looked at internship postings for next summer. I also organized my food and did some random resupply tasks and cleaning.

Got some new shoes! My old ones are in desperate need of replacement. There are holes on every side of them from brushing against all the rocks.

My dad made lemon pepper chicken on the charcoal grill they have here. It turn out really good! We also had caesar salad and chocolate milk.

After dinner we drive over to the hot tub at another hotel. Afterword we went back and had a small fire out front. It was pretty cold outside and the fire was not kicking a ton of heat so we went inside after a while.

We also indulged in the amazingly designed cupcakes! And burned my candle down!

Overall it was an amazing zero and birthday! Waking up early tomorrow to hit the trail. My parents will hike with me for a bit then head to Mt Washington. They will also pick me up in the afternoon so I can spend another night with them and in a real bed!