Day 38 - Cow Crisis

Miles Today - 18.4
Location - Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Date - May 20

In my constant quest to be as hardcore of a mountain man as possible, I planned to roll through the edge of Atkins and get breakfast at a restaurant. Just like the settlers did it.

The trail in the morning was pasture adjacent, and pretty. I got some magic at an old scholhouse in a can of Coke and some Goldfish Grahams. I arrived at The Barn restaurant at 9 and set about ordering a 2x4 (2 pancakes, 2 bacon strips, 2 sausages, 2 eggs, hash browns and coffee). Slow Going, who I had met the night before joined me, which was mildly irksome because I had wanted to read quietly but I forced myself to be social and we had a nice meal.

At 10 I rolled back out, pleasantly full. I past Rose on the trail and continued cruising, up some tough inclines. We reentered the pastures, and I quickly came face to face with a herd of cows grazing directly on the trail. Several had horns. Errr. I took a moment to laugh at myself. I was honestly too nervous to keep going alone; I really hate cows.

I turned back and ran into Kenny after a minute or 2 and had him take point. Of course when we got back to my previous location the cows had moved on. We hiked together until we reached a nice river where we met Miss America and dipped our feet into the frigid water.

I cruised through the last few miles up Brushy Mountain, picking up a Dr. Thunder from a cooler along the way, and settled into the shelter nice and early. Deciding I had already been social for the day, I guzzled my 2 sodas, curled up into my corner, and got to reading.

Day 37 - Pizza Party

Miles Today - 17.7
Location - Chatfield Shelter
Date - May 19

With a little under 18 to do today I planned on having a nice long lunch at the Visitor Center. I hiked just behind Lone Wolf for the first few miles. As I emerged into a pasture I found him frozen on the trail, staring down a horned cow with a calf right nearby. I slunk up behind him. "What's our game plan?" He shrugged, and the cow continued to stare us down. We ended up making a slight detour through some thorn bushes to avoid it, only to emerge with it in our paths again. We carefully edged around it. I hate cows.

Partnership Shelter was wonderful. Toilet, sink, shower, and a Visitor Center with pizza only a call away. I arrived at 11:15, having done one if the fastest 10.5 miles yet. The shower hardly qualified as one, but I got my hair cleaned.

Lone Wolf and I split a pizza order, myself getting a 14" pie and 10 garlic knots. I sat down on a shady bench and ate and read for awhile. The moment I stood up I realized my error. I was way, way, waaaay too full. I sat back down and focussed on digesting.

A mile into the trail I called it quits and stretched on a rock to read until moving became less of a nauseating process. The rest of the day was unfun. As I rolled into the shelter I declared to Rose that I was "post food," (politely interrupting her meditation) and collapsed.

We got a nice surprise later to find Kenny hiking into the shelter with just a few minutes of daylight left, on the tail end of a 28 mile day. He'll be hiking with us to Wood's Hole, so it's nice to get a bit of the gang back together. We're leaving encouraging notes for White Rabbit (Blanco Bunny) in shelter logs. Go Rabbit go!

Day 36 - What Have You Done With My Friend

Miles Today - 12.7
Location - Trimpi Shelter
Date - May 18

It rained last night, but the tent held up swimmingly (or...not I guess, poor choice of words). I crawled out and had a hot shower, some cereal, and coffee to start the day.

Rose had gotten us a ride back to the trail with a nice lady named Rocky, who had assisted with Woodchuck's AT hike a few years ago. We chattered about this and that in the car, and got to the trail at 11. At the trail head we found Lone Wolf, who had left before us but apparently hiked in the wrong direction for a mile and had to backtrack. Oops.

The hike was short and easy today. Spring has really taken a hold on the trail, and while there were no views I felt a general sense of beauty that had left itself to the hike.

I got to the shelter around 3, and Lone Wolf arrived soon after. I decided to set up my tent, and then because we were bored, Lone Wolf and I made a fire (started the old fashion way: with alcohol, lighters, sparklers and trash). Rose arrived to see me working on a fire by a campsite, and voiced her concern that I'd been replaced with an evil twin. I've never once camped when I didn't have to or built a fire. Usually I'm lethargically curled up in my sleeping bag in the shelter.

10 miles down the trail tomorrow are free showers and a phone with a direct line to a pizza place that delivers. I intend to arrive around noon, order a pizza, grab a nice shower, and have the best trail lunch ever. Mmm...sweet dreams!

