It feels like a town day today, but it’s not. Much like waking up on trail for the first time, waking up off trail is when the reality finally starts to sink in. This is where the importance of a place like Lion’s Den emerges. We are in a trail like environment, but off trail.

Last night I was sitting around a real campfire with Goldfish and Veggie, talking for hours about the trail and our experiences. This morning, I woke up in my tent smelling of campfire smoke. I could be here, under the trees with other hikers, and almost convince myself that another section of trail awaits.

I spent the morning sitting around and drinking coffee with everyone else, vortexing, just like any other zero day. Later in the morning, Lion came through to let us know that she had plans to drive into Winthrop with spare seats. She told us that the deli inside the supermarket had good fried chicken, and I was instantly sold on the trip.

Four of us filled up Lion’s car and we all headed to Winthrop. The fried chicken was as good as promised, maybe better even. One thing I hadn’t expected was the in-store taxidermy showcase. The entire grocery store was full of preserved animals, which certainly made for interesting shopping.

When we got back to Lion’s Den, there was no resupply to organise, no maps to download, and for me at least, no transport to arrange. I spent the afternoon relaxing and talking with other hikers at Lion’s Den as more people came in off the trail. Once again, I saw Prodigal Son and the Florida Boys as they came off trail later in the afternoon.

We all stayed up late, knowing that we wouldn’t have any more opportunities to hang out like this again. Finally, long after dark, and even after Lion’s outdoor lights timed out, I went to sleep in my tent. This could be the last time I sleep in this thing for a long time.