4/20 - hot springs trail fest awesomeness

Its april 20. Supposed to be a fun weekend. Im waiting for miss janet to come back from shuttling. Then me, pilgrim, dah wah he, and miss janet are heading to hot springs for the hot springs trail fest. Gonna be tenting in a big group at hot springs while partying with a bunch of strangers. I heard theres going to be a big agnes sales rep there, so theres a possibility of free gear. Gonna be fun. Watching three stooges all morning waiting. ................... Today, april 20, 2013 was an awesome day. Woke up in miss janets living room when alll the other hikers woke up. It was about 8am. For breakfast, I ate some leftover pizza from last night. The other hikers were packing up to get back to the trail, i was packing up to get back to hot springs. Today in hot springs, nc, was trail fest. A family friendly town party celebrating the great outdoors and hot springs' location right in the middle of it. When miss janet left with the load of hikers, me and dah wah he, who has been staying in miss janets house, headed to hot springs in dah wah he's car. Only one hiker eazy E, stayed at miss janets. He hurt his back yesterday while hiking, and couldnt wear his pack without pain. He gave me his big agnes sleeping pad to try and exchange in case there was a big agnes sales rep at the fest. We got there after about 45 minutes of driving. 7 days of hiking were suddenly gone in 45 minutes as i rolled into hot springs. But hot springs is different now. When i was here 2 weeks ago passing through, the trees were mostly empty, some small buds on some of them. Now in hot springs, flowers are in bloom, trees are covered in green. Its like a whole new place where spring is in full swing. I noticed it too during the drive.the barren mountains i had hiked over were tinted green with the buds growing into leaves on the trees. The downside, was that every face was a new one. Going so far backwards meant that all the hikers are a week behind me. So i didnt know anyone. My first hour here was wandering around town, wondering what to do. Dah wah he had found some old friends, and was talking to them. so he was occupied, but i was alone. I finally built up the courage to go to a random group of hikers and introduce myself. Its difficult to do that at this point, everyone knows everyone around them. So when i walk up, i am a strangeer to everyone there, while they already know each other. Its an odd feeling, and some hikers have just been unfriendly. It went well though, i spoke to them for a few minutes, told them im a hiker. Then went back to being by myself. I still had to find the big agnes rep. So when dah wah he said he wanted to go find food, i asked if he can show me where the rep is. Earlier When we were driiving into town he pointed him out, and mentioned being his friend. Turns out the rep is fixit guy. I met fixit guy a few days earlier outside of uncle johnnys. He drives around to popular points on the trail and fixes gear in a trailer/workshop that he tows around. When i asked him about eazy e's pad, he told me that the best course of action would be to send it back to the company. He also asked me if i need any other gear fixed. I brought my backpack and he sewed up a hole chewed by a mouse. It was about this time that miss janet and pilgrim showed up. Miss janet told me about a duck race that happens down the river that runs through town. Hundreds of plastic ducks, each with a number on it, is dumped into the river and allowed to float downstream. The first 3 ducks that get to the finish line win, and split half the money earned by selling ducks. I got six ducks, whhich cost $10. Some people get more, some get less. We had an hour until the race started, so we all went to a bar right on the river. We had a few beers, and pilgrim got me a beer too. Then miss janet asked me if could help wrangle ducks on the river when the race starts. Sounded like fun so i took off my boots and got in the river with a few other guys, all lined up by a big net stretched across the river, meant to catch the ducks. The race began and the ducks floated down the river. I caught the ducks that floated to far to the side to be caught by the net and flung em to the net as they passed. My ducks didnt win, but it was still a fun experience. I got some free food being given out by a local church, then joined miss janet, dah wah he, and pilgrim back at the bar. We ate and drank some more, and pilgrims friend bright eyes joined us. while waiting for the bathroom i met julian. And i invited her and the rest of her band to come to the camgrounds later in the night after they performed. She plays the washboard, thats right, the washboard, in a band calleed tar and rosin. They play appalachian string music, guitar, banjo, violin, and washboard. Its like bluegrass, but a less commercialized style. They were providing the live music at the bar that night. I wnet to the campgrounds with miss janet, it was almost 7pm already, and i needed to set up my tent. After i got it set up, i went back to the bar to watch the band. I got a pitcher o beer, and gave some to other hikers who were there. I also gave some to julian after the bands first set. Shes cute, and seemed to liked me, so i figured i might as well try. The trail has been very dry and its getting frustrating. Also spoke to the rest of the band and told them about the campfire chill later at the campground. Towards the end, miss janet showed up, she had been by the campfire chill and drum circle up by the laughing heart hostel on the other side of town. I had stayed at the laughing heart two weeks ago when i was first in hot springs. Miss janet gave me a ride back to the campgrounds, i picked up some beer and snack for the night and headed to the fire. There were alot of hikers there, alot of beer, alot of smoking, everything youd expect in a crowd of hikers havin a party. I introduced myself to a few people. They got a kick out of my trail name, and i was asked tto repeat it multiple times. As of now its The Almighty Boss Scorch Pipes Wilson Chef Pack Sherpa Mule Boyar Darko D. I might be adding phaedrus into it.but that idea is still up in the air. Around the campfire, one hiker put the perceived unfriendliness in perspective for me. He told me i should announce to everyone that im from up ahead. He said that everyone assumes that im there with my friends, or that i have friends there, but im just not talkative. He said iif i tell them im from ahead, they will know that the reason im not talking is because i dont know anyone, and they will open up to me to make me feel more welcome. I never saw it that way, i just assumed that people further back were just assholes. The band eventually showwed up. And they played until 130am, when the security guard of the campgrounds came and told us to be quiet. So we chilled for a few more hours but many people went to sleep, and the band stopped playing. I spoke to kyle, the violinist for the band, turns out we have the same birthday. He was telling me about HP Lovecraft, a horror writer from the early 1900's and that they share a birthday, which happens to be the same as mine. Also chilled with julian a bit. Though sadly, nothing ended up happening. I had been too shy all night to appraoch her again. And another hiker had already took the opportunity when he saw it. I realized, after the fact, how easy it would have been for me had i not been such a wuss. Around 430am i finally went to bed. It was a good night. And had been a good day. Definitely one of the most fun days ive had so far. Trail days in damascus is gonna be even better. I have heard that its a few thousand people. With the camping area nicknamed tent city. Its only in a month too. May 18-19. In miss janets car theres a bumper sticker that says "the AT is the most fun youll ever have, interrupted by long walks in the woods."

