Date: 2003-03-20
From: mt. collins shelter

To: US 441 - newfound gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

day 19started the day with more rain. the guy who'd tented out back came into the shelter and told us how just about everything of his was soaked. had some breakfast, got everything packed up and left shortly after malkovich. said bye to the weekender and wished ronnie luck on the rest of his AT hike and on his pct hike.the trail was wet. actually, it was pretty much nothing but mud. my pants were splashed with mud up to the knee by the time i got to newfound gap. i passed some girls maybe a mile south of the gap and asked them if they'd seen malkovich. they hadn't and that kind of concerned me a bit because i hadn't passed him either. i thought that maybe he had gotten on one of the many other trails that cross the AT by accident. sooner or later he'd notice that he hadn't seen a blaze.got to the parking area and was so happy to be there. i was going into town! i was gonna get myself some good food, pick up my drop, and head back on the trail. first, however, i had to wash up a bit. i looked a mess. well, at least my pants and boots did. i stepped into a puddle and started wiping off the mud with my hands. i figured this would probably up my chances of someone wanting to pick me up. as i'm doing this malkovich rolls up. says that a couple of girls told him that i was looking for him and figured he'd probably left something behind at the shelter. no, it wasn't that i tell him, it was just that i hadn't passed him. oh, i must've passed him while he was "taking care of business" he says. malkovich wasn't going into town, so we said bye and i promised him that i'd pick up a snickers that i owed him. i never saw malkovich again. i saw most of his register entries and boy was he cooking.after cleaning up, i stepped to the side of the road and stuck out the good ole thumb. there was plenty of traffic and plenty of pick-up trucks, but nobody was picking up. 5-10 minutes passed with no luck yet and then this lady walks up to me. she asks if i'm a thru-hiker and headed into gatlinburg. i reply that i am. she says that she'll take me.if i'm not mistaken this lady's name is sue. very nice lady who hiked the trail a few years back and has been hiking in the smokies for the last few days. she was headed back home today. during the ride into town we talked and she told me how she loves the trail and hopes to give it another run. she also tells me about this guy who she ended up hiking around during the last part of her trip who she called "a traveling trail angel." she said the guy apparently had no issues with spending money. a few times she'd arrive at a shelter and a bbq would be going on, or a pizza fest. i was in awe and thinking, "damn, i gotta find me one of those." we got to the happy hiker outfitters and i thanked sue.my package wasn't there and i became worried. i had maybe $2 bucks on me and that wasn't enough to do anything, not even get some lunch. the owner, barret i believe his name is, said not to worry yet. they still had another delivey in an hour or so, so just hang around. i looked around at the gear, looked at all the AT hiker photos glued all over the place. saw all these happy faces that walked 200 miles to get here. oh, i almost forgot. newfound gap is mile 200. yeaaah!also talked to a couple and their daughter about the AT. they too had aspirations to hike it one day. they go out for weekend trips when they can, but they really can't go out for too much longer right now. the little girl was real cute. she must've been around 8 or so, and the parents told me how she already loved the outdoors and had her own little kelty pack as well. she was adorable and she too wanted to hike the AT. as they were leaving they offered to buy me lunch across the street at the KFC and i glady took them up on it. when we were at the line the dad was telling me to buy anything and as much of anything. that he knew i was hungry. and i was, but i was a little embarrased as well. i really hadn't experienced this kind of outright genorousity from strangers before.we ate and they offered me some dessert and snacks that they had leftover from the hike. i thanked them and right as they're getting up from the table the dad turns around so his back is towards me and i immediately know what he's up to. i tell him no, that there's no way i can take his money. he insists. they heard my situation at the outfitters, and that the least they can do is buy me dinner tonight. i thank them so very much and am left in awe. believe me, the people that you meet in these towns, the people that pick you up, are some of the most generous people that you'll ever meet. they appreciate what we're doing. some of them may think we're nuts, some of them would love to be right out there with us, but all of them are sparked by our sense of adventure. they thank us and we thank them right back.checked back with the outfitters and my package still wasn't there. barret asked me what i was gonna do? i tell him that i'd probably hang around for a bit and see if any friends showed up. i went outside and sat, completely worried. it couln't have been more than a half hour and barret comes out holding out $25 or so bucks in his hands. he says that he called the motel right down the street, "the grand prix," they have a room available and here's the money. no way man! i can't do it. i thank him profoundly and tell him that if it gets down to it, i'll just go back to the trail. i hang around for a bit more. nobody has shown up yet, but it's still early so i can afford to hang out a little more.not to long passes and this guy strolls right on up to the outfitters, sees my pack and starts asking the usual questions. this is TC and he's just got this great, easy-going way about him. we talk for a long while and he too ends up offering me money for a room. i decline again, but tell him that it'd be great if i could bunk with him. he's staying at the grand prix and he accepts. we go back to the room, i unpack and head straight for the showers. then laundry. man, how is it sometimes that things just have a way of working out?all clean and comfy, we go out to dinner and shoot back a couple of beers. TC's just a great guy and we hit it off pretty good. we talk all night and TC tells me how he's actually here to hike from newfound gap to hot springs with his brother. that's great. i'll probably end up hiking around these guys for the next week or so. we finish up, go back to the room and call it quits. the most generous day i've had on the trail having come to a close.