Day #30 - Happy Easter

Miles: Zero

Dinner last night was amazing but I don't even want to think about food. Why oh why did I eat that Ben & Jerry's ice cream this afternoon? I'm lactose intolerant and therefore miserable right now. All the mistakes! 

Otherwise, today was a great zero! I woke up around 7:45 to make sure I was ready for breakfast at 8:30. I have a really hard time sleeping in even when I try. I normally wake up at 6 and just doze until I can't lay there anymore. Elmer and his helper Jess made scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy, granola, and some of the best cantaloupe I've ever had. Breakfast conversation was about the Camino de Santiago. I think I'd like to hike that when I'm older. One of the women at the table had hiked it. Twist (Kim) has hiked it too. 

Also talked to a woman named Jersey Girl. She's a retired nurse and attempted a thru-hike in 2009. She's since had both hips replaced and she's now trying to finish up the sections she's missed. 

The weather was beautiful today so I sat outside the outfitter for a while bumming off their free WiFi. ATT is so unreliable out here. I rarely get signal. I also mailed a few postcards then caught up with my group as they finished breakfast at the diner. 

Three men in suits pulled up and insisted on praying over us as they went inside. They must have come straight from an Easter service. The guy that said the prayer must have been a pastor. He had a big personality. 

After that I went back to the room to try to catch a nap. A guy named Cape barged into my room not long after that. When he heard a female voice he refused to walk further and just hid behind the door. I felt so bad. He clearly felt horrible and confused about barging into a girl's room. I guess Elmer got confused and told him my room was available. Oops! Elmer apologized later and Cape took the room next door. 

I spent the rest of the day moseying around town. We got free pulled pork sandwiches at the Hiker Resource Center. They were excellent! 

After lunch, Longhorn, Wing It, and I went to the Hot Springs. They were not at all what I expected. They were just jacuzzi tubs on private little patios and were supposedly filled with water from the hot springs. Besides the view of the river, it pretty much just felt like sitting in someone's backyard jacuzzi. We had a good time though and shared some Yuenlings. When our hour was up someone knocked on the fence and the tub immediately started draining. That's one way to get people out! 

We headed over to the "Hot Springs Shelter" (the trailer behind the restaurant) and some of my group celebrated 4/20. Happy Easter! Then it was back to my hostel for another luxurious hot shower and delicious dinner at Elmer's. Mighty Blue joined us! His blog is www.myappalachiantrial.com. I ate so much and hiked so little today that I nearly threw up at the table. Seriously. I was miserable. I didn't realize how quickly my hiker appetite would subside when I took a day off. Luckily Mighty Blue kept the crowd entertained so I had a little more time to digest. It's back to the trail tomorrow! Can't wait to be making progress toward Katahdin again.

You can see the "shelter" behind the restaurant in this pic: 

Best Thing: Visiting the Hot Springs. Why not? 

Looking Forward To: Exercise! I feel so gross right now. 

Day #29 - Hot Springs, Baby!

Miles: 3.2 to Hot Springs, NC

No one else ever showed up at the shelter last night (very unusual) so I camped alone in my tent. That was never my intent and I had a pretty hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. Owls make creepy noises at night and I didn't want to sleep with earplugs in. I actually got kind of warm during the night and slept with my down jacket and beanie for the first time. I'm such a wimp. 

Of course I woke up safe and sound. I was able to leave camp by 7 and head to town to meet my friends. It was a relatively gradual decline for about an hour and 15 minutes. About halfway down I heard a weird growl that I couldn't identify. I clicked my poles together because everyone knows bears are scared of pole clicks. A few minutes later a hiker approached from the other direction. We exchanged pleasantries, then he said, "Oh, that was me that growled back there if you heard that." What?! Why?! Oh well. 

I could see Hot Springs from a long way off. It's known as a very hiker-friendly town. When I finally got down there I just guessed and turned right on the road. After about 50 yards I didn't see any white blazes so I stopped to pull out my map and get out my rain cover because it was sprinkling. I was just turning around to head the other direction when I man drove by and pointed me the right way. Apparently the same thing happened to several other people. As I said, this town is very good to hikers. There are AT emblems embedded right into the sidewalk and the trail heads straight through the center of town. 

I was going to head straight to the post office and wait there til it opened, but I passed my hobo crew coming into town from their campsite on the far side of the city so we ate breakfast together at the diner. I can eat so much more than I'm used to! I had OJ, French toast, and sides of scrambled eggs and bacon. May not sound like much, but it's like three times what I normally eat. We ate on the covered back patio of the diner even though it was cold and rainy because Twist had Oliver with her. Hiking with a dog adds a whole layer of complications. I don't know if I could do it. 

After breakfast it was off to the P.O. Mom sent me my new credit cards, puppy chow (not actual dog food), my favorite trail mix, Ina Garten Outrageous brownies, and (wait for it...........) 6 MINI BOTTLES OF CROWN ROYAL! Score! World's best mom! I was bragging to everyone. I brought my goodies to the laundromat, stashed what I wanted, and shared the rest. 

Changed into my rain suit in the bathroom then split a load with Wiki. While the laundry was going, I walked across the street to the outfitter. I love outfitters! I picked up a new Rite in the Rain journal and a few other things. 

Once laundry was done I went to check in at my hostel. LOVE!!! Every thru-hiker should try to stay here! I'm the only one from my group staying at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. It's a 170-year-old house filled with antique furniture. Apparently Earl Schaffer, the first AT thru-hiker, stayed here in the 40s. Elmer bought it in 1978. It's only $20 a night for a single room and you can sign up for gourmet vegetarian meals served family style. It's a no-brainer!

Elmer himself showed me around when I arrived. My room is unbelievable. I have an antique queen bed all to myself! There's an armchair, a desk, a rocking chair, vanity, dresser, two sets of towels and extra blankets. I tried to take pics but it's pretty dark.

I never want to leave and I'm so glad I reserved this place for two nights. I took an amazing hot shower using the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, wash cloth, and towel they provided. Beats a Camp Suds and pack towel shower any day! I'm refreshed! 

I walked back across town (it's a very small town) to visit my friends at the laundromat. Pipe was there! He's a section hiker and I thought he'd already flown home. Glad I got to say goodbye. Then it was off to Dollar General. It wasn't a very good one. I'm becoming a Dollar General expert. We did run into Little Foot there though! Haven't seen him since the NOC two weeks ago. It was his family I stayed with in Franklin. I brought my food back to my room to sort through. Longhorn is staying here too and sat with me while I figured out what food I needed from the outfitter (summed sausage and tuna), then we headed that way together. 

At some point we visited the Hiker Resource Center. They have free Wifi (ATT has no service in this town!) and a running slideshow of hikers that have hiked through. It was fun to see some of our friends up there. The slideshow even contained a note to us from the German Girls (now called Cowboy and Indian). So fun! We all got our photos taken too. 

