July 19th

Today I hiked from Four Pines Hostel to a campsite on the side of McAfee Knob, a distance of 10.8 miles. I was joined by some friends from college who now live close by in the Waynesboro area. I sincerely appreciate seeing them, it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen a familiar face. I was a little embarrassed though, because I struggled to keep up with them. I’ve been feeling very pleased with myself and congratulatory because I’ve been losing so much weight and feeling in such better shape, but hiking with other people reminded me of just how far I still have to go. I struggled trying to talk to them and hike as I kept losing my breath. However, it was really overall such a great day. I got an early start, and I got to enjoy some really great views.
I am a little concerned about water. The forecast I saw expects a strong heatwave this week and I passed two water sources today that were dried up. I will have to be cautious and keep a strong eye out on my water usage going forward