april 15-19 staying at miss janets

Ive been spending thepast few days recovering at miss janets house. After twisting my ankle on sunday i havent been able to hike. Welll i did try to hike on thursday, april 18. But more about that soon. Monday, april 15, the group i had been hiking with for the past week up til then decided to continue down the trail. Hot dog was in the hospital because of her poison ivy, but supposed to get out soon after. Otto had given dumptruck the use of his car in order to slackpack otto and the rest of the group. So dumptruck and hot dog planned to drive from campsite to campsite, carrying the backpacks of the rest of the group, until they recover enough to hike. I said goodbye to the group, i was sad that id be hiking alone. Hiking with a group makes things alot more fun. That night miss janet cam back to the house with a huge group of hikers. There was about 17 people at the house that night. We had a bbq and miss janet made us all wear ties to stay classy. The next day, tuesday, april 16, that big group got back to the traill too. My ankle was still hurting, so i took another day off. Pretty much just eating and watching tv all day. Its good for a day or two, but id get bored of that very quickly. The day after that, wednesday, april 17, i spent most of the day again just chillin on the couch. Towards the end of the day, garbear, bearsnack, sarah (oatmeal), alpha dog, and peanut showed up with miss janet. I wasnt expecting to see anyone i know anymre. I had been in erwin since friday, and i figured my 5 days off wouldve let everyone pass me. So i was happy to see them. To make things better, they were planning to slackpack from spivey gap to uncle johnnys. That was perfect for me, so i decided to hike with them on thursday. But id take it slow so i dont hurt myself again. Miss janet picked up another big group a little while after, then all of us went out to dinner. Afterward, We were supposed to go to a bar that has karaoke, but they didnt let alpha dog in, because hes 19. So we went to a small bar calleed the acoustic coffeehouse. And chilled there for a bit. On thursday, april 18 miss janet drove us all out to spivey gap to continue our hike. We started around 230pm, which was pretty late. We were expecting to start in the morning, but miss janet has been getting nonstop calls from sick hikers. She shuttles the hikers, houses hikers, even deals with the CDC (Center for Disease Control). After miss janet collected stool samples from a few hikers and giving it to the cdc, its been confirmed that it is norovirus that has been going around. Norovirus is resistant to hand sanitizers, too small for filters, and can survive very high temperatures. The average norovirus induced puke contains several million viruses, and it only takes 4 viruses to infect someone. So the virus has been spreading. Ive heard that it has been as far back as fontana dam, and as far forward as damascus. When i first heard of the virus around hot springs, it was between hot springs and erwin. Its gained almost 200 miles more range, and almost everyone has had it. I still havent though, and im hoping it stays that way. We hiked pretty quickly from spivey, taking few breaks and making good time. It was a good day hiking. We took a longer break about halfway through, then continued hiking, this time the group was a little bit slower. I hiked far ahead of the rest of the group, and eventually caught up to peanut who hiked ahead. We hiked together for a few miles, and we were almost by johnnys, maybe a quarter mile away, when i retwisted my ankle. Hurt alot more than the first time. Though it was better that i had a short distance left to the end. Miss janet picked us up from johnnys and took us to walmart before going back to the house. We picked up meats to have a bbq for dinner. Itd be awesome to bbq on the trail, but meats heavy. Some of the group from the night before was still at the house, so it was a good chill. I finally took down my tent and moved into the house. Ive been in the backyard since sunday, and figured i might as well grab a bed in the house. Friday april 19 was another lazy day, just sitting on the couch. We went out for lunch and restocked on beer. Then i Watched tv all day, and played cards and drank with the other hikers in the house. The other group of hikers went out and picked up pizza for everyone, and we watched the hobbit. It was a good chill, and a good night.

april 14 - slackpack

April 14 me and apollo slackpacked. We woke up eearly again, about 7am, because we were expecting miss janet at 730. The day was planned to be a 24 mile slackpack. Froom sams gap to uncle johnnys hostel. Day started off well, we hiked very fast and made excellent timee. The hike took us over big bald, the highest mountain in the area, and its bald, which means theres no tress, only short grasses and the occasional shrub. So the views were amazing, with mountains as far as you can see out on the horizon. We got to spivey gap and took a longer break. We were 13 miles into the day, and figured wed break before continuing on the next 11 miles. We had taken a 5 minute break every hour and a half until then, so the longer break was welcome. The whole day both of us had been having stomach pains, and feared we were getting sick, so i used the time at spivey gap to take a dump. From there i also carried my bag across a shoulder instead of around my waist. The top of my backpack comes off and can be used as a daypack. I had been wearing it buckled around my waist like a fanny pack. Moving it to my shoulder took alot of pressure off my stomack, and the stomach pain lessened. After that gap there was a big climb then a relatively flat hike the rest of the way. We hiked the uphill very quickly, then when the flat began i decided to start running, which is way much more fun, especially over trails, whiich make your mind have to work super fast to watch out for obstacles and spot oncoming ones. It was maybe 30 seconds after i started running that i stepped on a tree root and rolled my ankle badly. I fell down and and waited a few minutes for the pain to begin subsiding, annd i made sure my toes could still move. From there i decided that ill continue to the end, even though we were only 2 miles out of the 11. after about a mile of hiking, i stopped and decided to turn around. The pain in my ankle was getting worse, especially on the descents. It was 3 miles back to spivey, or 8 miles to johnnys. I didnt wannt to hike in the dark with my ankle the way it was. I was compensating with my other foot and had almost rolled it twice since continuing. The best choice was to go back. Apollo called miss janet when he was able to get cell service. We hiked back to spivey and she came less than a half hour after. We drove back to her house and met back up with the rest of the group.