We ate a late lunch at Still Mountain restaurant. They were showing 13 Going On 30. Love that movie! Bluebird and I talked Woodstock through the entire thing since the sound wasn't turned up. Most of the rest of the crew is staying in a  three-sided trailer behind the restaurant. Sort of like a shelter, but right in the center of town. I'm sooooo thankful to have a warm, dry, cozy, big room in this historic place all to myself! 

Best Thing: This amazing place! 

Looking Forward To: A zero to rest my weary body. 

My Daily Routine

A bonus post! Some of you might be wondering what I do each day. Here's a breakdown. And no, all those meals aren't a joke and we really do go to bed at or before sunset. 

6:00 - begin to wake up and mentally prepare to extract myself from my sleeping bag

6:45 - get out of bed, put on dirty hiking clothes from the day before

7:00 - use privy, start taking down my tent and packing my bag, take down bear bag 

7:30 - eat breakfast, finish packing 

8:00 - hit the trail

10:30 - stop at a shelter or trailside for second breakfast

12:30 - first lunch 

3:00 - arrive at camp, pitch tent or grab a spot in the shelter, change into sleeping clothes and Crocs, refill water, eat second lunch

4:30 - cook first dinner 

6:00 - eat second dinner (normally not something that requires cooking), brush teeth, hang food and toiletries on bear cable 

7:30 - night night! 

Day #28 - One is the Loneliest Number

Miles: 14.8 to Deer Park Mountain Shelter

Weather: Cloudy and cooler than I expected

Today was all about getting that much closer to Hot Springs. At the last minute, the whole group decided to push 18 miles all the way into town. My legs protested so I'm the only one that stayed behind. It's 6:16 p.m. and I'm literally the only one at this shelter. It's weird. I pitched my tent 3 hours ago. I probably wouldn't have stayed had I realized I'd be all alone. Also, Tigger said it's going to rain tonight. Doh! Oh well. I should be dry in my tent and plan to leave camp by 7:30 anyway. I need to be at the post office between 9-10:30 to pick up my package of goodies and replacement credit cards from home. Two of my credit cards were compromised right after I left Austin so I've been using my backup backup credit card. Boo. 

I can't wait to nearo (take a short day or go nearly zero miles) tomorrow and zero on Sunday! Does a body good! I wouldn't be surprised if the group moves on and doesn't zero Sunday, but I know at least Tigger, Bluebird, and Wing It are. 

Hiking today seemed mostly flat but the downhills killed my knees. Bah! I need a brace for my other leg. It doesn't hurt as badly as my left leg after blood mountain, but it could use some support. Muffin Man is rocking two braces. Why shouldn't I? 

I told Wing It, Bluebird, and Blacksmith not to wait on me today so I could set my own pace. I still hiked with them on uphills but they got pretty far ahead of me on the downhills. Turns out I was only about 10 minutes behind but it feels like so much more. 

Towards the end of the day we came across trail magic! It was Tigger's parents, sister, and her sister's service dog. They had fruit and soda! Apparently they handed out detergent packs before I got there. I grabbed an orange to eat then and a Sprite to enjoy when I reached the shelter. 

We hiked the 4 miles to the shelter where my group begged me to go into town with them. They even offered to carry my load. I appreciated the offer, but I know my body's limits. I'll be in town tomorrow before most of then are even awake. We shall meet again! 

Best Thing: So close to Hot Springs! 

Looking Forward To: Reuniting with friends, getting my mail drop, and doing town things like showering, laundry, and resupply. 

Day #27 - Max Patch

Miles: 13.0 to Roaring Fork Shelter

Today was a great day! Bluebird, Wing It, and I left our beautiful little campsite (I slept like a baby) and set out. Most of the day was pretty flat terrain and my knees and heel didn't bother me too much. 

It was cooold and windy! I thought Wiki was helping a guy on a mountaintop whose tent was blowing away, but it turns out it was trail magic! It was a horrible place to do trail magic. Stopping on a cold mountain top quickly drains your body heat. We layered up and helped ourselves to iced honey buns (those things pack 125% of your daily saturated fat intake; Boss had 2 and I heard Stealth had 4), and soda. The guy had an embroidered trail angel jacket. Apparently it's some kind of job. I appreciated the food, but it was just too miserable to stay so we pushed on. 

We took pictures on Snowbird Mountain thinking it was Max Patch. Either way it was beautiful. We passed an FAA tower right near there. The boys stopped to investigate but couldn't get in. 

We took lots of great snack breaks, including one at Groundhog Creek Shelter where I used the very low-walled privy. Poor True Story. He pooped in the woods because he couldn't find the path to the shelter. He was just short of it. 

Right before we reached Max Patch we came up a hill and saw a bunch of llamas at the base of the stairs to the summit. They were so cool! They were making noises to each other. Some were wearing packs. I thought there was a baby one but it turns out that was an alpaca. 

We bushwhacked around them and headed to Max Patch, a huge bald at the top of the mountain with great views! We met Simba and Twist up there. It felt very Sound of Music. 

I hung out there for a while, then I struck off on my own toward the shelter. It was a lovely walk. Navigation was a little confusing (Tigger and Teach (Teach is one of Tigger's high school teachers who is joining us for a few days) went way off course at a road crossing), but the campsite is nice. Most of us are tenting. Half of the group hiked on to a site a few miles ahead. They want to get to Hot Springs by Friday night. 

I met two Austinites at this shelter. One is a section hiker that plans to thru next year. A guy named Longhorn is a thru. Hope to talk to him more. Met Luna here at the shelter too. She's a thru from Georgia. It's so great meeting new friends! 

Best Thing: Llamas, Max Patch, and Hot Tamales at dinner from Wiki. 

Looking Forward To: Ending just a few miles from Hot Springs! 

Day #25 - Baby It's COLD Outside!

Miles: 12.9 to Cosby Knob Shelter

It rained hard from about 2:00 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. I had a dream that I flew to Austin to take a zero day and couldn't get back to the trail. I had to go through some maze of bathroom stalls in the airport to try to catch my flight back but I didn't know which city to go to. Bah! 

It started raining soon after we started hiking. The trail turned into a stream and my feet got soaked in my trail runners. Then the rain turned to sleet. By that point I was hiking by myself and started to psych myself out. I started getting worried about hypothermia (only my hands were cold though) and my mood turned south. I stopped to put my gloves on but it took a long time because my fingers were cold. I only managed to get one on before I decided to keep hiking. Later I stopped to put on the other glove and Towny passed by and offered to help me put it on or even wear his mittens. I declined, but that little gesture helped my mood long enough to get to the first shelter. When I arrived, everyone looked much colder than me. That made me feel a bit better about my situation. I ate some snacks and threw on my long john top before we headed out. 

It started snowing as we left the shelter. I was warm, even though my feet were soaked. We missed all the views because   we were clouded in. I missed the plane wreckage marked in the guidebook too. :-( 

My mood was much better after we left the shelter. At first I thought leaving the shelter was a terrible idea, but the snow got lighter and as we descended the scenery was beautiful! I'm just not used to snow and freezing weather so it freaked me out at first. There were certain parts of the trail where there was no avoiding the "swamp." My feet were filthy and soaked. 

