Date: 2015-03-24
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 3.2

Today was my first official nero (nearly zero) day. It started off poorly- the shelter was awkwardly sized, so it was impossible to sleep in straight without nearly falling off the edge. I pushed my dry bag/pillow right onto the floor once. The mice were also loud and lively on the tin roof. Chef discovered in the morning that they had made a nest on his pack. I woke up early because of how uncomfortable I was (maybe it is time for a new sleeping pad? And possibly a foot pillow...) however, everyone else was awake early too. The sun was rising into the open front of the shelter, combined with the excitement everyone had for finally getting into town. The anticipation for Hot Springs has been building since the let down that was a very closed Fontana. For the past few days, the mantra has been "only so many miles to Hot Springs!" So, everyone woke early and packed up fast. No one had a real breakfast, since we had all planned to meet at a diner in the town. I ate a king sized Zero bar, which had 400 calories, whilst leaving camp. Some foods are just made for hikers. I also brushed my teeth on the trail, and I'm fairly certain that I was the only person that morning to do so. The first 15 minutes or so of the trail were a gentle uphill climb, which was made quite beautiful by the sun still rising orange and red behind the trees. After that, it was all flat and gentle downhills into Hot Springs. Since discovering yesterday that I can in fact jog (well, it's really more like a silly looking trot) on the flatter parts of the trail, it was impossible to resist doing so today. The only problem is that my risk of injury increases about 500 times. I fall, slip, or roll my ankle at least once a day as it is, adding speed isn't going to help that at all. I passed Voltron and then caught up with Brightside and Frodo just as they hit the outskirts of town. The trail goes directly through the main street of Hot Springs, and the pavement even has the AT symbol embedded in it. The town is extremely hiker friendly as a result- though it is a mobile dead zone for most people. Upon reaching the diner, we were told that wifi and phone signal were the two most sought after commodities of the town. At the diner, we met Smasher and Deerdog, who had stayed overnight already. Our table included myself, Brightside, the Rhode Island Express, Laughtrack, Voltron and Crocrocket (as well as temporarily Smasher and Deerdog). Everyone enjoyed a big breakfast. I had the ultimate pancakes, which included whipped cream and strawberries. I ate it in about a minute. From there, I left the group to reserve a room at the Sunnybank Inn. Then, I headed for the library so that I could finally use the wifi and confirm that I was in fact still alive and had not been eaten by either bears or other hikers. (Also, thank you to everyone who has emailed, messaged or left a comment to support me here, it really means a lot!) After that, back at the hostel to check in my room. The hostel is an older building from the late 1800s, which makes it absolutely ancient in American history terms. It's filled with various antique furniture from every decade, as well as many books and light furnishings. The bedrooms are all still in the older style, with a sink or bathroom between the bedroom and the hallway. The hostel also does breakfast and dinner, and uses all natural ingredients- some of them from its own garden. For $20 a night, I have my own large bedroom, with an attached (though technically shared) bathroom. The bed here is extremely comfortable, and the room is cosy despite the size. The only big drawback is the complete lack of wifi, and absolutely no signal. After settling in, I went to the laundromat to finally, finally wash my everything. The past few weeks, I have been hand washing some items and letting them dry. But today everything was put into the machine, whilst I wore my rain gear around the town. This is a common procedure amongst thru hikers. After laundering and drying, I went back to the hostel and took a shower. It was my first shower since Fontana, and my first real shower with real shampoo/conditioner since Hiawassee. The sheer amount of hair and dirt that came off was unreal. It has however revealed the true extent of my sunburn/tan lines. It's especially prominent on my arms, where the sleeves are usually rolled up to my elbows. Then, I got to wear truly clean clothes for the first time in weeks. I felt like a new person. Like a real, decent human being who could actually be near to other human beings without feeling disgusted at her own smell. Of course my first act as a clean human was to go to the Dollar General and resupply. I picked up some off brand poptarts and oats, Nutella and loads of snack/granola bars. I also got some tortillas and hot chocolate from the Hillbilly market. At the outfitters, I got some more blister plasters and bug spray. I am certain I will need the bug spray very soon. On my journey around the town, I also bumped into Greywolf again! I hadn't seen him since before Gatlinburg and it was great to catch up with him. I'm sure I will see him tomorrow too. There are a lot of people in Hot Springs, and it's nice to see so many familiar faces from the little hiker bubble that we have been walking in. Then later, I met Brightside and her mum inside the outfitters. Brightside's mum is very friendly, and pretty much exactly as Brightside had described her. It was great to chat with them for a while. After that, I sat down and ate 1040 calories worth of Ben&Jerries chocolate fudge ice cream in about 20 minutes. I was still hungry afterwards. Whilst sitting, I got to enjoy a bit more of the small town atmosphere. Small town living in America seems to be largely focused around driving loud pick up trucks, ideally with several shirtless men drinking beer in the back. Though, it would be a great disservice to say that is all Hot Springs has to offer. It has literally everything a thru hiker could possibly want, and the prices aren't absolutely extortionate. Everyone here is very friendly towards thru hikers. There is even a hiker ministry that offers free wifi, advice, first aid, and cookies. The area is a very sweet slice of small town America that I have been looking forward to seeing this entire trip. Later, I had some more of the American sweet tea in the tavern whilst a few others started making the most of their zero tomorrow. It's pretty good, though nowhere near as good as English tea. I suspect by the end of this trip, my trail name SweetBlood will actually refer to the diabetes that I will have gotten from all the sugar.For dinner, I had real American-Mexican food with Brightside and her mum. It was a really nice meal- great food and great company. Towards the end of the night, Brightside remarked about how this would be the first time we have actually slept in different places for weeks. I must admit that it does feel very strange to actually have a room all by myself. This hasn't happened since the motel in Atlanta on my very first night! It will however be wonderful to sleep in a real bed again. The prospect of another hot shower is also delightful. Tomorrow I have signed myself up for the hostel breakfast to see what it's like. Then, I will have the entire day to relax again. It's just like being on holiday.