april 13 - zero in erwin

Somehow we managed to wake up at 630 for breakfast. I didnt get to sleep until 230 last night so i think that was the shortest sleep ive gotten yet. I did attack the breakfast though, 3 bowls o cereal, a waffle, toast n cream cheese, coffee. I tried to get my moneys worth, and i think i did. A few hikers caught a shuttle back to the trail early in the morning , so we werent alone. I ended up just hanging out there for 3 hours instead of going back to sleep and coming back to breakfast again. We ended up all getting together and heading out to do our laundry around 11am. Me, apollo, and whistlle first went to the post office. Otto and miss janet were there and otto gave us a ride to the laundromat. We hung out there until we all finished then we went for lunch. After that we went back to the hotel, and hung out behind it after setting up our tents to dry from the thunderstorms the other day. I took a walk and resupplied a little bit, then hung out at the hotel until much later, when we all went to go see jurassic park in 3d. It was alright, the 3d kinnd of added to it, but wasnt really something that would make or break jurassic park. Its a pretty good movie by itself. Weve been planning to slack pack tomorrow, which is when you hike without a backpack, because its someplace safe and someone will pick you up at the end of the day. I do have a daypack packed though. With some food, water, and basic first aid. Miss janet will probably drive us in the morning. Hanging with this group has definitely been alot more fun than the hiking i was doing beforehand. Miles dont matter as much, though they still have to be done. Theres just no pressure to hike big long days. Though if were slackpacking tomorrow id like to do a 24 mile day. The option is 13 miles or 24. That is where we cross a road and can be picked up from. So this group is more fun, but i keep getting the feeling that im still an outsider to some of them. Theres only 5 others in the group. And i only feeel accepted by 3 of them. I want to find a group i feel completely comfortable in. Dont know if that exists out here, would be nice if it does though, feeling lonely even in a group isnt a very good feeling.... Waking up at 630 again, hopefully we can get an early shuttle to the trail. Its almost midnight so i need some sleep.

april 12 - ibuprofen

Wokke up to the sound of rain on my tent. But the sound grew softer quickly and the rain stopped shortly after. I was the first one out of my tent this morning on april 12. I wanted to get an early start so i can refill my food. I was on my last day of food. One breakfast. 2 snacks. One dinner. i needed to refill by the next morning the latest. Theres a small shop and gas station 3.3 miles off the trail and 317 miles into the AT. I wanted to get there by the early afternoon and refill. The others were a bit slower, and i figured i had plenty of time. So i waited for them and hiked and their pace for most of the day. Stopping frequently to rest. It was a slow day, so while waiting for the other to catch up i decided to walk slowly and enjoy the surroundings. We were walking up a steep slope at one point for about two miles. Crossing back and faoth over a stream that cascaded all the way down the mountain. There were alot of plants growing, now that spring is here. And more green and other colors than there have been until now. At one point i came to an area that had ramps growing allnover the side of it. Ramps are a type of wild onion with a milder flavor and a bit of a garlicky flavor mixed in. I picked some and apollo caught up so i showed him and he picked some too. We picked until hot dog and whistle caught up, which was only a few minutes, then continued. We were supposed to get to a certain point then stop for lunch. I was hking ahead and had my headphones in so i didnt hear the others yelling my name when they stopped a bit earlier than planned. I kept hiking for a little bit then turned around to see apollo catching up. The others had stopped so we had lunch where we were, on the top of that mountain. And figured we can wait until the girls catch up. I only wanted to eat lunch so i can take some more ibuprofen. Today was my first day hikiing with ibuprofen. I only took them because my knee has been hurting so bad recently. It actually helped alot. When the girls caught up, hot dog wanted to get off the trail at thye gap where the store was near and get to a doctor to check the rash she developed all over her body. So to erwin it was, where we can meet dumptruck and clever girl, and she can get to a doctor. We got to the gap and called a shuttle to drive us to erwin. The drivers name was Tom, his trail name was 10-k. He drove us to erwin and drove us past the stores we might need before dropping us off at the super 8 motel. The girls showed up a little while afterward. They had first been dropped off at a walk in clinic. From there we walked to get food. tom had told us about a mexican shop that happened to have really good food. So we checked that out and got mexican food. Then while walking back to the hotel, we stopped in a supermarket and bumped into otto and miss janetboth thru hikers. Miss janet had her car there so she offered us a ride back to the motel. We picked up 2 more hikers on the way and then ended up going to walmart, then to the trailhead to pick up a hker who had slackpacked 33 miles today. From there it was back to the motel. Dumptruck and clever ggirl were back there so we all chilled in our room for a while. Big yankee and foxtrot showed up to chill also. We all decided to get the free breakfast the motel provides in the morning. We are going to wake up at 6. Eat. Go back to sleep then eat again at 930. Breakfast is available from 6 to 10. Were giving this place a run for there money. At 20 per person, 80 per room, we have to get our moneys worth somehow.

april 11 - dislocation

Today was a tough day. Not a very long day but it was tough. We woke up earlyish, around 7am. We packed up our stuff and hit the trail around 8. The beginning was really cool, it was a narrow steep path with big rocks and some small climbs. It went over the top of the mountain, and the views were really cool. We could still see smoke rising from where the fires were. And we could see a huge valley, with farms, and mountains far on the other side. Me, apollo, and hot dog waled ahead of the others. We hiked past some burn zones, which werent nearly as impressive as i hoped theyd be. Just burned leaves and some charred old logs. The trees were unchanged, and alot of undergrowth still remained. We had gotten about 2 miles and stopped at the shelter. We snacked and waited, expecting the others to catch up. After a while either hot dog or apollo asked another hiker passing through if theyve seen dumptruck or clever girl. The hiker said that dumptruck had gotten hurt and they were still on that first mountain 2 miles back. We left our backpacks and hiked quicklly back to them. Apollo said that dumptruck has dislocated his shoulder before and has been worried about it happening again. We got back to where they sure and sure enough, dumptruck was slumped over a tree branch with clever girl trying to pop his arm back in. It was difficult to watch and difficult to listen to dumptruck in such pain. Apollo had taken dumtrucks back pack back to the shelter and was going to bring some painkillers back from his firstaid kit. Me hot dog and whistle waited out of sight of clever girl and dumptruck to give them space. Whistle called a ranger and was put on hold. I walked with dumptruck further down the mountain with clevrr girl close behind, we were better off on the bottom of the mountain than the top when we figure out what to do. After a ffew minutes, a firefighter came by to check on the ashes and make sure everything went right. He said he can give dumptruck a ride down the mountain. So i ran back up to where whistle was waiting for the ranger to call back. She only had cell reception on top of the mountain. We walked back down, they were already gone when we got down, so we decided to wallk to the next shelter and just continue the hike. We met apollo coming back from the shelter with dumptrucks bag. He said that they had gone down with the firefighter, and that the firefightr will come back for the backpack. In the meanwhile, we should continue and the other two, clever girl and dumptruck, will meet us in erwin. We continued hiking, had lunch at the first shelter. Then continued on to the shelter after that which was another 6 miles. At one point we walkked through an open field, the trail running through the middle. On one side of the trail the ground was black, the other side unchanged, green and gold from hay. I think apollo and whistle took pictures of it. We got to the next shelter and clouds were starting to gather. We had been hearing reports of a thunderstom coming. I set up my tent and then ate dinner. Drizzle started just as i finished eating. So i hung my food bag, and gathered my stuff into my tent. A few minutes after i got into my tent the rain started and continued until morning. Some thunder and lightning. I fell asleep to the rainon my roof.

