Ice on the rocks high above Tunk Lake. So much natural wonder, so close to home. It felt so good to hike again, and got me to thinking that if you were going to thru-hike the AT, starting in October and going southbound would work quite nicely. You'd avoid the bugs, have cool hiking weather, and, as Ernie pointed out, not have to fight for space in the shelters. You could probably even forgo carrying a tent. That pesky little problem I'd have with homesickness, there's only one way to cure that (Cara, pack your pack!). Well, I guess there's one other issue as well, but let's not talk of it here--the weekend isn't over yet!