Date: 2004-06-17
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Lords of the Flies
Miles today: 16.2

When I awoke, the sun was rising in the sky, but it soon disappeared. A gloomy mist permeated the forest. I was the first hiker from the shelter to hit the trail. The conditions underfoot were treacherous, with concentrations of wet rocks. I slipped and fell backwards, landing on my backpack which had become wedged into some brush, or something like that. I was unable to quickly get back up. I felt like a turtle stuck in an upside down shell. I had to unbuckle the shoulder straps and hip belt in order to free myself up.   It was not raining, but the wet trail conditions caused my shoes and socks to become soaked. At the same time, I was carrying in the backpack those new sandals which were intended for use during conditions like this. I will wear them in the future with a thin pair of socks, but not until those sores on my feet are healed.To cheer myself up, I sang the song, Daydream Believer" by The Monkees. It was definitely more upbeat then the musical selection yesterday.During lunch break, I opened up a can of sardines and spilled some of the oil on a bandana. I rinsed the bandana off in a stream but the odorous smell remained. I placed the bandana in the mesh pouch of my backpack so it would dry. At the same time, I was hanging two pairs of wet and smelly socks on the rear of my backpack so they would also get dry. I was concerned that the combination of the tunafied bandana and the smelly socks would attract flies, especially during rest stops.At a rural road crossing, the remains of a wooden sign lay on the ground. It had read, "Appalachian Trail." Someone with a shotgun had blown the thing to smithereens. Half way up a tough ascent, I noticed several hikers gathered under the trees near a forestry road. Beside them was a cooler which contained soft drinks. An encouraging message to hikers was typed on a paper. The person, or trail angel, who had left the drinks, had included a telephone number and e-mail address for hikers who might need assistance. I wrote down this information with the intention of thanking him.After reaching the top of the ascent, I came across a scenic overlook. A church group of teenagers, different than the one from yesterday, was occupying the rocky outcrop. The young men, bare-chested under the sun, were scrambling about with open knives in their hands. They were hunting and killing flies that were alighting on the rocks. The flies were slower than most; I assumed they were basking in the warmth of the rocks. Each time a boy severed one of the flies, he shouted to his buddies.It was an unusual scene to behold, but hey, with that smelly cargo on my backpack, I felt like a Pied Piper of Vermin, so making contact with this fly killing team was okay by me.I asked some of the boys if I could take their portrait¢another addition to my AT portrait essay¢and they agreed. I posed four of these young men holding their shiny knives up to the sky. On the tip of each blade was a dead fly. The boys were looking up at these knives with confidence in their expressions. Just before snapping the photo I hesitated; off in the sky a vulture was circling. I waited until the bird soared into view, and then snapped the macabre portrait. "The lords of the flies!" I exclaimed to the boys and their chaperone. Everybody smiled. Some people might think it odd, my having taking a picture like this. But I am always seeking out offbeat portraits. And besides, this photo depicts a reality of my thru hike.I made camp at Laurel Creek Shelter and erected my hammock in the trees nearby. Staying at the shelter was London, Bluejay, Pop Up, Apostle, and Susan. The church group also rolled in and erected a huge tarp.During the evening, the young men from the church group were hanging out beside the picnic table. I was seated there eating supper along with other hikers. A fly landed in the center of the table. One of the kill team members opened up his knife and stealthily moved his blade over the intended victim. But this fly, unlike his lazy, sunbathing counterparts on that outcrop, flew away and landed elsewhere on the table. I said to the boy, "Ah! At last you've been bested by a fly."From that moment on, the youth pursued the fly from one part of the table to another. The boy's friends were observing the hunt with rapt attention. I munched on my supper and watched this dinnertime entertainment along with other hikers at the table. The fly landed close to the small pot which I was eating from. The boy placed his blade over the fly and flashed it downward. It landed on the fly, which resulted in an outpouring of congratulations from his buddies. The youth scraped the blade back and forth on the table and severed the fly in two parts, then stepped away.I said to the lad, "Are you going to move that thing out of here?" What an odd question, suggesting that the presence of dead fly was objectionable on the table after we had calmly been eating our meals and watching the hunt without objection.The fly episode was odd, but these teenagers were impressive people. They were respectful, friendly, and never uttered profanity. They helped drag in firewood. One of them told me that he aspires to hike the Appalachian Trail in two years. I suggested to him some reference sources.While sitting around the campfire, some of us thru hikers and one of the chaperones of the church group engaged in a lively debate. Some hikers contended that when the bible states that people should not worship false gods, the Jews who wrote that passage actually believed in the existence of other gods. I and the chaperone disagreed. We contended that the writers of that passage believed in the existence of only one deity.When the debate ended, the teenagers initiated a "Thorn & Rose" session. Each person tells of his favorite moment of the day, and his most unpleasant one. When my turn came, I told of my frustration with having spilled the sardine oil on my bandana. I told them that my favorite moment was taking the offbeat portrait of the four boys.I am sleeping in the hammock tonight. I had hoped to avoid covering it with the rain tarp; this would have enabled me to sleep with greater ventilation. But a momentary drizzle this evening caused me to cover up the hammock. It will be a hot and clammy sleep.