The Lost Boys / ATL, PTV, OMAM - AU

In the Enchanted forest

Okay, okay I admit it! It was a fucking stupid idea to go on this hiking trip all alone. I am currently somewhere along the Appalachian trail and I'm completely lost.

Oh, don't get me wrong I have maps and books and all the required equipment with me, it weighs a ton and my backpack is killing me at the moment. I even have a GPS app on my phone but I haven't got reception at the moment not that I would be able to actually use the given coordinates to find out my position, I am a terrible navigator.

The Appalachian Trail is the most famous hiking trail in the world. It runs from Maine in the north of the United States to Georgia in the south.

Some people try to walk the entire 2,174 mile trail over several months. Others simply enjoy day-trips to parts of the AT. I opted for a two week long section of the trail to spend my holidays this year doing something significant, or so I thought.

In the course of its journey, the trail follows the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains, crossing many of its highest peaks, and running, with only a few exceptions, almost continuously through wilderness.

I should have considered the fact that I am a person with a very bad orientation, I have managed to get lost in public parks and medium sized malls, so what actually made me think I could survive out here in the wilderness without a guide is beyond me at the moment.

You see in my job as a sound engineer for a recording company in New York I have to deal with so many people on a daily basis that I thought it would be the utmost relaxing experience to be alone for two weeks.

I don't have a problem being alone, actually I love to be alone, maybe just not in the wilderness at the moment I would much more prefer to be alone in a five star spa resort.

Right now I am somewhere in the woods and I have lost the track and it's about to get dark in a while and I don't think I will find the next shelter in time. Actually I don't think I will find the next shelter at all.

This is not so bad as I said I have all the necessary equipment so I decide to just look around for a suitable place to put up my tent and stay for the night. I have been hiking for eight hours today and to say I wouldn't be tired would be an understatement.

As I have lost the path anyway, I just walk in different directions to find a bit of a clearing amongst the huge trees and after about half an hour of walking uphill through dense and dark forest I am lucky and find a beautiful spot.

There is an opening in the woods that has a meadow with charming little mountain flowers growing on it. The sun is low in the sky and lets it's golden rays trickle through the tree trunks onto the grass, making all the colours even more vibrant.

I am mesmerised by the beauty of this place and decide to just put up a tarp to lie under so I can take in my surroundings and hopefully a beautiful night sky as well.

I put up my camp quickly, lighting a small fire and putting down my mat and my sleeping bag under the tarp. I have been doing this almost every night for the last week and I consider myself a professional by now.

I put up the kettle to boil the water for my tea, something so simple but still it became so important for me on this trip, to be able to warm myself with a good cup of tea each night. I lie back on my bag to rest while I wait for the water to get hot. It is almost dark by now, the sun sending it's last light beams across the darkening sky and it is beautiful.

I must have fallen asleep for a couple of minutes because I am awoken by something poking my arm. I shoot up to a sitting position momentarily confused until I recognise my surroundings and realise where I am. I look around but can't see anything in the fading light.
I guess I have been dreaming and imagining this, so I'm about to lay back down when I think I hear a faint sound.