april 10 - vomit and feces everywhere

"Vomit and feces everywhere" was part of the warning we found by the first shelter we came to. The epidemic is seemingly getting worse. The hostel got a call in the morning from the appalachian trail conservancy that between hot springs and erwin, there have been many sick hikers, or so ive been told. I havent seen any sick hikers yet. Seems theyre always a day ahead or behind. Though im happy not seeing them myself. Getting sick out here would suck. It was a late start out of the hostel. We hung out by the shop for a while before we left. Ma started to warm up to me when i went to pay and she saw that im a lefty. She gave me some cayenne peppers grown in the garden there, and told us about when she used to hike on the trail. We thanked her and left. There wasnt enough space in the car so Marc drove the girls back to the trail while me and dumptruck started walking . Apollo had left before, and was almost by the trail by the time marc came and picked me and dumptruck up and drove us to the trail too. We said goodbye, marc thanked us for helping him. It was alot of fun though, and we didnt mind doing it for the free stay. We began hiking, planning on about 12 miles. I saw a snake while we hiked. Whistle said it was a ribbon snake. She has a degree in biology and knows alot about reptiles, amphibians, and especially bugs. We had only gone 4 or 5 miles when another hiker ran back the trail to tell everyone that the trail is closed up ahead. There was a controlled burn planned. Thats when the rangers purposely start forest fires to help the forest grow better. They say it helps. So we went as far as where the ranger was, then took a side trail to a campsite on a hill that was cvered in hay. From there we had a view of the burn, and were able to seee fires on a mountainside across the vally. There was alot of garbage on the hill though. It seems to be a popular place for locals to come, and many cars came through during the night. The rangers also sent a car full of waterbottle to give them out to hikers. After we ate dinner, we sat on the side of the hill and watched the sunset. It began to get very windy after the sun went down, so we went to our tents and had an early night. The plan was to wake up early and do a long day of hiking.

april 9 - hemlock hollow work for stay

We were supposed to catch up to jetpack/detour on april 9. We were supposed to meet him by a certain shelter at the end of the day. But we got sidetracked. 5 miles in to our day there was a road that led .7 miles to a hostle and shop. We left out packs and walked to the hostel. We got some snacks and were going to head back to the trail but dumptruck found out they have work for stay there. Four hours of work and we can stay for free. We were all very relaxed there so we all stayed and figured itd be fun to stay for free. We started off just moving firewood. I got to drive the work atv around the property. So it was alot of fun. Then marc, the manager of the hostel and son of the owner, told us he was heading to town, and we can ride along to pick up beer or whatever. So i went with him, my first hour and a half of work i was out on a beer run. His pickup truck broke down just as we got to a metal scrap collector, the first errand. He called his mother to come pick us uup. She showed up 10 minutes later, and drove us back to hostel. We stopped for beer on the way. And i found blue moon in cans. Its good to know that exists. Its easier to bring cans on the trail than bottles. When we got back to the hostel the wood was almost done. So we pulled hay off the garden and spread lime around. Then we hung out by our cabin for another hour or so and had some beer before marc asked us to help him build a stone wall by the river running through the property. He wants to fill that area with sand, and make a small beach for people to chill on. That took us 20 minutes and then he told us we were done. I had been asking him earilier about fishing in the river, so he gave me a rod and some bait. I fished for about an hour, and the fish just kept eating the bait off the hook. I was hoping to catch fish for dinner for everyone, but instead we went to the cafe in the shop and got burgers and sanwiches. After that, dumtruck made a huge bonfire next to the cabin in the firepit. Marc had us bring the bark and firewood scraps there, so there was plenty to burn. Marc and a few of his friends joined us, and a few other hikers did too. A little earlier, during dinner, a hiker told us he had seen many hikers sick in shelters, throwing up with diarhea. Seems there a virus going around between hot springs and erwin. Were going to have to avoid shelters for a bit. We all hung out until around 11. Then wennt inside to sleep.

april 8 - hiking with new crew

April 8 we finally got back to the trail. We hiked at a relaxed pace, which helped keep the strain off my knee, which started hurting again. It was a 10 mile day but passed pretty quickly. We stopped a few times, usually for a while. These guys stop very often and just chill. Theres very little pressure to push long days with high mileage. At first the pace was kind of annoying, id keep stopping to wait for the group. Bbut after a while i decided ill just go ahead and well regroup at the end of the day. We stopped for lunch at a pond and stayed there for almost an hour. I really wasnt used to that long of a break. But i can get used to the relaxedness of it all. I got ahead of them after lunch and ended up hiking with a guy named big yankee. Hes hiking with a bigger group of guys, who kind of view themselves and barbarians. And view the trail as something they are doing as an adventure in which they go from town to town, drinking and pillaging. They dont actually pillage, but its a fun thought. He told me that him and his group may be aquabblazinng part of virginia. Aquablazing is doing the trail by river. Theres a river in virginia that runs parallel to the trail. So they may rent canoes, and paddle 50 or 60 miles north. And hang out in canoes for 5 days and pull over for meals and camping. He said i can join if were in the same place at that time. It sounds like alot of fun, ive been trying to talk dumptruck into getting the group to do it. Our total mileage was only about 10 miles and we camped out near a shelter. There was a campfire going on by the shelter so i hung out there for a while. Back at the tents, clever girl read a jesus pamphlet she found on the fire tower we stopped at earlier in the day. She put her owns spin on it, it was very funny. April 8 is my fathers birthday. Happy birthhday to him.

