Date: 2008-03-29
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

The rain had killed the fire off by the early hours, I was sleeping sporadicaly these last few days with my Thermarest pad only providing a little padding now as I am starting to lose some body mass also my zero degree sleeping bag is getting a little warm on the warmer nights so I am tending to use it more as an over quilt than a bag. It was raining as I packed my stuff trying to stay under the eave of the shelter at least to stay dry for as long a possible but it looked like it was going to be a long day. I set off into the mist and rain only to be called back by Richard one of the section hikers, there was a yellow food bag hanging from a mouse frustrator in the shelter, It was not either of their's and it certainly was not mine it must have been left behind by Loafy or his Nephew. Checking inside there was a lot of food certainly enough for two people and a bag contained two toothbrushes Well the right thing to do was to pack it out up the trail as they would be needing that food later in the day nothing worse for a hiker than no food. So I loaded up the extra 10lbs or so and set off again. It was a misserable day as I climbed up the trail. I took the blue blazed foul weather trail rather than climb the ridgeline as there would be no views on a day like today any way. I was cursing my extra load and was pleased to see Jerry Cabin Shelter where I stopped for lunch and met a group of young guys out of Lexington Kentucky doing a little on trail magic giving out Snickers bars to hikers they way a few ounces but get lighter as you eat them. Whilst I was eating in came Loafy and his nephew I asked him about the food bag,it was not thiers S**t??? that could only mean one thing some one had hung a food bag in the shelter during the night and must have been tenting somewhere near the shelter Oh well I had no choice but to carry the food on it was my resposibility to see it re-united with it's owner so if necessary I would have to pack it to Erwin or until the owner caught up with me.Later that day I came upon the Shelton graves these are the combined graves of two members of the Shelton clan from North Carolina and a friend who during the American Civil War were serving in the forces of the North but were returning home for a family gathering when they were ambushed by Confederate troops and killed, They are buried where they fell. I spent a few moments in reflection at their final resting place and could not help thinking how far the United States has come since those troubled days long ago yet how mothers still weep and fathers tremble at the loss of son's. Will we never learn?????I hiked on over a rocky section and on to Flint Mountain Shelter which was already pretty full and with a number of Boy Scouts also looking to pitch tents,so I selected a flat spot and quickly set up my tent before cooking my meal and hanging my food bags on a bear line a little down the trail.I met a former Thru Hiker "Windex" from 2001, Just chatting I could see the envy in her eyes and I can see her husband being a future Thru Hiker or being left at home wishing he was on the trail. Man belongs in the Wilderness. God created him there long before he took him to the garden of Eden and it is there where his soul belongs.