"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Don't be afraid to stop and smell the roses, especially with your child. Sticking to a rigid schedule can make hiking an undesirable chore rather than a refreshing adventure in nature.
I just learned this lesson myself. Setting off up to the top of blood mountain, then to Unicoi gap. Should have been a nice 2.5 day 26 mile refreshing hike. Instead, I was late starting (should have skipped Blood mtn) and only made it just past Neels gap by night fall. Then a nice hike to low gap (10 miles). Should have stayed here, but I was on a self imposed schedule. After a break, I went on. There was no water, so went another 8 miles to blue mountain shelter. Long day, my knees were killing me. Not refreshing or relaxing. The short hike the next morning also not fun because I was so sore.
Moral of the story, forget the schedule one you start. Enjoy the time in nature. There are plenty of places to stop and camp where you are going. Just be aware of the water situation before you go.
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"Maybe life isn't about avoiding the bruises. Maybe it's about collecting the scars to prove we showed up for it."
Wood's Hole shows 0.2 on AWOL but .5 miles is definitely more like it. We kept thinking we had missed a turn. Water was completely dry there last week.
AWOL Guide will help you a lot.