april 7 - hot tub

April 7 wasnt as eventful in the beginning of the day. I hung out a while at the hostel, then went down to town and hung out at the outfitters for a while. I had to check out all the things i could buy to lighten my pack, which is what i do at every outfitter, but i usually dont buy anything. Motorcycles were filling up the town now. A worker at the outfitter saidthat alot of bikes come through because they like driving the windy roads around hotsprings. There were at least 30 across the street from the outfitter. I went back to the hostel after a while. Detour was heading out to get a few miles hiked. The rest of us planned to split the cost of a hot tub later in the day, then camp nearby. We hung out a while longer at the hostel. Then i made some food while the rest of them headed down to the diner to get food before we go to the hot springs. I packed up all my stujff and met them at the diner as they were finishing up. We walked from there, across town to the hot springs spa. Which is a building that has many hot tubs in wooden stalls behind it. When we got there we were taken out back and led to our hot tub. We chilled in there for an hour, then walked along the river until we found a campsite big enough for all of us. The guy collected wwood for a fire. And as soon as the sun went down we had a good sized fire going. We stayed up till about 11. Then fell asleep on the warmest night weve had so far.

april 6 - hot springs and dump trucks bday

The morning of april 6 was very nice. The sun came out right away, it was chilly but not too bad, and best of all, we were going less than 4 miles to hot springs,nc. I ate a quick breakfast and packed up my stuff, eager to get to town. I was disappointed to find out very quickly that my knee hadnt gotten any better than the day before. The 3.2 miles to hot springs was much more difficult than it was supposed to be because of it. Still less than 2 hours later we got off the trail and checked into the laughing heart hostel where we were supposed to meet dump truck, clever girl, apollo, hot dog, and whistle. We were splitting a room there and celebrating dump trucks birthday that night. I took a much needed shower, then me and mcjetpack walked down to town to the laundromat. We hung out in town while we waited for it to finish. Got some food and checked out the out fitter. Even sat on the side of the road an watched as more and more motorcycles slowly filled the main street of town. I resupplied food before walking back up the hill to the hostel. My knee was still hurting. At the hostel we all sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful, warm sunny weather. It finally felt like spring. Its crazy that two days before that i was in an ice storm, and less than a week before in a snowstorm. But i wasnt complaining, it was about time we had some warm weather. Later that day, whistle and clever girl made a bday cake for dump truck shaped like a dumptruck. We were alll chilling in the den, which was a room with a fireplace and couches. They needed a candle for the cake, so i gave them some sparklers that were in the hiker box. They turned out to be more like fountains than sparklers, and shot fireworks out a few inches. So a terrified clever carried the cake in before dump truck took it outside and tried to blow em out. Clever girl gave him a sympathhy card that read "im sorry for your loss" that everyone had signed. It was cool, it was fun, a good night to end a good day.

april 5 - the sun comes out

April 5 i woke up after a very cold damp sleep. The sky was cloudy, and i wasnt sure if it was raining, or if water was dripping off the trees. I ate a quick breakfast of pop tarts and quickly got on the trail. My clothes were still wet from the day before and i was very cold not moving. We stopped at a shelter for lunch about 3 hours into hiking. Chunks of ice were now falling off the trees as it started to melt. It was still cloudy and very foggy. We had a long lunch and rested before continuing hiking. We came across a few people doing trail maintenance. Like cutting plants and chopping up the soil on the trail to keep a recognizable path there. They told us that it was supposed to clear up later in the day. We were very happy to find out they were right. First the sun would peek through the clouds for s few seconds before disappearing again. But after a half hour of in and out, the sun gradually came out and stayed out for the rest of the day. The temperature went up as the day went on and the elevation decreased. I was able to hike in tshirt and shorts by the end of the day. The day started bad but turned out to be beautiful. It was warm, sunny, and a gradual downhill all the way to the shelter. We were debating going all the way to hot springs, but ended up staying at a shelter less than 4 miles away from town. My knee began hurting very badlly towards the end of the day. I was hoping that sleep would help.

april 4 - ice storm

We got back to the trail on april 4. It was raining in the morning so i wasnt in the mood to hike. After a big breakfast and a feww cups of coffee i was feeling great. When we got to the trail i had a ccrazy amount of energy. The first 7 miles flew by. It was a 15 mile day total though, and the weather on the mountain was worse than just rain. It was sleet, and freezing rain. All the trees and plants had a layer of ice on them. The higher elevations had thicker layers of ice. And the trees branches were all bent over from the heavy ice on them. The wind was blowing through the trees too. And many branches were breaking and falling when they became unable to support the weigtht along with the wind. One very large branch broke above me, and embedded itself into the ground while standing straight up. It fell into the ground about 6 feet away from me. After that, whenever i heard a branch cracking id stop and look up. Afraid to be under one when it fell. There ws one particularly scary stretch of the day, and it didnt involve trees at all. It was while going over a mountain called max patch. Known for its beautiful views and starry night, we saw nothing but grey. The fog and sleet so thick we couldnhardly see the next trail markers, signposts placed every so often, with a white blaze on it. The wind on max patch was so strong and so cold, and we were soaking wet. there was a thick layer of ice on the ground and grasses that cover the top of max patch. I though i was going to get frostbite on my face or fingertips. My hands were mostly numb. It was scaryy, and amazing, at the same time. When we got to the shelter it was full. So we looked for a safe spots to pitch our tents. I put mine under a pine tree, in the hopes that it woujld catch or sloow down a branch that fell from one of the taller trees. Shortly after my tent was set up, a branch fell down and nearly hit another hikers tent. I cooked dinner and quickly got into my sleeping bag.

april 3 - standing bear hostel

April 3 was a good day, it was the day we crossed the border line of the smokies and we arrived at standing bear farm, a hostel. We woke up early because we wanted to get to standing bear very early, then enjoy the entire rest of the day off. It was only 4 miles to standing bear, so we left at about 8am. It was a pretty easy and nice hike to standing bear. Started downhill, we crossed over davenport gap then walkecd along a stream, then steep downhill past the stream and water falls. then we crossed a brisge over a river, then under a highway overpass. A few more hills and we made it to standing bear. Right before standing bear we found dump truck and clever girl and a few others packing up their campsite before heading to standing bear. Dump truck invited us to stay at the cabin hes renting in hot springs on saturday night. Saturday is also his bday. When we got to standing bear the first thing i did was find the resupply shop. The shop at standing bear is more of a hiker pantry than a shop. You keep tabs of everything you take, then leave the envelope full of cash in a wooden box in the shop. Its all based on an honor system, which hikers generally obey. In the first 1.5 hours of me being at standing bear, i ate about 3000 calories. I just kept going back to the shop to get more food. Another box of mac n cheese, a frozen pizza, sardines even. Despite that, it was still a productive day. I led mcjetpack through a 1 hour stretching session, and i cleaned some excess weight from my pack, some stuff i threw out, some i put in the hiker box, and some i sent home.

