Date: 2017-08-04
From: Little Rock Pond Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

I'm fed and in early. I sure wish I had a book to read! I'm suddenly really hungry for reading.I slept okay last night although I was afraid of a) bumping into the guy next to me and b) rolling over and falling off the platform. And the freaking bugs. . . I heard a mosquito right by my face and tried to get as much inside the bag as possible and the bastard still got me. I have a welt on my neck, an itchy one on my cheek, and two more under my jaw. First time I've had bites on my face this trip. It sucks!I had a late start this morning, pretty leisurely, chatting with Duct Tape, who was playing the surf guitar song again. Then I walked along the pond, enjoying the views. There was this incredible Christmas tree forest. God it smelled amazing! The soft needles on the ground, the red soil path, the tiny little Christmas trees. To just breathe it all in, especially when you're accustomed to everything smelling bad!But the best thing was so unexpected. I came to Clarendon Gorge, where there is a huge suspension bridge over a rushing river with swimming holes. The sun was out, shining down on the clear, clear water. There were families down there with kids floating on inner tubes.It looks soooooo inviting! But I was trying to press on, do more miles, and I couldn't get half naked and crash this family's party. So I started walking across the bridge. And as I walked, I kept thinking, "I *have* to go down there."  And then I saw Easy Goin' below, and that did it. I turned right around, got off the bridge, and work my way down to the water! Dropped my pack, undressed, and went right in.After all the muggy and buggy climbing today, it felt amazing! My skin had been covered in mud (did another graceful downslide today), squashed mosquitoes, sweat. . . it felt so refreshing! Think about it ¢ I haven't had a shower in five days! I haven't felt this clean in ages. And the water current was strong. I had to hold the side of a rock and the current buoyed me upwards.I felt so happy and free. I am so glad I stopped. I was practically bouncing and singing afterwards. Even the memory of it now makes me feel refreshed.And shortly afterward, the weather turned on a dime again. Mountain weather is so unpredictable!Last night I was talking with Duct Tape, who works at REI and sometimes gives talks on hiking the AT. He says the most common question he gets is, "How do you stay dry?" We laughed because the answer is: you don't.Sure, people use pack covers and frog togs and trash bags and rain jackets and even umbrellas, but sooner or later everybody walks wet.There a lot of people at the shelter, plus a group of young boys with two leaders. But it is a big place, very chill. Folks are friendly.Here I met two SOBO brothers with long blonde hair,  Finn and Thor. (They reminded me so much of a 90s band, and god help me, I spent hours trying to recall the name of the band, which I know I have written in colored ink on a mix tape in my car. I finally Googled it when I got to town, and can now die in peace. NELSON! Seriously, Google the video for "Love and Affection." The early 90s were something.)Anyway, the younger brother was giving me advice for the Whites, since he'd just finished them, and it was the first time someone said something calming to me about the Whites. I just respected and appreciated his attitude / approach so much.He said, "The most important thing is to take your time and enjoy it. You're a section hiker, so it's the best place to be! Just think to yourself, okay, today my only task is to summit this mountain. Don't worry about the miles or if there's a bad weather day or if you miss one view - you will see plenty more."I don't have enough time to do the whole trail at once, which opens up the opportunity for doing parts of the trail over multiple trips for as long as I want / need.It's a funny contradiction, being a section hiker. Because you don't have enough time, you can take as much time as you want.