Date: 2004-05-30
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I ordered a vanilla milkshake right away. By the time the waitress came back, I was ready to order my lunch.   A turkey wrap, served with coleslaw, and a pink lemonade to wash it down.   With my appetite finally returning to normal, I ate every last bit.   Yes, even the coleslaw.   For dessert, blackberry ice cream. Not just ice cream with blackberry syrup, no. This time, it was actually blackberry-flavored ice cream that Joy had INSISTED I try once arriving at Big Meadows.   It was divine.   This should have filled me sufficiently, but sitting here in the dining area of Big Meadows Wayside, I have no control over what happens next.      Brain: ¢How we doing, Stomach?¢   Stomach: ¢We¢re good. Plenty good.¢   Body: ¢No, we¢re not. We need more.¢   Stomach: ¢But, I haven¢t much more room down here.¢   Leg: ¢I got some room.¢   Waitress: (enters stage right) ¢Are you all set?¢   Mouth: ¢I¢m also gonna have a burger and fries with all the fixings, and a refill on my lemonade, please.¢   Wallet: ¢NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!¢   Waitress: ¢What was that?¢   Mouth: ¢Just get me my burger.¢      I think my body is trying to make up for the lack of nutrition while I¢d been sick. With my stomach finally feeling better, I believe my appetite is finally kicking itself into high gear out of grave necessity.   Up until this point, I only THOUGHT I knew what the thru-hiker appetite that I had heard so much about was.   The trail skirts along the edge of Big Meadows campground and, after about a mile, I recognize a couple of campers at a site to my right. Eric, Genevieve and Deb. I had met them earlier while they were being stalked by a deer on their day-hike. They see me and seem to get excited. I had told them in our first meeting that I started hiking in Georgia and wouldn¢t be done until Maine. Apparently they¢ve had some time to think of some questions.   ¢Would you like a chocolate covered banana?¢   As a thru-hiker, I want to say yes. Never turn down free food as a thru-hiker. You need all the calories you can get.   As a human being, I want to say no. It¢s only been a mile or so since my feast at the Wayside. My body is still satisfied, and my stomach is DEFINITELY full.   Of course, if I eat slowly, I¢m sure I can make some room.   Yes. Yes I would like a chocolate covered banana.   It didn¢t stop there. As they asked me question after question, I also ate some delicious Cajun potatoes and drank some Gatorade and a Diet Pepsi. I passed on the trail mix.   Finally tearing myself away, I walked the last 3 miles or so to the shelter in a light rain. MC was there, still in rough shape. I gave him some Immodium AD, chiding myself for not thinking of that a few days ago when I first discovered he was sick.    I find out Sweet Cheeks has decided to leave the trail. She knows she won¢t be able to get to Katahdin before school starts and would rather begin the semester with some money in her bank account. I can tell she¢s having a hard time with the decision. Anyone would.   More cards are dealt out tonight with the same group playing: me, Q-Tip, Prozac, and HT. At one point, HT makes a play that screws me. It seems to me that we¢re all talking smack and so, as a joke, I tell him that his new trail name is Little B*tch.    Sometimes, I make really stupid jokes.   ¢What??¢ HT looks at me as if he can¢t believe what he just heard.   You heard me, I say, still thinking things are light-hearted.   HT¢s slightly open mouth closes up and his eyes get real angry. It¢s at this point that I realize he¢s not joking back.   Woah. Hey, man, I really didn¢t mean anything by it. It was just a joke.   ¢Yeah, well I can only take so much of the jokes.¢   Apparently, he¢s not a big fan of his trail name. Other comments had already been made and mine was the straw that broke the camel¢s back. Of course, that nine-pound tent had nothing to do with it.   I seriously think he¢s going to stand up and punch me in the face.   After a few more words, he sees that I¢m sincere in my apology.   ¢I just need to cool off. Let¢s just play cards.¢   We play for a while, a lot quieter than before, and HT eventually speaks up, apologizing for his reaction. It¢s all good as far as I¢m concerned. I¢m just glad I¢ll be laying myself down to rest tonight, without the help from anybody¢s fist.