I showed up at Cosby Knob Shelter and changed into warm clothes before climbing into my sleeping bag. I booked myself a room at Elmer's in Hot Springs for a zero on Sunday. Woohoo! Bluebird and Wing It are staying at Laughing Heart, one of the other hostels in town. Tigger is staying in a hotel with her parents outside of town. I think most of the rest of the crew is tenting "down by the river." 

Our stuff is strung all around this shelter to dry. We also broke the rules and cooked in here. It's just way too cold out there! 

Best Thing: Beautiful scenery and a warm sleeping bag. 

Looking Forward To: Crossing the border out of the Smokies and on to new adventures!

Day #26 - Walking Through the Seasons

Miles: 12.8 to Painter Branch campsite 

It was cooold this morning! There were about two inches of snow on the ground outside the shelter when I woke up. The walk to the privy was a challenge! Crocs aren't known for their great traction on snow and ice. I used snow as duff since there weren't any leaves around. That works, right? 

My shoes were FROZEN when I went to put them on. Luckily, I had loosened the laces the night before anticipating the freeze, but I couldn't cinch them back up this morning. Oh well! After an hour or two of hiking they had thawed enough for me to tighten the laces. 

There were lots of downhills today. It was slippery but beautiful. The snow on the ground was so sparkly! I'm on of the only ones in our group from the south (Read: I'm really slow in the snow). Wing It was trying to give me tips like walk on the fluffy white parts and not the big rocks. My feet were soaked and filthy but warm.

 

Eventually we got below the snow line and were just hiking through mud. We reached a point where things dried out and you couldn't tell there had been snow anywhere nearby. At on point we had to road hike and literally cross highway on and off ramps. I would have been totally lost without Wing It. For the most part, the trail is not well marked when it follows roads. 

We hobbled up to Standing Bear Hostel so Twist could pick up Oliver (dogs aren't allowed in the Smokies) and we could resupply. Standing Bear is an odd place. It's a bunch of small random buildings/shacks and has a commune feel. We grabbed what we wanted from the resupply shed and wrote down our purchases and their prices on envelopes which we put money into and gave to the owner. Their "laundromat" consisted of a washboard and a dryer. That was just way too much work so I just dried my wet, dirty clothes on some rocks in the sun. I'll do proper laundry in Hot Springs.

 

After we snacked we hiked on to our campsite. On the way, Wing It found two salamanders. I chased one 10 ft up a tree. Those little guys are impressive! 

This is a great campsite. We're surrounded by streams. It feels so good to camp again! We're no longer tied to the shelters like we were in the Smokies. Leaving the Smokies is bittersweet. I thought they were beautiful. I'm glad we got just one typical Smoky weather day. I can say I experienced it but I didn't have to freeze my butt off for days. 

We made a campfire and sat around with the hiker fam: Wing It, Bluebird, Stealth, Blacksmith, Wiki, True Story, Muffin Man, Simba, Tigger, Teach, Twist and Oliver. An owl flew over while we were bear bagging and now it's hooting. 

It's 8:37 p.m. right now. WAY past our normal bedtime of 7:30ish. I hurt today but life is GOOD! I love being warm in my tent. Such great things ahead! 

Best Thing: Beautiful scenery and salamander sightings. 

Looking Forward To: Relatively easy mileage with just a few more days to an awesome weekend in Hot Springs. 

Day #24 - Back to the Trail

Miles: 10.4 to Pecks Corner Shelter

We woke up at 6:45 in the Econolodge to ensure we had PLENTY of time for breakfast. Sleeping in a bed, especially with another person, is weird these days. I took another shower and shaved with shave gel. What a luxury! 

We ate breakfast next door to the hotel at Log Cabin Pancake House. I had French toast with sausage links and OJ. It was amazingly good and kept me going for hours. We met the rest of the crew at the outfitter to shuttle back to Newfound Gap. I ran inside to get some Camp Suds. Dr Bronners is inferior when it comes to washing hair and I lost mine anyway. Honestly, I rarely use soap out here. If I have gunk stuck or burned to my pot I throw so dirt in there to scour it then rinse with creek water. Standards are low these days. 

We fit 12 people in the FREE 10 person shuttle. When we got to the gap the winds were blowin' and the fog was movin'. There was a woman squatting down near the sign taking photos for ages. Her butt crack was hanging out the whole time so I made sure to capture the moment in the photo I took for Twist. ;-) 

The terrain was pretty easy but it was a cold, rainy, long day. There were supposed to be views but the weather was too bad. I saw a few field mice but nothing else. Someone behind us saw a bear just before Icewater Shelter where we stopped for food. I have no peripheral vision with the hood of my rain jacket on, so who knows if I passed it. 

My legs took a pounding today but we finally made it to the shelter. I got a spot inside! I stripped off my wet clothes and hung them on a line in the shelter to dry. I put on my nice dry clothes. There's a guy here named Towny that has the same down jacket, same down hat, and same food bag as me. We're practically twins! 

I had curry cous cous (yum!), peanut M&Ms, and chocolate Carnation instant breakfast for dinner. Snickers for dessert. Dinner of champions! My food bag is so full! 

It's supposed to be super cold tomorrow. Maybe rainy. I think we're doing less than 6 miles tomorrow. My legs are so worn out. I hope our gear dries by morning! 

Best Thing: Breakfast and Camp Suds. I love new "gear" no matter how small. 

Looking Forward To: Seeing what the weather does tomorrow. Might be pretty! 

Day #23 - Redneck Vegas

Miles: 4.5 to Newfound Gap

Weather: 70s/40s, beautiful sunny weather

Was out of camp by 7:30 a.m. Nothing like the promise of town to motivate! The terrain in the Smokies is so beautiful. For most of the morning's hike it was pretty flat. Twist caught up with us as we neared what we thought was Newfound Gap. She thought she saw trail magic up ahead but I had my doubts since it was 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. She was practically pushing her way ahead of me and ended up beside me on the trail. Turns out, she was right! 

A nice woman named Elizabeth and her teenage daughter had opened the back of their SUV in a parking area and were serving Dunkin Donuts, clementines, Pop Tarts, and other goodies. She even had a printed copy of the week's weather forecast. So thoughtful! The donuts were AMAZING! Trail angels are the best. They are so selfless. I always try to be super appreciative and thankful. We polished off the donuts so Elizabeth hid the box so other hikers wouldn't know what they had missed. Unfortunately, after we left our friend Boss showed up and she immediately told him he had just missed donuts. He's still grumpy we didn't save him any. 

We were still 1.7 miles (about 30 minutes) from our end point, but 2nd breakfast put a pep in our steps. The last miles were ups and downs including crossing some weird hog barriers, but we made it to the gap to try to hitch the 15 miles to Gatlinburg. We split into small groups to increase our odds, but my group didn't have much luck. A woman in her 70s came up to talk to us. I thought she was going to offer us a ride, but instead she talked about her dreams of thru-hiking. I told her it's never too late! She never did offer us a ride. 

