**Facebook Post 100817 at**
Sadego’s Rules from the Trail:
•Do not chase shelters.
(Meaning if it’s 1.25, .9, .5, .3, etc., off trail, you don’t need to go there. Skip it and go to a shelter on trail, or camp. (Unless, of course, that shelter has a caretaker who makes you pancakes in the morning.)
•Do not chase views
(You will see so many views. If you have the time, awesome. If not, there is no need to walk 1.5, .9, etc., however many miles down some side trail to see a view. If you just stay on trail and walk a little further, another is coming and it will take no effort to get to.
•Do not chase water
(There is no reason to be walking down every blue blaze attempting to find water. Sometimes things are dry. Walk past a dry spring, keep going. Trust even if you pass four or five, eventually there will be one running and it will be conveniently laid in front of you.)
•Do not take water if you can’t hear it running, if it smells funny, or you see it is heavily discolored or has a lot of particle content. Also don’t take water situated near pastures.
•Do not trust a rock, log, root or board to be dry when it looks dry, not slippery when it could be, or not to move when it just might.
•Bogs can be much deeper than you think.
•Stay in shelters when you know it’s going to rain.
•If it’s hot, camp high on the mountain. If it’s cold, camp low on the mountain.
•For every down, there is an up.
•If you have the information available to you, read up on what’s next, know what’s coming.
•Do not carry too much weight, take the time to customize your gear to fit your weight ratio. Your knees, ankles and shoulders will thank you.
•Weather changes everything.
•The more quickly you accept everything you have with you will be wet at some juncture, the more sane and happy your hike will be.
•Do not panic.
•It’s OK to ask for help.
•It’s OK to take a break.
•You are stronger than you think you are.
•Parkour is an art form highly valuable on trail.
•Have two trekking poles, they may possibly save your life, but at worst your ass.
•Do not camp near roads or in shelters or anywhere where locals like to get drunk and party. Usually they are trashed (meaning have garbage everywhere), and drunk locals plus hikers equals possible bad situation. Remember, they know the lay of the land better than you.
•If you are behaving yourself in the woods it would be rare you should ever have to defend yourself against wildlife, or possibly have to harm wildlife. They don’t care about you unless you are doing something stupid, usually.
•Be kind and others will be kind to you.
•Everyone has a story.
•Never judge a book by its cover. You have no idea who the person hiking up to you is.
•The trail provides.
•Day hikers, Weekend warriors, townsfolk, and tourists love to speak with hikers. They will ask you every question under the sun, and many will attempt to give you advice. Nod politely.
•Asking another hiker about a climb, section, weather, gear, whatever is fine, but remember the answers you receive will be as unique as the individual. Their hike is not your hike.
•”Hike your own hike.” is a term for a reason.
•If the situation or person in front of you gives you any hint of a bad vibe, bolt. You don’t have to tell anyone why you are leaving, where it is you are going, or anything. You owe no one explanations. Trust your gut.
•If you feel like it’s dangerous, its because it probably is.
•Hiker hunger will have you craving strange food, or rather all food, and cause you to over resupply. Keep your head on straight when entering groceries.
•Your feet will feel better tomorrow.
•Always push forward.
•Your mind can make a decision in a millisecond. That doesn’t always mean it’s a good one.
•You can take a million steps forward, but it only takes one improperly placed one to bring everything to a crashing halt.
•If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
•Somedays you will want to quit. Don’t.
•Its going to rain. It’s going to be too hot. It’s going to be too cold. You are going to sweat. You are going to shiver. You will be hungry. You will be tired. You will be dirty. You will miss everyone and everything you know from the world. The struggle is worth it.
•You only live once. Fill it with memorable experiences.
•Go ahead; try the impossible.
4:45PM Start Day 50 (100817)
•4:45PM Dirt Road (Mile 670.6)
•9:00PM Glen Brook Shelter (Mile 677.1)
Sleep
•7:00AM Wake up
•9:00AM On trail
•4:30PM Salisbury, CT (Mile 689.8)
•4:45PM US Rte. 44 (Mile 690.7)
4:45PM End Of Day 50
APPROX 20.1 Miles