april 2 - out of the smokies

April 2 was the day i left the smokies. So of course it was a good day. We woke up pretty early because of the cold, Everyone did. Anything that was wet was frozen solid, which means that everyones boots were frozen. I wanted to start hiking as soon as possible to start generating heat. So as soon as i was packed up i ate a handful of trailmix and started hiking. We hike most of the day with chad and silas. Talking to chad i learned how easy it is to get a degree in education. Evidently there are online colleges that'll give you a recognized degree in about a year. As the elevation got lower and lower, it got warmer. First the snow began getting softer, then thinner, then just mud, then dry ground. The sun was also out all day, and the terrain was mostly downhill. So even though the day was longer, it was still much more enjoyable. We ended at davenport gap shelter. Its an old style smoky mountain shelter, that the front wall is a chain link fence to keep bears out. I hung my tarp on it to keep any wind out. A few more hikers arrived, one of them made a campfire, and some of us sat by it until late. It was a pretty nice, but chilly night.

april 1 - smokies solo

April 1st started off bad, and ended not too bad. It had rained over night, and the temps got to the 20s. So in the morning there was a sheet of ice covering everything, especcially the trail, which at this point was frozen slush covered with ice. The only redeeming quality of that morning was that since we were on a mountaintop, the view from the shelter was amazing. The sun was beginning to come up and heat the mountains, so the lower mountaintops were poking through what looked like a sea of clouds. It looked as though we were above the clouds. I cooked breakfast, so it was a slow morning for me. I was in no hurry because i wanted to let the trail warm up a bit first. Dj had left a half hour before i did, and my pace was a little bit slower, so i hiked by myself the whole day. The sun stayed out most of the day, so the fog on the lower peaks was visible alll day as well. There was one part where the fog was beinng blown over a lower point of the trail. So ahead of me it looked liked a river fog was flowing over the trail. It was pretty amazing. Being able to go my own pace and stop whenever i wanted made the day much better. I listened to music while hiking until my mp3 player died. The solo days are nice, but they get boring quickly. I wouldnt want to hike alone everyday. The destination shelter was also high altitude, and was cold when i got there, around 330pm. I cooked my dinner soon after getting there, and i was glad i got there so early when other hikers started arriving around 6. The shelter filled up and some hikers slept on the floor. Its good the shelter was crowded though. It was a very cold night.

march 31- clingmans dome

March 31 was a very wet day. All the snow that had fallen was beginning to melt. so the day was trudging through watery slush and sliding down the slippery descents. The day wasnt as bad as it sounds though. When i swtarted hiking in the morning i felt light and energetic. The slush was fun, and as long as i was hiking i felt warm. I slid down every slippery spot and loved. I dont know if it was the vitamins i took the night before or the dump i took in the morning, but i felt great all day. The beginning of the day was the climb up to clingmans dome, the highest mountain on the appalachian trail. At 6655 feet its not as high as the rockies or many other high mountain ranges, but you can feel the altitude in the cold weather, and you can see over all the mountains in every direction. There was no view when i was up there though. The entire day was cloudy, and even rained later in the day. The bad weather did have a good break to it, in the form of trail magic. Trail magic can make a bad day feel good, no matter how bad the day is. And dj was having a pretty bad day. I think the cold and the wet and the not having had dry socks since last thursday is getting to him. Its getting to me too. Its getting to everyone. Also, he left the shelter almost a half hour before i did, and told me he'll wait at clingmans for me. I took my time getting up clingmans. Its was only about 2.5 miles from the shelter, so it didnt take very long. But shortly after i began i caught up to silver fox, an older hiker. He hikes pretty fast despite his age. He attributes his energy to herbalife. A nutrition company that runs on multi level marketing, and evidently is the best quaity nutririon company there is. I spoke to him while hiking about what it takes to make money of multi level marketing schemes, particularly herbalife, which he has made millions off of over the years. We spoke and hiked, not too fast, not too slow. By the time i got to where dj was waiting, he had been waiting 45 minutes, and he was cold, and pissed. He continued hiking with silver fox, and i continued up to the top of the mountain. It was only a quarter mile so it didnt take long, and i picked up a few small rocks as keepsakes. I was able to catch up to them quickly afterward anyways. It was alot of fun sliding down the descents and jumping off the small ledges and continuing the slide, using my trekking poles like ski poles. Ive decided that i have to try skiing when i finish the hike. We eventually got ahead of silver fox, and another hiker, northstar, hiked with us for a few miles. He eventually stopped when we passed a road to wait for a friend of his who was hiking slower. From there it wasnt long to newfound gap, the parking lot and road that goes to gatlinberg. Thats where the trail magic was. Free food always makes people feel better. We hung out there with godspeed and mountain momma, the two trail angels providing the trail magic, for about a half hour. It was raining at this point, but was only 3 miles to our destination shelter. So it was only another hour and a half to the end of the day. There was space in the shleter but it was crowded, so it stayed in the low 30s dring the night inside the shelter. While it was in the low 20s outside.

