Day 14 - 6/16/24 – Chestnut Knob Views and a Balmy Afternoon

6/16 Gravel Road (565.5) to Gravel Road (585.1)

Views from Chestnut Knob

I had real, warm hotel breakfast food again to start the day. I needed it, too, because first up on the trail was a five-mile climb with a couple thousand feet of elevation gain. I enjoyed the beginning walking through farmland, and then I settled in with my audiobook once the trail entered the green tunnel that is the AT through the woods. I got some great views at the top of Chestnut Knob, as well as a look at a very cool stone shelter.

Trail Magic in the form of gallons of water

I stopped for lunch at a gravel road, where I found some trail magic of gallon water jugs. After eating and filling up on water, I got going again for the afternoon and soon finished The Boys in the Boat, which was excellent. I hiked in silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of the forest. Then I put some Jimmy Buffet on for the last hour, which was fitting, given how hot it was. It was almost cold two weeks ago, around 50 degrees in the morning, but now, the temperature is climbing into the eighties in the afternoons.

Cooling off my feet in the creek

I finished the day at another gravel road right next to a nice creek, so I dipped my feet and legs in the water while I waited for my mom to pick me up. We grabbed a quick dinner and headed back to the hotel. I showered and worked on this blog before hitting the sack—another good day of slack packing in the bag.