Day 35 - Trail Days/Dayz/Daze

Miles Today - 0 on the AT, too many around town.
Location - Woodchuck Hostel, Damascus
Date - May 17

In all the grumpiness I forgot to mention one of the best parts of yesterday. Every year a group of women crochet about 800 hats that they give out for free during Trail Days. My friend Raven caught me and brought me over when we were down to about 20 hats. I found a perfect one, and basically haven't taken it off since, it's so warm and cozy.

Today I woke up with a few missions. Find a tent. Send unneeded things home. Resupply. Do college forms at the library. Be less grumpy.

Woodchuck provides coffee and cereal for breakfast, which was wonderful. I durdled around trading off on the Pac Man arcade game with Ryu that's in the living room, waiting for the vendors to open.

At 9 I wandered over to the vendors. It's basically a carnival, with less games and more camp gear. Rose recommended Six Moon Designs, and I ended up at their tent. They had a design on sale for a 100 that weighed just under 2 pounds. I shopped around some more, but ended up back at Six Moon. Best bang for the buck. And my hammock would easily sell for more than a 100. I added the hammock to my package home and purchased a tent.

Rose and I set it up in the hostel's mini Tent City so that I could apply seam sealer to it. I moved my stuff in and immediately felt better. This was what I was missing. Even if I didn't use it all the time, just knowing I had my own space made me feel safer. Grumpiness conquered!

I then ventured to the library to do some college forms, and walked all the way across town to get free hot dogs. On the way back I picked up my mail from the outfitters. My grandparents had sent me a huge box of brownies, which were munched on for the rest of the day.

I came back to the hostel, and Rose and I walked to Food City to resupply. We caught a free shuttle back into the vendor area, and watched the talent show. It was won by a couple doing a dance called the Texas Two Step. Very impressive. I hung around afterwords a bit for the impromptu dance party, and then lounged by the river to eat funnel cake and make phone calls.

Feeling beat, I headed back to the hostel and crashed in my new tent. Today was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the trail tomorrow.

Day 34 - Grumpy Whiz Attack

Miles Today - 12.7
Location - Woodchuck Hostel
Date - May 16

It was hard maneuvering in the tight attic space, so a quick pack and exit was to be had. This morning we were going over Grayson Highlands, where there are ponies roaming free. Ponies are also on the list of embarrassing things I am no less afraid to see in the wild.

Rose and I hiked together, moving very quickly through the clouds. The storm had raged all throughout the night, and the wind was still whipping at us. As we came out below the clouds we caught glimpses of our surroundings. The Highlands are beautiful, in a pastoral kind of way. I would love to come back on a day with clear skies.

We didn't encounter any ponies, but there was an incident with a cow. It was right on the trail, and upon seeing us approach it made a beeline for us. We went around a patch of brush to avoid it, and it turned and started tromping through the brush to get to us. Panicked and laughing hard we ran for the nearby fence and hopped through the gate, cow in hot pursuit. Safe on the other side we let out a sigh of relief whole it watched us with a level stare. Cows, man. Cows.

We made fantastic time, arriving at the gap by 11. A man in the parking lot offered us a shuttle to Damascus, which we happily accepted. He brought us by a beautiful, old, cedar church, and then dropped us off by the Woodchuck Hostel.

We set up camp in the yard. There were poles for hammocks, but the ground was so muddy they tipped over the moment weight was applied. We worked to no avail on solving the problem, and I ending up pitching between a telephone pole and a low standing fence. The whole process added to my distaste of the hammock, and put me in a decently foul mood.

Trying to put on a happy face, we headed across town to Tent City. I scored some BBQ and Rose and I had a spaghetti dinner with an extremely nice church group. We met up with old friends, and hung out under a tarp with Hendrix, Joplin, Kenny, and White Rabbit while the rain came down. We briefly wandered with Rabbit from fire to fire, and then headed back to town.

Back at the hostel I found that somehow my hammock had been unlashed from the fence. My neighbors stakes on that side had also been removed, and both of our stuff was completely drenched. I'm not sure if this was a bizarre coincidence due to weather, or foul play, but it certainly was unfortunate. I dragged my stuff inside, and accessed the damage. My pack had its cover, so my gadgets had been protected, but my clothes, hammock and sleeping bag were drenched.

Woodchuck is an amazing host, and immediately offered me the spare bed in the living room, which I accepted guiltily. The whole experience left a terrible taste in my mouth. On this long distance trip I've become increasingly disappointed with the hammock. It often feels like all this extra trouble for nothing. I'm going to check out the vendors tomorrow and see if I can find a good deal on a solo tent, and send the hammock home.

