Date: 2007-12-17
From: Erwin, TN (Super 8 Motel)

To: Spivey Gap, TN
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We were pretty late getting away today as we had to wait for the post office to open at 8:30am so we could mail the food packages and Dave¢s boots. Mr. Patel from the motel took us to the post office, waited while all the mailing was done, then drove us to the trail about 5 miles away. He was extremely good to us, having picked us up from the supermarket on Sunday and helped us with other errands as well. He went far beyond the call of duty and we were most grateful. So we got on the trail shortly after 9:00. Looking back towards Erwin and Nolichucky GorgeIt was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine but pretty cold out of the sun. We had a lovely lunch sitting in a sunny spot. Someone we had not seen for a long time showed up not long after we got going. Allgood had been hiking with Odysseus, who left Katahdin on the same day as us, 27 July. Allgood and Odysseus linked up together somewhere back along the trail but had both dropped off for a while so we had passed them. Then they got going again until Odysseus got off to join his girlfriend in Chile. They had been trying to catch up with us and finally, today, Allgood did just that! So it was great to see him, but we were sorry not to see Odysseus again. Allgood and J.R. ¢ Photo by Bone Pac of Free State HostelOdysseus - photo by Eden Express There were a couple of section hikers at No Business Knob Shelter and while we were talking to them, Torque showed up. He had been in Erwin for a couple of days. He and Allgood will probably reach Bald Mountain Shelter today but there was no way we¢d make it, so we had planned to camp at Spivey Gap. So here we are with the tent pitched in about an inch of snow. Tonight is supposed to be the coldest of the next few nights, pretty cold we think, as it is meant to be a clear night. This pen keeps freezing. I have all my clothes on except my down jacket which is just a bit too warm. When we arrived at the campsite we found it occupied by three young men and 10 dogs who made us very welcome. There are 3 adult dogs and 7 puppies! These young men are members of a group called The Rainbow People. I had not heard of them before. They explained their philosophy is, in a few words, to tread lightly on the earth. They appear to be homeless and told us they spend most of their time living in the forest. They all seem fairly well educated but do not work, as this is inconsistent with their philosophy. I wondered where they get money to buy the dog food, sack of potatoes and tins of food they had. They gave us a tin of chicken soup saying that a credo of the Rainbow People is to give away food. They are heading for Florida, presumably because it is warmer, but they also want to find homes for the puppies which are about 8 weeks old. They were going into Erwin tonight but in the end have come back to the campsite having failed to get a ride. I was wondering if anyone would pick them up ¢ 3 men and 10 dogs! Four of the puppies were in a pack, and you should have seen the fun as they were trying to get the puppies in. Two hands are not enough! When the puppies were smaller, all of them fitted into the pack but now they are too big. I wondered how long these young men had been living like this and the answer was 2-4 years. They said the Rainbow People number in the thousands, and there is a gathering soon in Florida. It struck me that they were a throw-back to the hippie generation of the 60s. They have a website welcomehere.org (if I remember it correctly). It has been most interesting to meet them.We have no pictures of these men as they had talked about their interest in anonymity and we didn't feel we could ask.BOO-BOO Photo