Monday, April 7, 2014

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. 

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