So the first day of Trail Days I spent a little grumpy, which I feel bad about, but hopefully a good nights sleep and breakfast will improve my mood.

Day 31 - Storm Front

Miles Today - 22.7
Location - Vandeventer Shelter
Date - May 13

This was gonna be a long day, but a flat one. Perfect for cruisin' along. I popped out early, scarfing down a few Pop Tarts and pounding out some fast miles.

I took a quick break for brunch at a shelter, and met the Professor, an older section hiker who was almost done with the trail, just here to Damascus and then the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

Coming out of the shelter I met a handful of people slackpacking south. They told me of a huge trail magic party at the next gap. Oh. Oh yes. I jogged the next mile.

I arrived at the gap to find a trailer with a scruffy looking guy setting up a grill. I waved hello. He said something disparaging about Obama. This...did not seem like a party. I hung around, made some small talk, and he made no indication of sharing. Alllriiight? A little disappointed, I left.

I hiked for a few minutes through some grassy fields. Dejectedly, I crested a hill, and found a huge tent city sprawling out before me. Aha! The party! Set up by a group called Riff Raff, they were a rolling campsite towards Trail Days. I settled in to a lawn chair and had some cool drinks and donuts, while everyone tried to convince me to stay. Rose came and went, and I eventually managed to haul myself away.

Rejuvenated by the magic I cruised along. I stopped for a rest at a cosy shelter. Then onwards and upwards! A few miles down the trail I felt a drop of rain. Huh? The sky to my left, right, and ahead was blue. Straight above was grey. Uh oh. I bent down to secure my pack cover, and the rain picked up. Err. I pulled out the poncho, and it opened up. Thunder roared, and my exposed skin and clothing was instantly soaked. I pushed on, waterproof boots soaked, through a river of mud. Then the hail started, so hard and fast that I had to draw my arms into my poncho. And I could still see blue sky all around me. What was happening!?

It finally cleared, and I took a few minutes to wring out my socks. Jeeze. That was absurd. I headed on. An hour later, I happened to turn around and was greeted by the sight of another storm cloud.

Urp. I picked up the pace. Ahead of me I could see the ridge curving. If I made it there in time I might dodge it.

I did not. This time I took the hail/thunderstorm more in stride, belting out Thunderstruck at the top of my lungs (of course doing some sweet vocal guitar solos). As it began to die down I found a small shelter by the trail. I squeezed in to find a pair of hikers and a dog. Apparently this was an old, no longer maintained shelter. But the next one, my destination, was but 1.4 away! Back to cruisin'!

I literally ran. The rain died down, and then started up again as I skidded into the shelter! Score! My happiness died away as I opened my pack. I dampness had infused everything. I stripped down to my dryish pair of underwear and went to get water when the rain briefly broke. Down a muddy hill. A quarter mile. Screw you too Tennessee shelters.

I cooked dinner late, curled up in my bag, and then promptly crashed to the sound of another hailstorm smashing into the tin roof. What a day. The weather here makes just no sense.

Day 30 - Lakeside Lounging

Miles Today - 17.6 (more like 18.6 grumble grumble)
Location - Kincora Hostel
Date - May 12

Morning at Kincora was amazing. Jack, Bear, and Viking cooked up a breakfast of pancakes, tater tots, and breakfast burritos. A perfect start to the day. I bid everyone goodbye, and headed out.

The trail meandered around Laurel Falls, going through some beautifully large rock formations. It was...well, rocky, but a gorgeous place to trek through. Right after I headed up Pond Flats, a decently sized standalone mountain. The ascent went by quickly, and the views at the top were obscured by a corpse of trees. Disappointing.

At the bottom of the mountain a beautiful, extensive lake spread out. I plopped down at the beach and snacked aggressively. After about a half hour I pulled myself away.

The trail circled around the lake, which stretched off in all sorts of directions. I was totally drained of energy. And it was hot. I felt like all sorts of blah, trudging heavily up the trail.

I finally flopped into the shelter, totally beat. Where's the water? I asked. Back down the trail and down a huge hill. Mile round trip. Huzzzzah.

On the way down I met Poncho, an actor from New York, and Rose. Back at the shelter we cooked up dinner and chatted, before Poncho headed on further down the trail to camp. After that, I settled into my bag and finished my book as the sun set.

Day 29 - Baby Head Outbreak

Miles Today - 15.6
Location - Kincora Hostel
Date - May 11

I feel that I've reached an odd point in my life where 7am is considered "late." But still, 5:30 is too early to get up if you're on the third floor and make a lot if noise whilst getting your gear together. Good morning.

