6/11/00
Day 81
Hawk Mountain shelter, GA
995 miles
Well, it was a long, hot day, but I made it here at a reasonable hour and though there are a few people here, the shelter isn't crowded. Just to prove it's still too early for me to become totally jaded - I saw something new today - a coyote. At first I thought it was a fox, but the coloring wasn't right for that.
I was beginning to notice that I seemed to be daydreaming more as I hiked and not paying much attention to my surroundings. This had coincided with my increasing eagerness to reach Springer. I hope I don't become too oblivious to the natural world around me, or I might as well be doing this on a treadmill.
One thing I can't help but notice is the incredible amount of poison ivy in
Georgia. It seems to be everywhere I look! I must not be reactive to it (for
the moment) as I haven't gotten any rashes yet. It seems impossible that
I wouldn't have brushed up against some by now.