Burgaw to Moores Creek Battleground, westbound
April 1, 2025. This is no April Fool’s! I completed Segment 14 with an 18.5 mile hike.
I’ve been off the MST for a couple of months because we had an incredible trip to New Zealand!
We did a bunch of short hikes, looked at birds (like these Silvereyes), and had a lot of interesting cultural experiences.
Now I’m ready to push on toward the Outer Banks….but first I wanted to finish up Segment 14.
And I could finally do that, because my husband volunteered to be my shuttle driver! We did some birding on the way south to Burgaw, and had a great view of this pretty Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
After a night at the Burgaw Motel, Loren dropped me off at the Piggly Wiggly a little before sunrise.
Here I go!
It’s been a while since I hiked over 18 miles, so I was a little nervous about how I would do. Fortunately, it wasn’t going to get very hot, so that wasn’t a factor.
Are these solar-powered lights in place so the fire department can find the hydrant in the dark?
Easter is coming up on April 20!
This 18-mile section was 100% roadside, with a pretty safe shoulder.
Traffic was light, so I could read my Bible verses throughout the hike. It was a great way to help the miles go by.
I was always on the lookout for birds!
Seriously, though, there was a variety of habitat, and I ended up with over 50 species for the day, including a flock of White Ibis.
One Doberman barked at me, but stayed on his property.
These two big guys came out on the road, but they weren’t aggressive.
There was no rain in the forecast, but it did look threatening for a while.
Then the sun came out!
After a long 10-mile stretch on the same road, I took a break at the intersection with US 421. I didn’t need any drinks or snacks at the convenience store, but I sat in the shade and took off my boots for a few minutes.
Mile 15 is always one of the hardest ones…with one more hour to go.
Yaaaaay!
I’m looking tired and sloppy, but I’m about to get in a car and not be the driver on the way home. Hurray!
My.Bird.Walks. 