A park volunteer finally offered me, Stealth, and Wing It a ride after about 15 minutes. He was really nice and told us about the area as we drove into town. We passed Blacksmith, Tigger, and Beans trying to hitch on the side of the road on the way down. They eventually got rides too. Mike dropped us at the outfitter and wished us luck.

Gatlinburg is redneck Vegas! Talk about sensory overload. It makes for great people watching though. Beans and my crew checked several hotels before booking a room at the Econolodge. The woman at the front desk was very friendly and gave us the hiker rate. The woman at the Microtel was very rude to us so we didn't stay there. The other 8 people in our group stayed at the Grand Prix even though they said it was gross and they didn't want to. Muffin Man and Simba hitched in from Clingman's Dome and stayed there last night. Trail romance? 

We showered, ate BBQ (our waitress clearly hated her job and I had to send back my cake because there was mold on the frosting), and then Stealth and I took the trolley to resupply at the grocery store. The Grand Prix crew ended up taking a 3 hour trolley ride (one way) to Walmart. Yikes! I spent over $50 at the store. Eek! My food bag is bursting with only 4 days of food. 

When we got back I did laundry in the tub. I had intended to share my laundry water with the boys but it was filthy and they declined. I had no idea my stuff was so dirty! "Clean" takes on a whole new meaning out here.

I wore my rain pants and thermal top to dinner at the brewery with the 3 guys I shared a room with. We had a great time! Beans ordered a flight of 9 five ounce beers for $7. What a steal! 

After dinner I got to catch up with friends and family on the phone. When I Face Timed Heather she was just getting to my parents' house for Sunday dinner so I got to talk to the whole family. That was a treat! They asked Joshua, my 1 year old nephew, where I was and he pointed to the pin on the AT map. So cute! Then he wanted to go to my room to find me. 

It's supposed to rain tomorrow and Tuesday then get COLD! Hope to make the best of it! Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow! Then it's back to the trail! 

Day #22 - A Day Full of Great Things

 Miles: 13.5 to Mt. Colins Shelter

Today was a good day. Wing It and I left camp at 7:45. Stealth left right after I got up at 7:00! You never can tell with that guy, hence the trail name. The terrain was pretty rolling and relatively easy. It got hot quickly and I got sweaty! We stopped at Silers Bald Shelter for a large snack. I had a Snickers, a large hunk of summer sausage, some wasabi trail mix, and lemon heads. True Story caught up with us there (he's the fastest one in our group), then Wing It and I bounced to the next shelter to put on sunscreen. 

Then it was off to Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT! The climb up was beautiful! I had "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" stuck in my head because of the pine trees. Christmas is about the only time of year central Texans get to see those. We even saw a patch of snow! The forest smelled sooo good. I smelled sooo bad. I stuck some sprigs of pine in the sternum strap of my pack. It didn't really help but I felt festive! I saw a small clump of fur next to the trail. I poked it and rolled it around with my trekking pole. It was a dead mole. I'm not striking it big with the wildlife sightings. 

We made it to Clingman's Dome! We ate lunch at the edge of the woods next to the viewing tower. We were joined by a married thru-hiker couple and a guy named Timon. People watching the tourists was great! A couple with tween girls walked by. The youngest girl was just staring at us. I waved. She just kept staring so I said hello. The older daughter and the parents said hi. Then I heard the mom say, "Probably not there, but I bet they are camping somewhere tonight." Ha ha! We're like animals in a zoo. 

During lunch we talked with an extraordinarily nice park volunteer named John. He checked to make sure we didn't need anything and gave us some great pointers. We hobbled up to the viewpoint and had someone take of photo of me, Stealth, and Wing It. 

Then Wing It and I hit the trail again for the 3.2 mile hike to the shelter. There were lots of ups and downs but the scenery was beautiful and there was a nice breeze. 

This shelter is in a beautiful spot! A green, wooded alcove in the woods. I went straight to the water source with a guy named Dependable Pete. I was out and filled up with nearly 4 liters since it was quite a hike to get down to the spring. I didn't want it have to go back. Then I used the nearly new privy. It had a latch and a door and handicap rails and a moon carved on the door. It also had two full buckets of duff (leaves you throw on top of your poop to help it compost). Most duff buckets are empty. I'm telling you, this was the Cadillac of privies! I can't wait to use it again! 

The best part of the day came after dinner. Weekend hikers were staying at the shelter. They were so nice and gave us so much food! Almonds, cashews, gum. POUND CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING! We polished off the cake and the jar of frosting in less than a minute. Poor Twist was off doing something and completely missed it. We are, quite literally, animals. I'm not even full. The names of the weekend hikers were TJ, John, and Austin. I didn't catch the rest. Some of them are college students in Knoxville. One of them was hammocking in the shelter and didn't have a sleeping bag (rookie mistake). We gave him clothes and an emergency blanket. To thank us he said he's shipping a pound cake to us in Hot Springs! Score! 

A guy named Chris just walked up. He did 36+ miles TODAY! He came from Fontana. That took us 3 days! He's training for the Hut to Hut challenge in the White Mountains. It's 51 miles and something like 17,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. He says his pack weighs 30 lbs (about the same as mine). He doesn't use poles. That would break me. When I asked him what he did for a living I knew it would be a desk job. He's a software engineer from Pittsburg. His trail name is Maqina (or however you spell "machine" in Spanish). He was drinking a smoothie out of a bag. Here's his recipe. I took the liberty of naming it.

How to Be a Badass Smoothie Recipe:

1 lemon

1/2 avocado

1/8 pineapple

1 cup mixed berries

2 handfuls of spinach

1 handful of kale

16 oz water

Optional: Add Vitalite or double the lemon

Best Thing: Clingman's Dome, scenery, free cake, Badass Chris

Looking Forward To: Gatlingburg! Hot food in town, resupply, bed, and shower! 

Day #21 - Rocky Top Tennessee

Was woken up at 4:23 a.m. by two hikers on the second level of the shelter. They were quiet, but they still kept me up with their headlamps until they rolled out at 5:30. Because of the weird Smoky shelter rules, they had to stay in the shelter even though they probably knew they'd disturb people by getting up that early. 

I got out of my sleeping bag at 7:00 and took things slowly to make sure Tigger was okay. She woke up late and is feeling a bit better. We left camp around 8:30. The first part of the day was relatively flat because it's graded for horses. There are lots of small white and purple flowers starting to pop up everywhere. 

We stopped at the first shelter out for a snack (we call it second breakfast or first lunch), then stopped at the second shelter for lunch and to use the privy. They don't have privies at every shelter in the Smokies so it's a toilet paper minefield in some areas. At some shelters there's literally just a sign with an arrow pointing to the "toilet area." That means "go over there a poop in a hole." Many people don't bury their TP so it's just gross. Build more privies! 

At lunch, Kim checked her phone and had 20 texts from Nita! Yikes! She got worried/curious since Kim hasn't been mentioned much in my blogs recently. Don't worry! Kim is still hiking with my group. Her trail name is Twist since her dog's name is Oliver. I had some service too and got a video from my sister, Heather. It was my nephew saying hi and blowing me a kiss. It made me tear up so I went down to the water source to fill up and pull myself together. I miss that little guy! He's growing up so fast. 