The hike today was short and over mostly flattish terrain. Which is to say up then down then up then down then up...you get the idea. So very quick going, but absolutely no views. I stopped for a quick brunch and cruised along under fluffy clouds and a blue sky to arrive at the hostel around 1.

Kincora is beautiful, an old wooden building covered in vines. An orange tabby greeted me at the drive and after making sure I was following and petting him intermittently, prowled his way to the porch. Cats at the hostel? Bonus points.

The place is run by an old fellow named Bob Peoples, also from Boston. Also there was a couple from Maine who cooked us a huge spaghetti dinner followed by ice cream and strawberry shortcake. Baltimore Jack, a trail legend for...some reason? He's...done it a bunch? I dunno. He's here, and a nice guy.

After dinner Bob gave some of us a ride to the local Food City to resupply. Ten of us crammed into the back of his truck. It was...not the most comfortable. On the way back it was worse, as we all had our groceries with us. Trail Lobster complained that he felt like a baby: too sore to support his limbs. I nodded, putting on my best steely look. "Noravirus, that's nothing. It's that Baby Head Syndrome you have to watch out for." Lobster flopped his head appreciably.

The bubble we've entered turned out to be the Lost Boys, about 10 guys and gals I'd been hearing about for some time now. They made a handful of challenges for hikers to complete, ranging from the Southern Belle (hike and hitch into town in a dress below the Mason Dixon Line, dudes only) to the Dobler Effect (hike a boom box to the top of a mountain and blast some tunes). I hung out with some of them, eating War Heads on the porch, as it grew dark.

Kincora Hostel, A+.

Day 28 - Bouncin' Bubbles

Miles Today - 18
Location - Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Date - May 10

The barn was a mine field if sleeping bodies in the morning. Apparently some people disagree with my definition of sleeping in being till 7.

In the morning I traipsed my way across a beautiful grassy ridge. Dark clouds gathered overhead, lending a feeling to the atmosphere akin to being unable to melee a Legion beast: foreboding (like, two people laughed at that obscure joke). Then again, I couldn't remember the last time the clouds had actually gone through with the threat.

A bit after reentering the forest the trees opened up on the right, giving me a nice view as I officially left North Carolina and entered Tennessee. It was comforting to know for sure where I was, and leave straddling the border behind.

I eventually spilled out onto a road, a small white church on the right. A tap was on the side, and hikers could fill up there. The moment I finished filling my bottles the skies opened up with a rending crack of thunder. I scurried under the back porch, and wearily put on my rain gear. The thunder continued, right over my head.

By the time my poncho was on, it had died down a little. I rejoined the trail and cruised for the last 5 miles. I arrived first of the day to the shelter, the rain having stopped some time ago.

Rose and I seem to have stumbled upon a large bubble where everyone knows everyone but us. Jay Weezie and crew had pushed on, and as darkness is falling we keep hearing people scream things like "ladies and gentlemen, the apocalypse has arrived!" Followed by a chorus of cheers.

Everyone seems to be angling to go to the Kincora hostel tomorrow. If today means anything though, I should be able to get there before anyone and snag some spots. The sky keeps threatening rain, but I'm beginning to believe I've been blessed with absurdly good weather luck, for whatever reason, so I'm not too worried. Onwards and upwards!

Day 27 - #barnparty2014

Miles Today - 17.2
Location - Overmountain Shelter
Date - May 9

To be a little more fair to the Greasy Creek owner, she was feeling sick and rather stressed. Which in turn made all of us rather stressed. And I did get to eat a pound of burger and a pint of ice cream (Scotchy Scotch Scotch), so, eh.

I made a decently early start, loitering around for some coffee and getting hiking by 8:45. The morning was busy, with some pretty big crowds of hikers, all headed to Overmountain Shelter. Rose posited later that we'd caught up to a big bubble, which makes sense. Lots of new faces.

Roan mountain dominated the morning hike. It was surprisingly easy. At the peak was the sight of an old hotel, the only thing left being a chimney. It straddled the state line in a time where alcohol was legal in one and not in the other. Apparently the sheriff stalked the ballroom and ticketed anyone who stepped across the line with a drink in their hands.

I stopped for lunch at the Roan Mountain Shelter, the highest shelter on the AT. It was cute, with four walls, a door, and a separate attic area. Tempting to stay, but I pushed on.

Down the mountain the trail spilled out onto some balds. That's my favorite kind of hiking, with the trail clearly visible ahead, grass all around, and the wind whipping at me. Dark clouds had loomed ahead all day, and they finally began to spit rain down as I went back under the treeline.

