Date: 2004-03-30
From: Wallace Gap

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: light rain

Rob and I rolled up my wet tent ¢ it poured last night ¢ and divided it in two to pack out. Good to have a clean garbage bag handy.Rael gave my rain gear an approving nod this morning (Target, ya¢ll!). He hike the A.T. last year and got all the way to Maine when he slipped in a shelter and broke some ribs. Rather than just finish the section, he¢s doing the whole thing over again. He¢s been a great guy to have around for thru-hiking tips and has a wonderfully wry sense of humor and a great south Boston accent. He¢s the one who said that the best way to think about hiking the A.T. is as a series of three- to five-day hikes; otherwise you end up carrying too much stuff. At the end of each mini-hike, you reassess what you¢ll need for the next one, taking into account the weather reports, the terrain, food, fuel, footwear, clothing, etc. and put what you won¢t need in your bounce box.Start time: 10-ish. Several folks stayed behind when they heard it was going to rain again today, Pirate among them. (Never saw Pirate on the trail, but there he was at the campground! Ah, the life of the blue-blazer!) His picture was under the glass at the camp store check out counter, posed with a mischievous smile on his face between two signs, each with the same destination name carved on them but pointing in opposite directions. The owner warned me not to follow any directions he gives to hikers on April 1. (Some days later, I saw scrawled in big letters in a shelter register, ¢Don¢t believe anything Pirate says!¢) Shortly after this exchange, Pirate strolled in to cast his vote for the video to be shown on this rainy day ¢ Easy Rider. Pete and Joe stayed behind to help Brandon search for the still missing Slow Poke, his hiking buddy.After the pouring rain last night, Rob and I decided to stop early at the shelter instead of going on to the campground. Assuming it doesn¢t snow tonight, we¢ll probably do a 12-mile day tomorrow to Cold Spring Shelter. So our five days to Fontana Dam is now likelier to be six days. No worries. We¢ll still need to be there Monday for the post office. I can get my taxes done and mailed out, get on the internet and send some stuff home.Dirtnap is here with his dogs tonight, as are Tinker, Rael, Galliano/Fast Eddie, Spur/Rick and Doug. Spur was at RSC with Pele last night; apparently they¢ve had a parting of the ways. He¢s a writer, and has a Palm VIIx with a fold-up keyboard and can modem his journals to a friend from the trail! ¢ all with AA batteries, too. Very cool.Meanwhile, it¢s BLOODY FREEZING! It¢s only 6:30 p.m. and I¢m in my sleeping bag, long johns, socks, turtleneck, fleece and gloves. The rain just started, so I imagine everyone will be retiring soon. ¢Hiker midnight¢ is 7:30 p.m. ¢ possibly earlier tonight¢¦Food was one big artery-clogging town-food fest: Jimmy Dean sausage and egg biscuit, coffee with sugar and non-dairy creamer (read: coconut oil), half a raisin bagel, tortillas with cheese and peanut butter (not together), Power bars, and ¢ surprise! ¢ lentils, in bouillon with garlic. Back to the oatmeal and Metamucil tomorrow.