Since our next destination was Rocky Top and no one had heard of the song, I insisted Simba play it on her phone before lunch was over. Once people heard it they recognized it. It had been stuck in my head for days. It was a hard climb up but the views were amazing! 

We also passed the 2,000 miles to go mark! 

The rest of the day was full of TOUGH ups and downs. I cursed to myself a lot. It seemed like the toughest day since I hurt my knee on Blood Mountain on Day #3. All I could think about was a creek bath and washing the sweat and salt from my t-shirt. That's the first thing I did when I FINALLY made it to the shelter at 4:00. I dropped my pack and went straight to the water source. I accidentally leaned on the metal pipe coming out of the mountainside and the water stopped flowing! AHHHHHHH! I thought I broke it for everyone, but I wiggled it back into position. That would have been the LAST thing I needed today. 

My mood improved drastically after my "shower." I walked back up to the shelter and someone said I looked refreshed. I told them the showers were great! Someone else said, "There are showers down there?" Ha ha! 

Twist and I played lookout for each other so we could change clothes behind the shelter. Later, I traded Muffin Man a Snickers to fill my water for me. It was such a steep climb! Snickers is gold out here! 

It's going to be so hard to adjust back to "normal" life after this is over. I can't believe I've only known these people 3 weeks at most. We spend nearly 24 hours a day together. We eat together, share food, sleep shoulder to shoulder in shelters, fix each other up when we are hurt, go to the bathroom together, plan our days together... It will be hard to leave them and think about other things. Even a crappy day out here is way better than a good day at most jobs I've had. Out here, we concentrate on eating enough, resting enough, and getting from point A to B each day. It's simple but it's great!

Best Thing: Rocky Top views and the video from Joshua. 

Looking Forward To: Clingman's Dome! The highest point on the AT. 

Day #20 - I Didn't Need My Thumb Anyway

Miles: 11.0 to Mollies Ridge Shelter

I forgot to mention Simba's hot cocoa incident last night. Wing It gave her a big pack and when she tried to thank him with some sort of hand gesture she accidentally flung the powder all over him and several other people. Oops! 

There was a loud snorer in the Fontana Hilton but otherwise I slept well. Thank God for ear plugs! I woke up early and used a real bathroom with flush toilets, running water, and mirrors! What a treat! Left camp with Wing It after watching the sunrise over the lake. We hiked down across Fontana Dam and snapped a few photos. 

I didn't realize the road led straight to Great Smoky Mountain National Park! It was so close! We road walked up the trail to the permit drop where we deposited our $20 thru hiker permits. The permits give you 7 nights to get through the park. Some hikers don't like paying a fee to use public land, but I don't mind. 

The hike today wasn't bad. We stopped several times to shed layers as we warmed up. We also stopped for a few minutes to watch a squirrel rummaging for food right next to the trail. It couldn't have cared less that we were standing just feet from it. 

We took a side trail to an old fire tower on the way up the mountain. I told Professor (a large bearded man with too short gym shorts) that I would take pictures at the top using his camera because he's scared of heights. In exchange, he watched our packs so we didn't have to carry them. That tower was not in good condition! My structural engineer hiking partner confirmed. I'm scared of heights too and wimped out halfway up. Wing It took Professor's camera to the top. 

Wing It and I stopped to eat lunch on a log next to the trail. I had brand new summer sausage and cheddar cheese to dig into. Unfortunately, I was a little over zealous with the cheese. When I tried to open the package wider with my pocket knife, I nearly sliced off the very tip of my left thumb. Ouch! It was very bloody and wing it had to help me bandage it since trying to open your pack, a bandaid, or anything else is nearly impossible with one hand. I didn't realize my knife was so sharp! After a little first aid, I continued eating my lunch. It takes more than a severed digit to stem a thru-hiker's appetite! 

A few hours later my bandaid peeled off and reopened the wound. My duct tape solution wasn't holding so I booked it past Wing It up the hill to the shelter to fix the situation. There we met a ridge runner named Carl. Ridge runners help maintain the trail and enforce rules like no cooking or eating in the shelters. Carl has thru-hiked the AT (took him 4 months 11 days in 1999) and the PCT (just under 4 months in 2008). He explained that 8 of the 14 spots in the shelter are reserved for section hikers. No one can camp in a tent or hammock unless the shelter is full.  The trick is, there's no way for thru-hikers to know how many section hikers have made reservations and there's no time limit. In theory, a section hiker with a reservation can show up at any hour of the night and kick a thru-hiker out if there aren't any shelter spots left. It's hard to explain because it's so convoluted. It should just be first come, first served. But they didn't ask me. 

The ridge runner was kind of rude when the rest of my friends showed up, but then again the thrus have been complaining about the rules. He called Tigger out for having a snack in the shelter. Her feet have really been bothering her. She thinks she might have a stress fracture. Hope not! 

Twist and Tigger at the shelter:

Best Thing: Gorgeous views in the Smokies and yummy summer sausage. 

Looking Forward To: Visiting Rocky Top Tennessee tomorrow! 

Quote of the Day: "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." -Wiki

Day #19 - A Day in Fontana Village

Miles: 6.6 to Fontana Dam Shelter

Again, I snuck out earlier than the rest of the group to beat them down the hill. Wing It happened to be leaving at the same time so we ended up hiking all morning together. He's a forensic structural engineer from Brooklyn and plans to work in Australia when he's done with the trail. 

It was very foggy again today. Maybe because we are near the Smokies? Quote of the Day: "The one good thing about mud is that you can see where the people before you slid." We also decided we need to petition NC trail maintainers for switchbacks and cutting logs across the trail. Those logs are hard for short people to get over! 

It was so nice to have someone to talk to all day today. It's been kind of lonely hiking by myself. Today went by fast. Fontana Village is beautiful! The lake is picturesque and it's the nicest shelter I've seen so far! They call this shelter the Hilton for a reason! We snagged some of the first spots in the shelter. I'm on the bottom level right by the door for easy pee access, although that hasn't been an issue lately. 

We shuttled up to the lodge to pick up packages (I got new gaiters and my bounce box), eat lunch, and print our Smoky passes. We all had mixed drinks at lunch and I had the BEST pork sandwich with french fries and ranch I've ever had! We invited a guy named Sasquatch from Shreveport to join us at our table. He just graduated with his biology degree. 

Kim started our laundry while I walked down to the post office to ship my bounce box to Damascus. We resupplied at the general store. I spent $36 on granola bars, candy bars, summer sausage and cheddar cheese. It was a neat but expensive little general store that had everything a hiker might need. Thru-hikers got a 10% discount too! 

True Story, Wiki, and I walked down to the Pit Stop so I could get a "chili cheese" dog (the chili and cheese came straight from a dispenser) and a Coke. They microwaved the hotdog, then put it in the oven, then put it back in the microwave. Fancy! Of course, it was one of the best hotdogs ever! 

There are some interesting people here at the shelter. There's a woman with crazy leggings named Cake. She hurt her knee so she's staying a while. She wrote down everyone's trail names and hometowns and took group pics. 