The rain cleared by the time I reached Overmountain. It's an old barn that's been converted into a shelter, and it's huge. It's also packed. I ended up in a corner of the rafters with Rose and the crew from the hostel: Jay Weezy, Banjo, Bill and Dancer.

Banjo and I both yogied some fuel from a hiker box a few days back, and it seems to be some kind of rocket fuel. My stove threw fire all over, prompting Dancer to slide some water over to me. Just in case.

New AT goal: catch up to that guy and make him cook with his own fuel.

Day 33 - Thru-Hiker Privilege

Miles Today - 18.6
Location - Thomas Knob Shelter
Date - May 15

I woke to a damp, drizzling, cold morning. 7:00 came and went, and I made the strategic decision to stay asleep. At 7:30 the rain had gone from drizzle to trickle, and I was out if excuses. Up and at 'em, kid.

The weather worsened until everything I owned was damp to its core as I trudged along. The AT briefly followed the Virginia Creeper Trail, a bike path, which would have provided nice views of the river and a wide, even path on a good day. Today it just meant I had less tree cover.

I did the first 6.4 miles to the next shelter and stopped for brunch and drying. The shelter was full of people still in their bags, hiding from the rain. I ate quickly and moved on, the weather having cleared some.

Through the early afternoon I hiked up towards Whitetop Mountain, going over fences and through pastures where cows grazed right on the trail. Ugh. Cows. They are very big, and very interested in you up close. It was a nerve wracking experience at times.

I quickly pushed over the peak, wreathed in clouds, and headed on to Mount Rogers. The trees were laden with water, and every gust of wind brought it splattering down. With only 1 mile to go the storm began anew, and I went from damp to soaked within minutes.

Water logged and shivering at 5400 elevation I stumbled into the shelter to find dry people in sleeping bags. Is there any way to make room for one more? Silence and awkward looks. Where'd you start from? Someone asked. 19 miles back, I said, stressing the distance. You? I swept the room. They had clearly zeroed.

I meant in general, where did you start? The person corrected. Oh, Amicalola. Silence. Springer? Silence. 500 miles ago? Awkward silence. It's times like this where I feel a little bad, but as a sopping wet thru-hiker who just did 19 miles uphill in the rain, I feel entitled to a shelter spot over some overnighter who took a zero. Yes, it's probably wrong, but at that moment I was not above guilt tripping them into making the room.

Luckily it was about then I spied the ladder. Yes! Rafters! I bounded up and found the rafters filled with section and thru hikers. My people! Seeing my state, they immediately made room. Rose joined us a bit later, and being decent, rafter dwelling folk, we made room as well. Downstairs people, *spits over shoulder*.

Day 32 - Drive Through Damascus

Miles Today - 19.6
Location - Saunders Shelter
Date - May 14

Towns are the best motivation. I somehow managed to wake up, pack out, and hike 10 miles in 3 and a half hours. I also crossed from Tennessee into Virginia, which is noteworthy because Tennessee is too cheap to install privies in shelters. Their inclusion is a marked improvement to the trail experience.

In town I hit the Dollar Store for a quick candy resupply, and got breakfast at the Blue Blaze Cafe with Rose and the Professor. Despite having already eaten breakfast, I attempted the all you can eat pancake challenge. Man were those pancakes large. Plate sized. I ate 7, a solid 12 short of the record. When I roll in for Trail Days I may do it on an empty stomach and try to regain my honor.

I hiked out first, belt buckle loose over my overladen stomach. 7 pancakes larger than my face on top of my normal hiker breakfast (two packs of Pop Tarts and a Cliff Builder bar) was not sitting well. And it had just gotten hot again. I hobbled and wheezed my way up the next 10 miles.

At the shelter I met Leah and Dustin, the cutest couple who were out camping for a week. They had been dating on an off since the 6th grade, and after an evening of lounging around with them have been rated in the top tier of Rose and my shelter companions. Sadly they were going SoBo, and sleep in, so we bid them farewell before going to bed.

I had set up my hammock for the first time in weeks because it was so nice out, and then a single cloud appeared and scared my inside. Good thing too, as the rain began to fall as the sun set. Blergh. Here's to not waking up to a damp, drizzling, cold morning.

Day 26 - Awol, You Cad

Miles Today - 20.7
Location - Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel
Date - May 8

I rose, as always, in the early morning. After getting my bear bag down I quickly packed up, munching on Pop Tarts, and got going. I planned on eating every last remaining food bite before the resupply, which at this point was four power bars, bacon bits, some noodles, and a Snickers.

