Date: 2002-09-01
From: MAINE

To: GA
Miles today: 13.0

September 1, 2002Sunday5:15 got my pack packed and I am ready to go. Let me tell you something. I will be glad to get out of this town. I don¢t¢ know why, I just didn¢t like this town. Didn¢t like the people at the hostel.   I was in with a bunch of boozers and I didn¢t like the people that ran the hostel.   I think they are very arrogant. You know people that buy a business like that and they expect to tend to the public and treat the public and take care of them and yet they feel like they are doing us a favor. If they don¢t¢ want to deal with people, don¢t buy, don¢t get in the business. Get out of it. That¢s ridiculous, they should sell it to somebody that wants to do it.   I know the public is obnoxious but that is what you have to deal with in that kind of business but they could treat people with some respect.   They treat people like kids. There is a man here that meets here at 6am and everybody says don¢t be late because he¢ll leave you and you¢ll be done. But I couldn¢t believe it. They are very arrogant, I really don¢t know how to explain these people I just don¢t understand they just can¢t be a little more civil. I have only run into 2 hostels like it. The rest of them have been really good.   Yesterday I went to Walmart. They had a Walmart about a mile away from here. And they have all these old Junk bikes here and you have to buy the bike for a dollar and sign thing that you bought the bike so that releases them from any liability. So I bought a bike for a dollar and it felt good to be riding a bike, so rode to Walmart and saved some money on some things I needed. Because they do gouge you in these little trail towns for supplies.   I didn¢t think they would but they sure as heck do. I will probably try to not stay in hostels. I think I will probably just go ahead and just camp out. It¢ kind of nice to go get a hot shower and all that but maybe I will just go in and pay for a shower and go ahead and just camp. I sleep just as well. Like last night, I could smell booze and this one kid that is definitely an Alcoholic, he comes in about 2 in the morning and I could smell the puke and oh Gads, well you wonder. It¢s kind of like RAGBRAI though some of those people ride and they are supposed to be in good physical condition but they will go out and get drunk and abuse themselves. I don¢t know what that kid is going t be doing today but I bet you anything he won¢t be hiking.   But that was just a little bit different crowd.   I would say about 20 percent maybe. I don¢t know where they get their money these young guys. They must have rich parents, they seem to want to party and they have a lot of money to spend.    Thank God for these Gators. Theresa sent down for me. Boy I tell you, if I didn¢t have them, I don¢t know. Of course I wouldn¢t know I guess but now that I have used them it¢s one those things I would not be without. I went down to the store yesterday and they are about 25-30 dollars. Also one of the other things I like are the very simple things. My headband Headlamp, very handy for reading at night. It¢s funny how little things like that can make you happy.   My pack feels heavy today. I just don¢t know what to get rid of in my pack to make it lighter. I am just about like I am at home. I see things that I might need in the future and then I buy it and put it in my pack and I should wait till I really need it before I buy it. Why carry around stuff I don¢t really need at the time. But I have this mentality that I might need it tomorrow and maybe there won¢t be any place to get it then.      Last night in the hostel there was a lady and here husband and he is a lawyer and they are hiking the trail coming northbound. Man I tell ya, you talk about talk, she went on and on and on about the trail coming north. You know I get that from some northbounders and I get sort of tired of it. You know they want to scare the southbounders and tell them how tough it is down there through the whites. On the other hand my friend Spanky, he holds his own with them, he tells them how tough it is going north. I sit there, I don¢t say much. (Can you believe that). Ha. You learn things as you go along, yesterday I needed some alcohol for my little stove.   And so they had alcohol and it was 25 cents an ounce and I had some left in there, but then he looked at the bottle and it was 16 ounces and he filled it and was going to charge me for 16 and I said that I had some left in there so he was only going to charge me for 14. So I am down at the outfitters store here and I see you can buy a quart of it for 3.85 and from now on I don¢t buy it from these people. You can also use Heet for cars. So just getting smarter about the trail now. That is what I mean about gouging people.   