Right now we're sitting around the campfire passing around someone's extra Clif bars. Tomorrow it's straight uphill into the Smokies!

Best Thing: Having a hiking buddy today.

Looking Forward To: Starting the Smokies! 

Day #18 - So Much Uphill

Miles: 15.2 miles to Cable Gap Shelter

It was so foggy and cold last night, but I stayed warm in my bag in the crowded shelter. It was 2 story and we probably crammed in 16 people. Mice made a nest in Blacksmith's rain cover. None have made their way into my stuff yet. 

We rolled out a little after 8. It was very foggy and chilly. I hiked alone most of the day (friends were ahead of and behind me) and stopped for a solo picnic on a grassy turn in the trail. Everyone else stopped just down the trail at a gap. They got apples and someone left a trashbag. Glad I didn't miss any major trail magic. 

Today we climbed something called Jacob's Ladder. It was pretty much 800 feet straight up with no switchbacks. It was TOUGH! We lunched at Brown Fork Gap Shelter, our original destination. Tigger and True Story decided to push on. I didn't really want to push my body, but I wanted to stick with them so pushed out another 6 miles (about 2.5-3 hours of hiking) to make it a 15 mile day. Eek! Yay for Vitamin I (ibuprofen)! 

I grabbed a spot in the shelter. Never thought I'd be a shelter rat but it beats trying to take down a tent with frozen fingers. There were chunks of dirt floating in my water bottle, so I dumped that and refilled at the stream. I love drinking from streams! Tastes much better than town water. 

Right before bed, Mighty Blue (older Brit) asked me to explain my trail name. I pulled out my PStyle and explained what it was to the whole group. Don't worry. I didn't demonstrate it. It's so funny to see guys' reaction to it. Peeing standing up is so liberating, but I don't actually use it very often. I did use it at the NOC to pee off the balcony when it was dark and raining one night. Why not? 

Best Thing: Surviving an unexpected 15 mile day. 

Looking Forward To: A short day to Fontana Village tomorrow! 

Day #17 - A Walk in the Clouds

Miles: 6.7 to Sassafras Gap Shelter

We were walking in a cold cloud today. We dressed for rain because the forecast called for 100% chance, but soon stripped down t-shirts and shorts because it got so hot. 

Stuff fit into my pack great today! That's always a little worrisome. You worry what you're forgetting...

It's 4:00 and True Story, Tigger, and Wiki are passed out snoring in the shelter. It was a tough climb uphill most of the day, then a race downhill to beat a very cold rain storm. Today's terrain was tough! Luckily, I like uphills. There were some treacherous rocky patches on the trail today. Those take a lot of time and concentration to get over, especially when it's slick. 

We snagged some of the last spots in the shelter. There's a great little awning where we could put our packs and wet gear to dry. It never really rained, but it sprinkled and was misty. Tigger fixed my hyperextended pole again today. My fingers didn't feel cold but haven't been working well since the summit. I couldn't open my knife or my food at the shelter so Tigger and True Story helped me. True Story ALMOST dropped my whole block of cheddar in the dirt in the shelter. We almost weren't friends anymore. I made a double pot of hot cocoa and warmed right up! 

Spent several hours this afternoon updating my blog. It takes so long to type it up, but I love sharing my story and reading the encouraging comments. I was a bit down last night, but it feels great to be warm, done for the day, and surrounded by friends. 

Day #16 - The Longest Downhill

Miles: 11.7 to the Nantahala Outdoor Center

I was the first one from our group to leave camp. I wanted to get an early start because of the looong steep downhill up ahead. Tigger was going through her pack this morning and found her trash bag in shreds. She excitedly grabbed it from her pack and exclaimed, "We've been visited!" Then she ran off to show the rest of the group. Luckily they didn't get to any of her other stuff. 

I stayed in front of the group for most of the day. Tigger and co must have been really hurting. They are normally way ahead of me. Today was brutal downhill all the way. My knee felt pretty okay but I was overcompensating so both knees and hips had shooting pains at various points throughout the day. It hurt but it wasn't constant pain. 

I scared up a turkey while I was hiking. I was really far away but it spooked and flew up from the hillside ahead of me. 

I FINALLY made it to the NOC. I could smell the hot food from about a mile away. As soon as we got to the general store we each bought a 25 oz Budweiser. The King of Beers! It was so good! We showered (endless hot water!), did laundry, and ate dinner at the restaurant at the NOC. 

Everyone came back to our room to drink beer and hang out. Beans kept opening twist top beers with his teeth. True Stiry kept saying, "It's still a twist off, dude." It was very funny. Today was tough because of the painful downhills and hiking alone most of the day, but it's so great to end the day surrounded by friends! 

Best Thing: Made it to the NOC! 

Looking Forward To: Waking up in town and a short hike to the shelter tomorrow. 

Day #15 - Trail Magic Galore!

Miles: 11.6 to Cold Spring Shelter 

Weather: 60s/40s with sunny blue skies 

I slept like a baby in Tigger's tent last night. It never did rain. We took our time eating breakfast (I treated myself to one of my oranges) then rolled out around 9:00. Today the miles passed really slowly. We passed some hikers on the trail that asked us if we were thru hikers. When we said yes, they unzipped their daypack and gave us each a bag with two brownies. They joked, "They aren't Colorado brownies." True Story and I ate them immediately. They were delicious! 

Today's hike was tough but at 11:30 we got to a road crossing that had this sign: 

I walked as fast as I could and got there around 1. I feasted on hard boiled eggs, Pringles, pickles, more brownies, fruit, juice, cheese and more! It was great. 

I walked up to the fire tower to use the bathroom. There was no running water, but I was impressed by the 8 rolls of toilet paper! TP is a hot commodity on the AT. 

We finally made it to the first shelter, our planned destination for the day. Tigger and True Story decided to push on. Once they showed me the mileage for the next day, I agreed even though I wanted to take a short day. My knee has been acting up again. I left a note for Little Foot, Stealth, and the German Girls in the shelter register telling them of the change in plans. 

We finally made it to Cold Spring Shekter, which is literally right on the AT. Many shelters are about a half mile or so off the trail. I caught a glimpse of it from down the hill and was so excited to see a man made structure! I took a fully-clothed bandana bath in front of the shelter. A nice couple stopped to talk to me. As I stood there I wondered how long I should wait before cleaning my armpits in front of strangers. It's a different world out here! We talk about poop a lot. 

I changed into my night clothes in the woods. There are definitely leaves in my leggings. Oh well. 

Best Thing: So much trail magic!

Looking Forward To: Nantahala Outdoor Center! Bed! Shower! 

Day #14 - Flying Gatorade Bottle

Miles: 4.2 to Siler Bald Shelter 

Weather: Warm with threat of rain 

We meant to sleep late but we were up by 8:00. Little Foot scrambled eggs and baked frozen biscuits. I started the bacon and True Story finished it. The first few slices were half raw and half burned, but we got the hang of it eventually. It was a feast! 

