Date: 2005-03-28
To: A Letter Home From Gypsy LuLu
Miles today: 0.0

Dear Mom, Here I sit in the rinky-dink wonderful crash room in the Haven Motel. Bassline is chattering away on the computer and I've finally found something to write on. Touk(Anna)just casually mentioned that she called you guys and chatted away, kids running everywhere to look at maps, etc... We're in Franklin,NC, about 107 miles from Springer. I slept really poorly last night and got up at 5am thinking it was an hour later(sigh).Instead of tossing and turning and staring at the wall, I slipped on my Crocs and walked to the church down the street.They held a sunrise service for the community at 6:30 and until it started I helped in the kitchen preparing for the pancake and sausage fellowship.I met so many nice people and they were tickled pink to have a thru-hiker flipping pancakes and singing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today"!The older fella frying sausage is the president of the Nantahala Hiking Club-go figure! We ruffled through the hiker box here at the hotel/hostel and scavenged a nifty little pac towel, those chamois clothes marketed for hikers.It'll be great to wipe the inside of the tent with and dry pots, etc...By the way, thank you for the mail drop. Touk and I are going to put our heads together over future drops. So far, it's not been difficult at all to supply our groceries from towns.Not only has it been easy but it's been cheaper too to resupply in town. We can be eating all sorts of great things. Lipton's 1000 flavors and choices, rice, potatoes, we even found instant hummus that's crazy rich in calories and protein!Tortillas, cheese and a smirch of olive oil. It might be that maildrops turn out to be lighter and cheaper this way: nutritional yeast, Emergen-C, vitamins, dried cherries, etc...Oh well, as I said, Touk and I need to talk about some things.Of course, socks are always lovely.I think I might scope the Internet for sales if I get a chance.Mom, if you could have borrowed my legs and saw what I've seen these past few days, you would fall in love with the AT. We climbed Mount Albert along almost sheer bluffs, clinging to the side and becoming more and more fond of our Leki Poles. Out beyond our little ledge ranged more mountains, brown and grey and purple-blue. The trail wraps around in the craziest ways, first mortheast, then west, south, north, and switchbacks until you're not sure where you're going. Thank goodness for the white blaze. Yesterday Touk followed my slower pace, sticking close and sharing Nalgenes. All of a sudden I went halfway across a wide stream and realized that there was no trail on the other side."Where have you taken me?"Touk exasperated-ly vented. No joke though, we had to walk down the center of the stream for a bit until the trail reappeared on the other side. I took a lovely picture of Touk halfways down and she took a picture of me filling our waterbottles at the waterfall.(She said that it needed cropped a bit-ungraceful pose,etc..)Mount Albert though, we had to clamber on hands and knees over the boulders to get to the summit and when we finally got there-WOW!- I couldn't believe it. Albert was the first mountain that was so mentally consuming and visually rewarding, my body didn't have time to hurt. Touk and I struck our tent, hung our bear bag and climbed the watchtower to see the sunset.(Sigh, It was great!) Next weekend we'll be in Fontana Dam,NC and after that [drumroll please]THE SMOKIES!!! Basslines family is driving up from Atlanta, GA to visit him and inspect our moral character as his buddies. When I was praying for a few good folks to hike with, I didn't picture Bassline at all but he's become like a brother and if it comes to the day where he stretches his legs and hikes ahead, I'll miss him so much. I've been in a mix lately, I think of family alot and have been thinking about your flu.Mostly I've been thinking about Aunt Robin.I love you all so much. The mix part is that I'm in the perfect place right now. 100% where I'm supposed to be. Much Love, Laura(Gypsy LuLu)