march 28-30 into the smokies

Hiking in snow is not fun. It makes for some decent views when the clouds go away, but is more tiring and slower than hiking on solid dry ground. Its been a really busy and tiring few days. We managed to get a ride back to trail on thursday morning, the 28th. After miriam made us breakfast, david, one of the guests from the seder, came by to pick us up and drive us back to the trail. Davids fulls name is david perkins. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles in both america nad israel. He said that some israeli newspapers have written that he may be the messiah. And one there has called him the king of klezmer, because of his clarinet skills. Though he plays multiple instruments. He gave us a ride back to fontana dam. He told us his story of moving to knoxville. It was an interesting story, some of which was covered in knoxville newspapers. When we got to the dam. He wanted to play some music on the dam. So he played flute, and clarinet, and trumpet, and made us balloon animals to bring with us on the trail. The beginning of the way into the smokies wasnt so bad, just alot of uphill, and the weather was nice. Sunny, in the 50's. I was able to hike in my tshirt until we started getting to higher altitudes. I started to see patches of snow every now and then. We continued climbing higher, until we were walking through slush and snow. We started hiking late in the day. Around 3pm. But the first shelter was almost 11 miles in. We were hiking fast, and my ankle went right back to hurting, after a week of rest. We got to the shelter after dark, i was too cold and tired to cook so i just ate the rest of my trailmix and got in my sleeping bag. ... We woke up in the morning on the 29th of march to the sun shining bright as ever. It looked like it was going to be a good day. Then, after only a few minutes of hiking the clouds covered the sun, and a light snow began. The light snow continued for most of the day, but towards thye end, the last few hours, it was a heavy wet snow, with the snow being almost a foot in some areas. The trail was very slippery and the going was slow. When we got to the shelter, around 6pm, it was already full. The only spots left were the floor. So we spread our tarps down and put our sleeping bags on the floor. Our clothes were very wet from the snow, so getting everything dry was a priority. The smoky mountain shelters have fireplaces and wind tarps up, so as long as a fire is burning, it can keep the shelter a few degrees warmer. Me and another hiker, rocky, kept the fire going, he was rotating the drying shoes and socks by the fire, and i collected wood. It was very hard to fin wood because of the snow. So i broke down a small tree and brought it back to the shelter, i broke the tree up and we kept the fire going til about 10pm. Sleeping on the floor meant that i was between everyone else and the door. I was repeatedly stepped on by other hikers dring the night who woke up to pee. On the plus side, it was surprisingly warm in the shelter because there were about 29 people in a shelter thats meant for 12 people. ... The next morning, march 30, was another sunny one. We got up slowly, made a hot breakfast, and were almost the last ones to leave the shelter. Half a mile in i realized i left my watch at the last shelter. I ran back while dj and sarah continued hiking. i got my watch and caught up to them after an hour or so. The sun eventually came out and stayed out. The ground still had alot of snow from the night before. About a foot deep still, but the warm sun kept things somewhat pleasant. We didnt hike very far today, only about 7 miles. Its very difficult to hke in snow, every 3 steps only takes you forward for 2. Your foot slides in a different direction every time you take a step, and having a backpack only adds to the instability. Ending our day early also helped ensure that we got spots in the shelter. About 4 hikers here didnt try for spots in the shelter, setting up tents and hammocks instead. Theres enough space in here for a few more people, and more people might still come. Were gonna go over clingmans dome tomorrow. Its the highest mountain on the appalachian trail, 6655 feet above sea level. Theres talk of rain tomorrow, which in the temperatures wont be fun. Not sure if we'll stop in gatlinburg, we have just enough food to get us to the end of the smokies, but im running low on fuel for my stove. Yesterday, someone mistook it for my water when he asked me for some for his stove. I realizd after the fact that he had took half my fuel and poured it into his pot along with the last of his water. That was wasted, and i went from having more than enough fuel to having only enough that i might have to go a day without hot food. Dj gave me some of his, because he got his pocket rocket in knoxville, which runs on canned fuel. I still might not have enough. We'll see.

march 26-27 second seder and second day of passover

We woke up at 11am. Later than we wanted to wake up, because we wanted to get to shul. We went to shul anyways, and got there just as it was ending. We went back to the house, and miriam had to go to thne hospital for her patient. When she got back around 3pm me and dj helped in the kitchen. She was hosting the second seder for 15 people, and hadnt started any cooking yet. So the 3 of us began preparing the food, an hour later two of her friends came over to help too. The seder started around 630pm. And it was more similar to the seders i am used to. Except that many of the parts were in english. It was an entertaining crowd, there was david, a clarinet player and balloon sculptor, he busks in market square in knoxville, so he has lots of practice entertaining. His fiance, robin, reads palms and tells fortunes, she read djs palm, and yes, palm reading is a scam. and once again i drank a whole lot of wine so i was pretty loud most of the time. The next day, the second day of passover, we woke up early enough to catch the last 15 minutes of shul. We took a walk with miriam, she showed us the knoxville greenway, a 10 mile walking trail through knoxville that runs in a loop. We went back to the house shortly after, and miriam took a cab back to the hospital. We sat reading until she got back. The rabbi came by a little while later and me and dj walked with him and his wife back to the greenway. When we got back, about an hour later, the rabbi went home, and me and dj walked some more. This time the opposite direction, towards the shopping area, and came back about a half hour later. When we got back this time, miriam took out soem food for us to eat, and we talked about politics and history until the holiday ended. We all then went shopping for groceries for breakfast. That didnt last very long, we were back within an hour. And finally i was able to take a shower and put alll of my clothes in the washing machine. Clean clothes on the trail feels so great, and i grab every opportunity to wash my clothes. Tomorrow, david will probably give us a ride back to the trail. I need to run to the post office in the morning to send home my suit. The post office is a little over a mile from here, so ill probably walk it. Weather is still cold here, and definitely still cold in the smokies. Also, our packs are heavy right now from all the passover food we have. About 8 days worth of food. So thats about 14 pounds each. Its gonna be rough in the smokies, but we gotta do em sometime.