We lounged around, sorted gear, and watched various movies on TV. Joey showed us a badass Pain Train (our group name) drawing he did for us. It included all of our names. Then Joey shuttled us around town. I bought two tangerines, longer shorts (the ones I brought were borderline scandalous without my leggings underneath), and sunscreen at Walmart. We ate lunch at Fat Buddies BBQ. It was pretty good! 

I helped Tigger pick out a new, lighter tent on REI.com. Her current one is a 5 lb two person tent. She picked the REI quarter dome. It looks like a great tent. 

I decided not to zero and to head out of town with True Story and Tigger. That way I'll hike two short days instead of a zero and a long day. Little Foot, Wiki, and Stealth zeroed. I mailed home my mug, camera and charging gear, my spare gaiter (lost the other), and a few other small things to lighten my pack. The guy at the post office was very nice. He saved me $4! 

We went back to Three Eagles Outfitters to wait for Simba and some other folks to get out of a movie so we could give them a ride back to the trail. Long story short, they didn't need a ride and we wasted several hours waiting for them. Trying to coordinate trail shuttles isn't easy! It's hard to stick with your friends. 

When we finally got back on the trail, we booked it to the shelter to beat the rain. Tigger and I quickly threw up her tent and climbed in. So far, it hasn't rained. I've learned that up here in the mountains, you can't trust the forecast. 

Kim finally caught us at this shelter. Yay! Haven't seen her in a week. Mighty Blue, the German Girls, and some others are here as well. I went to the broken bear cables with True Story to provide moral support while he hung the line. Really, I just feel bad asking someone to hang my food if I'm not there. He was using a Gatorade bottle as a weight. I offered my ZPacks rock sack but he turned me down. He then proceeded to swing the line and launch his bottle off the embankment into the woods. It was classic! I doubled over laughing and was so bummed that I was the only witness. After a trek into the woods to retrieve his bottle, he successfully hung the line. Made my day! 

Best Thing: An easy day and being back on the trail. 

Looking Forward To: Low miles tomorrow and being reunited with the gang. 

Day #13 - 100 Miles Down!

Miles: 12.2 to Franklin

Weather: Nice and breezy with a light sprinkle 

I slept great last night. Didn't have to wake up to pee! Woohoo! I loved our little wooded campsite. I dreamed Ms. Janet (famous on the trail) tried to sell me into the sex trade and True Story saved me. We are all having crazy dreams out here. 

I made cheese grits for breakfast using the MRE cheese sauce I got out of the hiker box at Hiawassee. It was very good but the cheese looked awful coming out of the tube. 

Left camp at 8:00 to climb Mt. Albert. The scenery was beautiful but it was hand over hand climbing for a few minutes. I had to throw my poles ahead a few times. This hike is all about finding your center of gravity so your pack doesn't pull you off the mountain. Made it to the top and climbed the fire tower. I hate heights but the view was worth it. 

We hit the 100 mile marker today! Crazy! There are still 2,100 some odd miles to go but it's still an accomplishment. The hike down the mountain was much easier. It was fairly flat. We took a break at a new shelter built in 2012. 

We hit the second shelter but I decided to hop ahead of my friends and keep going. So glad I did because I got trail magic! I saw cars and some lawn chairs set up in a parking lot and started praying it was trail magic hotdogs. IT WAS! A retired Ashville superintendent named Tabasco was grilling hotdogs and serving chips and Cokes. Unbelievably good and very appreciated! 

I flew up the hill after the trail magic. I kept up with True Story and Tigger on the uphill out of the gap. Then I tweaked my knee and had to slow down. We finally made it to Winding Stair Gap where Little Foot's relatives were picking us up. Tigger and I took foot baths in the roadside stream. So refreshing! We couldn't convince the guys to join us. 

Miss Jeanne picked us up in a big white truck and took us to a spare house on her property. It was amazing! No beds, but a bunch of bedrooms, 2.5 baths, lots of couches, a kitchen and TV. Plus, they bought us stuff to cook breakfast and they served us dinner and let us use their truck to get around town. 

We went to Dollar General (THE best place to resupply), Three Eagles outfitters (got a new half Buff), the liquor store, and Bojangles (Little Foot's favorite). We went back to the house and sorted gear. I gathered some stuff to send home, then showered and did laundry. 

We put on our rain gear and headed down to the main house for dinner. Miss Jeanne, her husband, and their 17-year-old grandson, Joey, treated us to hamburgers, baked beans, bean salad, and cherry dump cake. The house was beautiful, the food delicious, and the company great! 

We went back to our house to drink some beers and relax. Stealth played a few tunes on the guitar. I'll probably zero tomorrow. It's been a great day! 

Best Thing: Meeting great trail angels. 

Looking Forward To: Taking it easy tomorrow 

Day #12 - A Beautiful Day

Miles: 11.3 to Betty Creek Gap campsite 

Weather: 60s/40s and sunny 

I got up early and quietly packed my gear. I managed to get out of the shelter by 7:45 without waking anyone up. Mini victory! Luckily, there were no mice active in the shelter last night. 

It's 9:45 a.m. right now and I'm taking a feet-up break on a log. Stealth just passed! I figured that group was way ahead of me . 

The logs across the path aren't cut in NC so far. We have to climb over them, which can be pretty tricky with 30 lbs on your back. I love the sound of the birds in the morning. My feet are sore but my body feels strong. 

Today was a great day! Beautiful weather. Got to wear leggings and a tee. Lots of seasonal springs and seeps along the way. For the most part the trail was gentle inclines and declines. My knee is healing. Think it will be fine in a week or so. Some bird or something is making a slow thumping sound that speeds up. Turkey? Need to investigate? (Later found out it was a grouse)

Lunched at Carter Gap Shelter with Tigger, True Story, and some guy I don't know. Got to camp by 1:30. It's a beautiful site with a large, ice cold stream. Tigger and I stripped to shorts and sports bras and washed ourselves and our shirts in the stream. Tigger washed her hair. Mine is disgusting but I'll shower in Franklin tomorrow. 

Three of us set up our tents in a little nook in the woods. The leaf litter should make a nice soft bed and a good night's sleep. At our site, Tigger found the EXACT tent stake I needed. Score! What are the odds? 

There's a great, big group of folks here at camp. Lots of bartering food going on. It's funny. I let True Story use my stove so he wouldn't "burn down the forest" so he did my dishes. The leaves here are VERY sticky. 

Gregg now had a trail name. Wiki, as in Wikipedia. Apparently we're not the only ones that think he's a know it all. 

11 miles to Franklin tomorrow to resupply and beat the rain. May zero. Albert Mt looks really steep, but I'm excited to shower, laundry, dine and sleep in a bed! Today was a great day! Look forward to many more. 

Best Thing: Easy hike, big miles, watching camp bartering 

Looking Forward To: Hitting the 100 mile mark and getting to Franklin.

Day #11 - Welcome to North Carolina

Miles: 12.2 to Standing Indian Shelter

Weather: 70s/40s, hot and clear with a nice breeze 

The Boy Scouts were funny last night. One told us a blonde joke that went something like "If a blonde, a brunette, and an orange head fell off a cliff, who would hit first? The orange head and the brunette because the blonde would have to stop to ask directions." The hikers laughed about the orange heads more than the joke itself. The kid had never heard the term "redhead." Too funny. 

