Knowing the first eight miles of today’s trail section would be easy, I didn’t worry ahead of time about the long climb. I expected we’d get a late start, but I thought we’d have no trouble walking more than 14 miles to a campsite big enough to hold all of us.
That turned out to be true, and I reached our intended campsite at 4:45 p.m. The trail guide said it was a "flat and sheltered spot amid trees,” which was perfect for us.
We would have preferred to be near a water source, but that was still 10 miles away. Because we knew this from my hike plan, we were prepared to stretch our water until tomorrow.
Including the AT, I’ve now hiked nearly 2,800 miles. In that distance and time, I think I've figured what is needed to be successful. That includes taking time for extra planning when it’s called for.
Writing down a plan is not needed for every day on the trail, but a little preparation makes challenging sections easier to handle.