march 25- first seder

Our day in knoxville was pretty good too. Woke up around 9am, didnnt get outta bed til 10 thoough. I was the first one awake in the house, and dj woke up not too long after. We helped austin clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes. we ate whatever leftovers we had from the night before and austin made eggs. we left around 1pm. Austin drove one us back to the groundswell collective because dj had left his hat there. The doors were locked and nobody was inside. Then we dropped off austins friend eric. After that we went to an outfitter store so dj can get a new camelback, as his had gotten a leak the day before. I got a new filter for my pump while i was there. Every time i go to an outfitter i check out the backpacks and boots. Backpacks because i want to get a smaller lighter one. Mine is a 90 liter, which is huge, and weighs about 6lbs. There are 70 liter packs which weigh less than 4lbs. Problem is, i cant justify spending $200 for a 2.5lb reduction at this point. The same goes for my boots, they are big, heavy, and despite that they dont do much to support my ankles. Having lighter boots will definitely make my trip easier, but at only 150 miles in i dont want to get new boots. Im considering getting new boots in damascus, which is another 150 miles down the trail. So that i wont feel like my currrent boots will be wasted. Also, at that point the weather will be warmer, so ill be able to get boots with more ventilation so the summer will be more comfortable. Back to the day in knoxvillle... after the outfitter austin drove us to a goodwill. We said goodbye and gave him our extra non passover food. Hes starting the trail on saturday, so the food will be helpful. We went to goodwill to buy suits for passover. We wanted to make a decent impression on the people wed be spending pesach with. Besides, trail clothes just dont look good at a passover seder. After that we walked the mile towards where we were staying. We stopped and found some kosher wine at a liquor store for our host. It was the first liquor store ive seen since ive got here. There are entire counties in the south where no alcohol is allowed. Possession of alcohol in some places is a crime down here. We found the house. Our host, miriam, is a physiatrist. She works with children in a hospital, and does rehab with them. Some after injuries, usually brain injuries, and some who were born with developmental issues, such as premature or because the mother may have been on drugs. The first seder was starting pretty soon after we got to the house. We called our families before the holiday started then hurried to the shul, which was pretty much across the street. The seder was unlike anyy i had ever been to. When we arrived at the shul we were instructed to pick up a nametag and haggadah. Each nametag had a different group name on it. Ill get to that soon. The whole congregation, about 100 people, sang the names of the different parts of the seder. Then the rabbi made kiddush, followed by washing, then he broke the middle matzah and set it aside for the afikomen. Then each group went to assigned classrooms for the discussion of passover, also known as maggid, or "telling over". Some of the member of our group werent even jewsh, but wanted to experience a passover seder while contemplating conversion. After about an hour of that the entire congregation met in the ballroom for the meal. By each plate there was the components of korech, which is the traditional sandwich made by the passover seder. Korech is made of matzah, bitter hebrs, and charoses, a chunky paste of ground nuts, apples, and wine. We washed for the matzoh, made the sandwich, and the meal began. I made sure to have plenty of wine, just in case i missed one of the four cups. Besides, the cups were small. Had about 1.5 liters by the end of it. The meal ended with the congregation singing chad gadyah, the last song in the passover haggaddah. Then everyone left. Me and dj stayed for a bit. I helped clean the tables, while helping make sure there wasnt too much leftover wine. By the way, greatest quote of the night was created while i was helping to consolidate the opened bottles of wine. One of the workers asked me if im marrying tthe bottles, which is another way of asking if im consolidating them. I responded " ive never married a bottle before, but ive spent the night with one" . I thiink it was a genius line. When we finished cleaning up we went back to the house were staying at, fell asleep shortly after.

march 24 - party in knoxville

March 24 was by far the coolest day ive experienced out here on the trail. It was also a day that gave a whole new meaning to southern hospitality. It started off waking up in the hotel room i shared with 6 other people. Ii slept on the floor, and it wasnt a bad sleep compared to sleeping on the trail. I showered and washed some clothing. Then went upstairs to the lobby which is where most of the hikers spend their time .i made breakfast, but oatmeal by itself is kind of unsatisfying. So i tried to find someone to walk with me to the general store to pick up some eggs. Nobody wanted to go, but sarah needed an ace bandage for her foot so she gave me some cash and i walked down to the store. I came back with more eggs and cheese than i knew what to do with. So i sat on the hotel patio and gave scrambled eggs out to all the hikers that walked by. I hung out there for an hour or so. Then we decided we have to leave before it gets too late to catch a ride. I said goodbye to all the friends i had made. I told them ill try to catch up when i get back to the trail. Maybe the rest days will heal me enough that hiking will be easier from now on. Me and dj walked down to the gas station by the main road. it was 2pm. We waited there for about an hour before deciding to just walk the 10 miles or so to the next highway junction. We got about a mile before a couple stopped and picked us up. They were heading to knoxville, and were able to give us a ride all the way there. Which was great, because we were expecting to have to catch multiple rides from place to place to get there. Their names were mike and sherre. They live by fontana dam, and work in knoxville. So on a sunday afternoon they were making their commute. She works in a hospital, so she has odd hours. And hes a truck driver in the coal industry. They were probably the nicest people ive ever met. On the way to knoxville we stopped at the restaurant their son works at, and they treated us to dinner. Then they drove us to the edge of knoxville. We didnt know exactly where were going so we figured wed just walk to wherever we needed to go. We were looking for a hostel that djs uncle had found online. Dj had been calling the number but nobody was answering the phone there. Having no other option, and it being late in the day, about 6pm, we began walking towards the part of the city where we thought the hostel was. It had been raining for a few minutes already at this point, and it was getting harder. While walking, a drifter named shorty started talking to us. He travels around looking for work, often goign to forest gatherings called rainbow gatherings, and hes satisfied just having his needs provided for. And interesting guy, but we didnt want to trust him too much. The conversation ended and we continued walking. We got to downtown knoxville and realized we were kind of lost. We walked into a small restaurant to ask for directions. They were already closed but hadnt yet locked the door. The workers there, jessica and collin, were very helpful. Collin toold us the hostel we were looking for had closed a few years ago, but that he knew of a place on the edge of the city called the groundswell collective. He described it as an anarchist hangout, that might let us stay, or know of a place where we could stay. Jessica told us that a friend of hers was house sitting and would probably let us stay. She said we should call her if we couldnt find anything else. We took a map of downtown knoxville that was in their store, and they gave us the leftover food and coffee that they were going to throw out. We continued walking towards where collin told us to go. It was about a mile away, but we had no idea how to get there. It was beyond the map we had. we quickly got somewhat lost so walked into a bar to ask for directions. Nobody had heard of the place we were looking for but they pointed us in the direction they thought we should go. We eventually found the groundswell collective. It was 8pm at this point. The lights were off and the front door was left open. We figured it was abandoned, and were about to leave, when someone entered the back door and tuurned the lights on. His name was william, he told us he was setting up for a concert that was goign to begin in about 2 hours, but that we can hang out there. And try to find a place to stay when people start showing up. I wanted to stay for the show, but it was safrer and more certain to call jessica and go to austins place. Jessica came to pick us up and we all went to austins place. Turns out he was having a small party. The people he was house sitting for had left alot of alcohol and told him he can do whatever he wanted. There were about 10 people there when we got there. Austin turned on the hot tub, we chilled in there for a while, then came back inside and played poker for a few hours. It didnt take long for me to lose. I couldve bought back in but i didnt wanna lose any more money. I was pretty drunk by this point, and it was 2am. I hung around the game for another hour or so, then went to sleep. Theres some more good news too. Someone at the party had a pump and needle for inflating balls. So i inflated wilson to where hes supposed to be. And on another completely unrelated note, i weighed myself. I thought i had lost 5-10 lbs out here so far. Turns out, if i lost any weight, it was only about a pound.