The morning was low grade, gently sloping up to Unuka Mountain. I soon emerged into a gap where a middle aged gentleman was doing some magic. He was fascinated that a northerner would reach for sweet tea first, and I sat and talked with him for awhile while munching on fruit.

Unuka Mountain was a fairly easy ascent. The peak was covered in dense spruce forest, as was much of the descent. I ran into Persistant and Refugee slack packing south for the day, and then hit the shelter for lunch.

Soon after I came upon another gap with soda for magic. I learned later I left right before they ordered pizza, and trucked through the last few miles.

Greasy Creek was...not as described. Rose and I expected a full resupply, as indicated by Awol's guide (all hail the holy Awol!). Instead we found a small rack of power bars and original flavor oatmeal. Hmm. The owner was an older lady, perpetually flustered by nothing.

The hostel was fairly crowded, and we made a decent resupply of my mail drop, the store down the street, and the extra food Dancer offloaded. Down the street is sorta a misnomer. We were driven a few miles down back country roads in the middle of nowhere to a small convenience store and a grill for dinner. "What do people do around here?" Banjo asked. "Who knows? They all seem to think I'm a prostitute anyways." Her cat, curled up on my lap in the truck, stretched and purred in agreement.

Rose bought a jar of cheese salsa and poured it into a zip lock, as it was the closest thing resembling cheese they sold. That sums up the place.

Day 25 - American Hot, Please

Miles Today - 21.1
Location - Curly Maple Gap Shelter
Date - May 7

Lots of miles today. I was excited. I spent the morning flip flipping between Squirrel and White Rabbit as we passed babbling brooks and...simpering streams? Eh.

The good weather continued to hold. Which was now a problem. Squirrel had described the night before a trip to a Thai restaurant. "It comes spicy, right?" The waitress paused. "Do you want it American spicy, or Thai spicy?" Today was Thai hot. I believe I clearly ordered American hot.

We met Kenny at No Business shelter for lunch. There was noticeably no privy. No business allowed.

The trail to Erwin was mostly downhill, and fairly low grade. But it was hot. Hoooot. Did I mention the heat? Pulling into the outfitters I immediately got a vending machine soda and guzzled it. Then I got another and nursed it. Ice cold drinks, so nice.

While charging my phone and resupplying on snacks for the next day (because I had enough but like to pig out when possible) I had to fight off people trying to convince me to stay in Erwin and swim in the river. Staying strong, I pulled myself away after only a half hour.

There were only 5 miles left, and they were low grade mostly, but it was just so hot. A few times I just had to stop to pull my shirt off and skulk in the shade. When I reached the shelter I flopped and lay in a puddle of sweat for a bit. Aw...

I met CAT, a Taiwanese, Chinese, American whose shelter logs I had been reading for weeks. We were joined later by Atlas, a French Canadian, and Yellow Beard, who had a terrible accident in the wind to earn his trail name. After spending an embarrassing amount of time trying to hang a bear bag (only to have everyone else just hang in the shelter!) Rose and I plotted out the next week.

After a brief incident with a spider who did not want to die encroaching on Rose's bag, I retired to bed. Tomorrow is a 20 with a single real mountain, so it should be mostly cruising. Fingers crossed it cools down a bit though, or I may have to ooze into the hostel.

Day 24 - "These Are My Bug Repellent"

The title should be read while making karate hands .

Miles Today - 18.9
Location - Bald Mountain Shelter
Date - May 6

The good weather holds, though with the good weather comes a not so fine coating of sweat that transforms into a few inches of salt and grime. It's...lovely.

I zipped off in the morning, pushing through to the first shelter before it got too hot. Squirrel and White Rabbit were already there, and gloated that they beat me to it. We ate lunch, and I headed out first.

We had an early afternoon of downhills, and remembering something that Kenny had told me a week or so ago, I decided to try running down. It's an interesting way to move: step, step, swiiing on your poles. Fast, surprisingly gentle on the knees, but mentally draining. Normally you can zone out while walking, but running requires 100% focus.

In the late afternoon I ascended on Big Bald. It was a nice moment, as the peak had been looming in my vision for hours. The view was breathtaking. Moments like that remind me why I hike. The descent was some of the best hiking I'd done so far, through gorgeous grassy fields with the mountains stretching out around me. I felt a pang of sadness as the woods closed back in, but the shelter was soon after.