Tigger woke me up early and we set off toward the border with True Story. It was warm today! I started in my shorts and soon took off my fleece. The border was underwhelming. It's just a sign on a tree on the edge of the trail. I almost walked right past it. We climbed up some rocks to take a break at the border. We ate some puppy chow Tigger's mom made to celebrate a new state! We took pictures at the border and at the twisted tree just past it. 

Hiking the first part of North Carolina was a bitch! True Story said "Would you like some uphill with your uphill?" I kept up with Tigger and True Story until lunch, which is quite an accomplishment! We ate lunch at Muskrat Shelter. Toasted Toes, an older hiker who has lived in Beaumont, Longview, and Fort Worth, gave us some of his cheese and salami. 

Being out here has definitely affected my brain. I'm concentrating so much on putting on foot safely in front of the other that other things take longer to process. For example, when we showed up at the shelter someone had changed the sign from SHELTER to SHEETER. Totally threw me. I thought it was a privy sign. 

We also passed a side trail called Chunky Gal Trail. 

Hiking downhill was hard today because my feet are sore. There are lots of boulders and the trail is narrow with a steep dropoff. I should have taken a break but I thought we were close to the shelter. I stopped at Deep Gap for a break with Gregg. He said the shelter was still 0.9 miles away! We are hiking a little over 2 miles per hour so that was another 30 minutes away. It was a long day! I finally met True Story, Blacksmith, and Tigger at Standing Indian Shelter. They moved on to camp at the summit but I was too tired and decided to sleep in the shelter. The guys threw bear lines because there were no bear cables.

Dinner was gross. Not impressed with Hawk Vittles for the most part. I threw half my dinner away, which really means I put it in my trash bag and have to haul it for a few days until I find a trash can. Snickers saved the day and I ate one for the rest of my dinner. 

We are trying to make it to Franklin before it rains on Friday. My knee is still sore but feeling strong! 

Best Thing: A new state! Perfect weather. 

Looking Forward To: Hopefully meeting back up with Kim & Oliver. 

Day #10 - It's Hot Out Here!

Miles: 10.8 to Plum Orchard Gap Shelter

Weather: 70s/40s, sunny and HOT!

My hip bones were aching last night. I thought I might be getting a UTI or something, then realized my many layers of long underwear were digging into my hips, which have been supporting my pack for the past 9 days. I rolled my waistband down and instantly felt better. I should have done that nights ago! 

I woke up early and hit the trail by 8. It normally takes us about an hour to pack up and get out of camp in the morning. I think my hiker appetite is kicking in. I've been much hungrier lately. It was really hot today. We were all sweating and getting a bit sunburned. I had to take off my leggings and hike in gym shorts. 

Seemed like we had to hike forever to get to Dicks Creek Gap for lunch. A section hiker and trail angel named Kayla took our trash and gave us some sunflower seeds. She's a marine biologist that works west of Key West. She is planning a thru hike soon. 

The next 4.7 miles to the shelter were a bitch. I like uphills because they don't hurt my knees as much as downhills, but this never ended and it was hot! The bugs are coming out but no bites so far. I was daydreaming about a bandana bath in the creek. I stopped at the top of a mountain out of frustration, pulled out the map and saw I was still a mile away. When I finally rolled into Plum Orchard, I stopped to wipe down at the stream on the way into camp. Then Tigger and I took a more proper bandana bath and washed our shirts in the creek. 

Hanging out with Tig, Little Foot, True Story, Simba, Gregg, Jay from Maryland, Stealth (Quiet Mike), Muffin Man (Shoe Shine), Doug (of Doug and Dave) and a few others. I'm sleeping in the shelter tonight. I hung my pack on the lantern hook by the fire because I'm paranoid of mice. 

I ordered gaiters for myself and Tigger using my phone. I accidentally typed Dirty Girls .com instead of DirtyGirlGaiters.com. NOT the same site! Oops! 

According to Tigger, "1,000 babies just showed up." It's a Boy Scout troop. Now it smells like feet in the shelter. They seem like nice kids though. They are sleeping on the 2nd and 3rd levels of the shelter. Wonder if it will be loud tonight. 

Best Thing: Warm weather!!

Looking Forward To: Reaching the NC border tomorrow! 13 states to go! 

Day #9 - Getting My Trail Name

Miles: 10.4 to Sassafras Gap 

Weather: 50s/30s and very windy 

I was the first one up at the hotel. I packed my stuff then grabbed some hot breakfast in the lobby while I waited for the rest of the group to get up. 

We met our shuttle driver, John, who was supposed to take us back to Unicoi Gap. Quiet Mike rode in the cab with me and Tigger, True Story, and Little Foot rode in the bed of the truck with the packs and poles. John was a really nice man. He and his wife recently relocated from Ohio to Hiawassee. He's a woodworker and she's a painter. His mother-in-law works with stained glass and lives nearby. He had a cross hanging from his rear view mirror that she had made. John's been shuttling for about two years. 

When John pulled over to drop us off, things didn't look like I had remembered. Turns out he had accidentally taken us to another common gap hikers get dropped off at. He had to backtrack about 20 minutes to bring us to the right place. He was very apologetic. I didn't mind because I was in the warm cab, but I felt bad for my friends shivering in the back. 

We started hiking in the cold from Unicoi. The only person slower than me right now is Quiet Mike. I wore my knee brace today, but after a few miles it didn't seem to help much. It was VERY WINDY and cold today. Chunks of frost were falling from the trees. We met some day hikers/trail maintainers that told us about a lookout point on Tray Mountain. It was a looong approach trail with low clearance, but the view was nice and we stopped for a snack. 

We stopped for lunch a bit later at Tray Mountain Shelter where we were supposed to meet Kim. Someone had strung tarps across the front of the shelter because the weather was so bad. Kim had left us this note in the shelter: 

Before we left, Tigger and I peed by the shelter. Soon after, another group of hikers walked up and one of them dropped their pack in our pee. Oops! We hiked on to get out of the cold.

This afternoon we passed a couple of older men on the trail. Since I was at the back of the group and was wearing a knee brace, they asked if my trail name was Gimpy. When I told my group they told me they'd decided to call me Stylez because I'm so stylish all the time. Just kidding. It's because I talk about my PStyle so often. Ha ha! I'll take it though. 

I found a piece of a white blaze on the ground today and put it in my pack as a keepsake. I plan to ship it home with a few other things I don't need anymore. 

We decided to camp at Sassafras Gap, not a shelter. We met some new friends named Boss, Lasso, and Pipe. I ate a bag of instant mashed potatoes for dinner. They were good, but I kept hitting air pockets with my fork so they'd splatter all over my face. Tricky! Tigger bear bagged our food for us. 

I'm hurting but having fun. Our motto is "The Struggle is Real."

Best Thing: Getting a trail name!

Looking Forward To: Good weather and maybe catching Kim.