But there was another person and he had a gal in Rangely and it was free so there is big differences in places.   But people ought to talk about that up and down the trail, these people do that and these don¢t do that.   But I heard about this hikers paradise and some people said it was okay. SO I don¢t know what is going on with some of those people. Some people are easy to please and some don¢t expect as much as other as I do, maybe it¢s just me.   Got to the trailhead it is 6:15 and so I am on the trail. This guy that brought me out was the same one that I was giving hell and complaining about awhile ago, he started being halfway decent.   So maybe he was just having tough day yesterday and then again maybe it¢s me.   Got a little pain in my ribcage where I fell. Oh well tough it out right? I always get out here on the trail and I think to myself, am I missing something? Did I leave something behind? Met Soldier of Love, and he is headed Northbound, he is from New Jersey. Nice guy to talk to.   If you like to eat, then you come out to the Appalachian trail because then you can eat and eat and eat, till your so full and then eat some more. Last night I went to Walmart and the grocery store and I come back and packed my things, fixed some pasta, went to this McDonnell¢s, got a big large malt put a can of fruit in it. Had 2 muffins and I don¢t know what all. This morning I had bacon, cheese and egg biscuit and a great big muffin and I am still hungry. So just enjoy. Just met northbounder Ice Beard, and shortly after met Zeus.   Met Supper, Cattori and Virginia, just met 3 of them they are happier than ever. They only have 300 and some miles left going north. They are going for burgers.   Met NoRegrets and then met Ax, from Fishkill, New York.   Good fella he is on his way north. Just met another fella retired from the air force his name was Full Moon Walk.   A lot of traffic on this trail today, more than I have ever seen. It has to do with the proximity of the Pinkham Notch visitor¢s center. They say there are cars parks a mile on each side of the road before you get there and then there are other trails that you can take that lead up to the AT. There are groups, just all kind of people up here hiking and looking around and bringing their lunches and having a great time. I am sure it will be the same way tomorrow, Labor Day, I am sure that is why it is so busy. Met some really nice people that were day hikers from Portland, Maine. One of them, Nancy, wife of this one guy that I talked to quite a bit and her trail name was blue bear because when they first started out in GA a bear stole her food back. They were very nice people and nice to talk to. I am sitting here on top of Mount Heighten and I can see forever. I am eating a pop tart. I have eaten more pop tarts than I have ever eaten in my life. And you know what? I like them. They are handy, but they do get crumbled up in my back when I carry them. It¢s about 3:30 in the afternoon and it pretty crumbled up by now but that¢s okay it still taste pretty good.   Made 15 miles today. It was tough going, 4 mountain peaks I had to traverse. I was really surprised I got in at about 5:15 at this hut Carter Notch Hut, they charge 18 to stay there or there is an 8 campsite. But there is a campsite just ahead on the trail 3/10 of a mile that doesn¢t cost anything and I met this couple and they said, do you want to follow us and we¢ll get some water and go to the campsite.   Very nice couple, turns out he is a carpenter. She works for a health food store. I don¢t know but something came up about drinking and he said, well I don¢t drink anymore and I said, well I don¢t either and he said, he was an alcoholic, and I laughed and I said. Well I am too, and he was very nice, his name was Doug and Tina, from Frances Town, NH. They were just out for a 2-day hike and then they are going back home. Gave me his address and phone number and one of the things he said was best of luck, he wrote in my journal.   It¢s interesting the people that you meet and the things that happen to you. IT was pretty good day and it¢s cold tonight and I got my long johns on and I¢m in my sleeping bag. Looking at the map for tomorrow. Get to Pinkham Notch tomorrow and maybe get my maildrop. I think I can take the 30 more miles to get through these mountains. We will see.   Staying here just maybe a 14 mile here from Quarter Notch Hut.   The huts are places that are actually places that you can stay inside. Cost you 18 dollars, but some of them are 60. I am going to try to go to one of those huts tomorrow where you can work for Stay.