I chatted with Northern Lights for a bit until the rest of the crew arrived: Rose, Squirrel, White Rabbit, and Kenny. I'd been getting excellent sleep with plenty of room in the past few nights, so I snuggled down happily as the sun set. Big day tomorrow.

Day 23 - Slowpoke De Mayo

Miles Today - 12.7
Location - Flint Mountain Shelter
Date - May 5

Cinco de Mayo! Huzzah? I'll pretend it didn't take me all day to realize. Or that it was relevant.

Today I was moving sluggishly on purpose, as I had only 13ish to do to let Rose catch up. So I woke up nice and late. 7:15. Aw yis. I even ate a Pop Tart sitting down. I was going by 7:45. Much slow. Very lazy. Wow.

The morning was a steep rock scramble, leading to some nice views. Later on I pulled myself up a hill and found myself in a park. A poorly kept, overgrown park. But still. I expected some guys to be tossing a Frisbee around, at 5000 feet.

I turned my phone on to take a picture and discovered I had reception. Sweet! My four bars lasted three minutes into my phone call before deciding not to transmit my voice anymore. I take reception where I can get it though, so no complaints.

First at the shelter, I filtered water and settled in to read. Giggles and the two British gentlemen showed up in the early afternoon. Squirrel and White Rabbit came in for dinner and moved on a few more miles to tent. Rose arrived hot off the heels of a "gnarly" 22 miler. All in all, a day best exemplified by a long yawn.

Day 22 - Overshoot

Miles Today - 19.6
Location - Little Laurel Shelter
Date - May 4

I did not sleep in. I made it to 7 though. I showered, and downed a coffee while packing up. I was only planning on doing 11 today, so loitering was fine. I was out by 8. I'm becoming terrible at being lazy.

The sun was bright. Almost too bright. We're supposed to have a week of wonderful weather. Then again, this is on the heels of a week of supposedly terrible weather that turned out okay, so my personal prediction is stormy. I think my weather karma is due to be balanced out.

I ended up rolling into the shelter at 1. Hurm. Rose was definitely sleeping in, and would end up here. But I would feel silly stopping at 1. I had a quick lunch and headed out. Next shelter, 9ish away!

It got hotter, and I grew a little sluggish. I pushed by the temptations of a hostel with a cafe and a little convenience store. I had too much food as is. I hit the shelter at 5, tired but feeling good about almost pulling a 20.

I had left notes to Rose at both shelters, and tomorrow plan to do just 12 and a bit to let her catch up. I'm gonna try my best to sleep in and make some hot breakfast. My expectations are low.

Day 21 - Zero Hero

Miles Today - 0
Location - Hot Springs
Date - May 3

I blinked myself awake at 6 in the morning. Damn. Maybe watching some cartoons would help? I watched TV on my phone for an hour. Nope. I sighed, resigned myself to my fate, and got up to drink some coffee.

I had my resupply to do, so I hit the diner for breakfast, then the Dollar General next door. Then...huh. I had a whole day to do...nothing. Commence lounging on the lawn!

Rose and I met up to talk plans in the afternoon. The time for lazy days was over! We had been pulling 15-18 mile days and hitting shelters in the early afternoon. We would do one short day out of Hot Springs, and then 4 days of 20s into a hostel by the trail. Operation Kick Those Miles' Butts.

I got a 16 ounce burger for dinner and did more lounging. It's bizarre having so many hours to kill. I ended up in bed fairly early, telling myself that this night I would actually be able to sleep in.

Day 20 - Diner Dash

Miles Today - 3
Location - Hostel at the Laughing Heart
Date - May 2

If I can do anything well, it's leave a shelter well before anyone else has so much as rubbed the sleep from their eyes. And on a day when town is only a handful of miles away, and none of my remaining food is appealing, oh man do I fly.

The town of Hot Springs is full to the brim with concert goers, but the Laughing Heart caters exclusively to hikers. I managed to snag a single room, and headed into town early. Hot Springs is a tiny town, just a single main street lined with stores. That main street also happens to be part of the Appalachian Trail, which is awfully convenient. My day revolved around various food options, french toast for breakfast, a burger sandwiched between two grilled cheeses for lunch, and wood grilled pizza for dinner. Because Rose was zeroing in town to hang with her boyfriend I had all of tomorrow to do my chores, so I made sure to laze around and enjoy it.

A special shoutout to Queen Diva at the Hiker's Ridge Ministries, a lovely lady who catalogs pictures of thru-hikers, and gives them wifi and cookies. A special calling out to the public library that charges you to use their computers. Come on. Who does that.

