Date: 2004-04-06
From: Rock Gap

To: Franklin
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: broken clouds

I started this day with a pointless and cold 7:30am 3 mile stroll. I left my pack at the campsite and headed down the road to the Rainbow Springs Campground where my maildrop was waiting. 1 and 1/2 miles and not one single car later it dawned on me that I was wlaking on the worng road and therefore walking when I could have been sleeping. Hate that. I headed back to the campground, bitched briefly over breakfast, was mildly consoled, and then packed up and left camp heading down the trail to the real Route 64.When I finally reached the highway I ditched my pack in the woods (covering it in leaves Columbo style) and hitched a ride to rainbow Springs where I was warmly welcomed with a hot waffle dripping with syrup. It seems everyone loves to feed thru-hikers in the same manner that everyone likes to hold babies and pet puppies. I don't know if it is our grubby faces or grimly nails that makes people take pity on us and offer kindnesses, including food. It's a mystery to me. The old couple that drove me to the campground hooked me up with a Baby Ruth and Snickers. Apparently thay have had grandkids on the trail making me long lost entirely unrealted family. Regardless, the snack was much appreciated.I grabbed my maildrop and walked back to where my pack was stached. In an effort to consolidate I opened up my food bag and tossed all of my maildrop food inside and it was then that I had a revelation about the definition of dirty. During the food transfer I managed to spill about 1/3 of my pretzels onto the ground and then proceeded without any hesitation to eat them straight from the forest floor. This isn't the 3 second rule on your mom's clean kitchen floor, this is the forest floor covered in dirt, mud, and microscopic flesh eating bacteria. However, I didn't even flinch because the ground had ceased to be unclean to me and being covered in dirt no longer made these pretzels "dirty", they were just dirt-covered but perfectly clean and eatible. It was startling how well I justified this unconventional behavior. If I had dropped them in vomit that would be another story but since I was caked in days of dirt anyway I was only eating what was essentially already a part of myself. Six months from now if I drop a pretzel anywhere but in my mouth I will probably throw it away but its a whole other world in the here and now.Anyhow, 3 miles more to the highway where the others were waiting. A minute after I finally arrived at the highway turnoff, a couple in a large truck pulled in and offered all 5 of us a ride into Franklin. Magik????They took us to the Franklin Motel where we split a room between the 5 of us and then headed off our separate ways to run our town chores.First on the agenda was to satisfy my hankering for greasy food which me, Chris, and Sheila did in record time at Wendy's. Then I headed to the outfitter where I bought a tent and bedroll and a new hat (I shrunk my old hat - it was turtle fur and I threw it into the dryer). The hat I bought is kinda ugly - it's navy blue and orange, not my favorite colors, and it has horizontal stripes which I never do because they make my head look fat, but it has a label on the front that says "Life is Good" and I have been feeling that most sincerely lately making the has a no brainer to buy. Life has been soooooo good that I thought I should advertise my glee to all that glance my way. I hope my cheer disgusts the disgruntled in the same manner that PDA disgusts me. Anyway, then I headed to the post office where I mailed my tent home - my nights in the trees are over with - a romantic idea soiled by reality. I'm all about the ground now and love the MSR Microzoid tent I bought. It's tiny in the tent world like a Mini Cooper is in the car world - about one step up from a bivy-sack, but it is light and roomy for it's size and perfect for my minimalist needs (ha!). We all met back at the Motel, ordered 3 pizzas, played hearts, and watched an uproarious episode of Family Guy. Konked out around midnight. Grabbed my earplugs within minuted because we have snorers among us (who shall remain nameless).