Date: 2010-04-05
From: Deep Gap Campsite

To: Greasy Creek Friendly
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Okay, so todays events are quiet interesting¢¦well, neither of us remember the actual hike except Matt found a broken trekking pole which he wanted to see if he could get it fixed and we met Frost, a gentleman who pretty much lived in Hawaii his entire life.Anyway, we reach the end of our day and head off the trail to Greasy Creek Friendly which is a hostel run by C.C. She later told us that she named it "Friendly" because her neighbor is so "Hostile" Get it?? Ha ha.We're walking along a dirt road when all of a sudden two dogs come running down a hill barking meanly at us, following parallel to the fenceline that kept them contained and off of us. We hear, "GET THEM DAMN HIKERS, BOYS!" off in the distance. I mocked the dogs: "Neener neener neener, you can't get me!"And guess what!? When we got to the hostel Reverend was there! What a surprise! We weren't expecting him for several days! What a happy reunion. The band is complete again.So we meet CC and her helper, both very nice people. CC struck me as someone who does this because she likes to, not to get rich off of it.As we hang out, we find that the neighbor with the mean dogs rides his riding lawn mower without an exhaust pipe and the hood propped open around and around in a small oval 'race track'. You can tell he's looking at us as he drives around, but as soon as you look at him he turns his head quickly away. I waved like a happy school girl at him every pass. Sometimes he doesn¢t even ride the mower; he just leaves it running and goes inside. Sometimes he stops it and starts it back up again in 10 minutes. Sometimes he fires off a gun a dozen times. Sometimes he bangs metal against metal. Sometimes he plays music on the radio wicked loud. Sometimes he has the radio on static really loud. "He don't like hikers." At 5am. We found out that he starts up his lawn mower, drives it down the driveway and leaves it running there while he goes off and does his thing.CC has been dealing with this for years and it does cause problems with her business. She warns people when they come to stay, but some people leave very angry and want their money back. Some people leave threatening to say bad things about her place, claiming they felt much endangered. People like us go there because we heard the rumors of the "crazy neighbor". We were quiet intrigued. However it is rather unfortunate for her that they can¢t get along. I guess he's even been caught dumping urine in her water reservoir among other stunts. She just doesn¢t have the money to catch him going on her property to prove it to the police.Well anyway, we had a nice stay on her lawn in our tents and had a huge KFC/ Taco Bell supper. Ugh¢¦only when you're a hiker does that sound good. Also, the broken piece to my pack should be arriving tomorrow! How uncomfortable I have been with a crooked pack! We are headed out tomorrow but Shakes and Reverend are staying. Shakes is going to do a southbound slack pack down Roan Mountain and Reverend is going to take it easy at the hostel since he's not even supposed to be back yet; doctors orders!