Date: 2015-09-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The ridges on either side of our campsite were so high that it took a long time for the morning light to appear. Having a short and final day ahead of us, we were in no hurry to leave our warm sleeping bags. It was fun to lay there all cozy and just discuss whether it was time to get up, rather than actually doing it. We started talking about breakfast and what we were each going to have and that did it. I guess part of me was hoping my pals would read my mind and bring me my cup of tea in my tent. It was not to be, so up I got, packed up my tent and got breakfast goingOur hike today was uneventful. The weather for this trip has been perfect; neither too hot, nor too cold. No bugs to bother us either, except for clearing spider webs and no critters, great or small. BUT, today there were birds and birdsongs, so I was very happy. (I was also extremely happy about no great big critters too!) It was another beautiful day to walk in the woods. We made our way to Rock Gap around 1:30 pm. Steve, our shuttle driver, soon picked us up and whisked us back to the wonderful Nantahala Mountain Lodge.Maggie, Steve¢s wife and co-owner met us at the door and sent us immediately to clean up. This routine keeps the hostel free of any nasty little travelers (ticks,bugs etc.) hikers may unwittingly drag in from the woods, as well as preventing contamination of the air by (offensive?) hiker odor!! You are also offered the use of spare clean clothing, while Maggie sterilizes yours. We each had travel clothes in our cars so we passed on the hostel garb. A hot shower never felt so good! Soon a clean Shutterbug was saying goodbye, as she was headed home. Wild Thang and I settled down to a cup of tea while waiting for dinner. We had chosen to decompress by spending the night instead of facing a long drive. After dinner, I took time to review our hike and make some notes. This time out my food was a great success. It was filled with sodium, sugar and fat. As a matter of fact, I added olive oil or coconut oil to each of my evening meals and found I didn¢t get hungry again during the night. The backpacking meals on the market, while maybe not the healthiest option, suited my needs just fine, and I liked the selection I brought. I even added candy bars to my lunches and truly enjoyed them guilt free! The turkey jerky I used for my between meal snacks boosted my protein and sodium intake, and I actually liked it. The electrolyte capsules and whey protein powder were the right choice and I began to look forward to my pre-dinner hot beverage of Emergen-C mixed with whey protein. Sleeping was not such a great success. I love my Big Agnes Q-Core SL insulated pad, my tent and my sleeping bag. I was plenty warm, but then it never got below 45 degrees (it is rated to 15). One problem is that I am such a light sleeper I hear every single little noise outside of my tent. The ear plugs help immensely, but it concerns me that I may not hear something I need to hear, as it comes crashing through the brush. An even bigger problem is that of being kept awake by any little slope to the ground. I thought that being as fatigued as I was, it wouldn¢t disturb me, but no. I have decided that I am going to look into using a hammock instead. I watched in amazement as Wild Thang set up her hammock and tarp in half the time it takes me to erect my tent. There was no shortage of trees from which to hang. I tried hers out and wow, was it comfortable. I liked being able to swing my legs out and standing up easily. I am reluctant to invest even more money into equipment, but without good sleep I know I will not be able to complete a thru hike. Time to do more research¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦..