Loose Leaf Notes

The end of week one on the Appalachian Trail, Joe says: “I’m loving the AT. My soul is happy, my mind and heart are at peace. Meanwhile, the ankles and knees are trying to figure out who hijacked this vessel.”

After a week he and his hiking mate took “a zero day” where they do no hiking, land in a town for food, to restock and take showers in a motel room.

Joe was so excited about his café breakfast that he sent me a picture of it. But he also texted once about how well his on-the-trail freeze-dried venison stew that he made himself turned out.

The few pictures I have are like contraband because Joe doesn’t have a camera or phone.

I have these that were texted from his hiking partner Scott’s phone and one from a random hiker who has the same crocs as Joe. I guess crocs are like a hiker’s slippers worn at day’s end.

His AT name is Overflow Joe, given to him by a fellow hiker after he was telling him about mindfulness while purifying water and not realizing it was overflowing. It fits.