The music festival in town is drawing in the crowds, but is incredibly expensive on my poor hiker budget, so I believe I will be passing. The hostel is an excellent place to stay and lounge, despite being about ten minutes out of town. Hikers drift in and out, leaving and taking tons of free food and supplies, perfectly exemplifying the trail in that way. There's fresh coffee out in the mornings and I've already enjoyed a few bags of microwave popcorn that were sitting around the kitchen. It's definitely for hikers, by hikers, a place where real names are irrelevant, and the proprietor signs you in with your trail name.

Tonight I intend to both stay up late, and sleep in late, two things I haven't done in the past 20 days. We'll see how hard old habits die when the sun comes up though.

Day 19 - Mist Walk

Miles Today - 14.8
Location - Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Date - May 1

The storm finally caught up to us, loud pelts of rain on the tin roof stirring me awake. I was also roused by a night hiker who meandered through, looking for a spot in the full shelter. I watched him by his red light, a little leery as I had just heard about a SoBo hiker who steals food at night, before quickly falling into a tired sleep again.

My food was there in the morning. A heavy mist covered everything, limiting visibility to only about 15 feet. I became briefly lost, but only wasted about 10 minutes on a side trail before arriving back on track. I ate brunch at a mist shrouded shelter, and pushed on.

Going into Hot Springs today would be easy. But Rose is spending Friday and Saturday there to meet her boyfriend, and I'd like to be at most a day ahead of her. Another zero on Saturday does sound nice though. But then I certainly don't want to waste money on a motel tonight. So I ended taking a short day, and rolled into the shelter at 1:00, as the mist began to give away to a bright sun.

Yeesh. That's early. Much of the crew from last night showed up in time, and we chatted about our Hot Springs plans while gorging on our extra food supplies. As the afternoon grew later we decided it was quiet time, and retreated to bags/tents for a few hours. A lot of people like to tent out on nice days like this, but I prefer a shelter to keep my mornings short and sweet. There's a diner in Hot Springs that I want to be at as early as possible.

Day 18 - Perfect Timing

Miles Today - 18.7
Location - Roaring Fork Shelter
Date - April 30th

They said it was going to storm last night into today. After the last 3 days of weather and forecasts, I am now convinced the weathermen/women are on vacation and are randomly phoning in their predictions.

To be fair, it sure as hell looked like it would rain today. Dark clouds rolled overhead as I made my way down early to Standing Bear Farm. I briefly got lost when the trail joined the highway, but was pointed in the right direction by a nice couple in an RV.

The farm/hostel was quaint, the kind that made want to spend the rest of the day there. It was still packed with hikers, but I managed to slip in, grab some breakfast, and slip out without wasting much time. The wind picked up as I hit the first bald of the day, where an air control tower lay.

After a meandering afternoon I arrived at Max Patch. It was a beautiful bald, rolling hills of grass descending into idyllic farmland that made me want to fly to England and walk the countryside. I had blue sky above, but the dark clouds hovered menacingly all around me.

I quickly descended to the shelter, doing today's miles by 4. Not bad. There's a good crowd, though the shelter log is full and none of us could write anything. It drizzled as I set up my bag and snacked, but the rain stopped the moment I left to filter water. When I returned the fog descended and the rain began again. I seem to have perfected the ability to avoid the bad weather. Not bad.

Day 17 - Tornados, Rain, and Bears! Oh My!

Miles Today - 18.7
Location - Davenport Gap Shelter
Date - April 29th

Alright, to be fair the tornado and the rain wasn't that bad. Overnight they howled and lightning crashed close to the shelter, but as day broke much of it had calmed. The wind still roared, occasionally uprooting a tree, but yet again the weather denied the forecast.

The rain slowed to a drizzle when I reached the first shelter, stopping in for brunch. By noon the sun was shining again, and as I descended most of the way out of the park it grew quite warm. I had rushed through the miles today, and arrived at the shelter around 2. Rose had beaten me there, and we lounged around, chatting with hikers who passed on their way to the hostel 3 miles down the trail.

As night drew nearer a decent crowd had gathered, and we sat outside cooking. That was when we saw the first bear. It was down the slope from us, and quickly took flight up and away on the trail when we took notice.

The second bear was much less worried by us. It stalked up the hill, watched by its cubs, and meandered around our shelter for over an hour. The chain link fence we had mocked before, caging in the shelter, felt much more comforting now. It ripped into another hiker's tarp and tent, hung out to dry, before we could rescue it. We eventually locked up and retired to our bags, amazed by its nonchalant attitude towards us. But hey, at least I got to see a bear before I left the Smokies.