Date: 2005-04-14
From: Roaring Fork Shelter(new)

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Lesson Number One - Tent Pitching 101. Make sure you push your tent stakes securely into the ground! That is something I failed to do in my haste to set up the tent yesterday. Sometime during the night one of the stakes came loose. I was sleeping soundly and must not have realized it for quite awhile. when I did wake up I noticed I had a river running through my tent.(I have a Tarptent which has netting around the bottom) I could have cast a fishing line and caught fish in the stream that was flowing through my tent. It was soaked, my sleeping bag was wet, I was wet and to add insult to injury the plastic bag that I had my clothes in had opened and was getting dripped into. Man, was I having fun! By now it was a little after five in the morning. I decided it was time to get moving so I got up and slowly packed my very soggy belongings. Talk about adding weight to the pack! When I was finished I headed to Break's tent (around 6:00) and checked to see if she was awake. If she wasn't, I woke her. I told her what happened and that I was going to let the Mileage Monster loose today. I told her I would meet them at the shelter we were planning on going to or I would push into Hot Springs. Had not decided yet. My last words to her were, "Don't worry, I won't eat any dry oatmeal" at which she laughed and bid me goodbye. I kicked it into gear and moved on. The terrain was wonderful and I was flying down the trail. By 8:30 I had done almost 6 miles. I passed Socks, Low Gear, and Jake Break. I was a man on a mission but I realized one thing. Letting the monster loose came very easily and this was the first time I had booked it down the trail this year. I could see now what I had done for days on end last year! It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm. A far cry different than yesterday. I got to the planned shelter stop and checked my clock. Noon, I had covered 15.5 miles in 6 hours! I was shocked. I made the decision to go into Hot Springs so I left a note for the crew and off I went for the last 3 miles. I hit Hot Springs a little after one and went to Elmer's where I had planned to stay. I ran into Gypsy when I got there and we chatted for awhile. After a bit I got everything together and headed to the laundry to wash and dry stuff out. While I was there I ran into Baseline and Touk. I found out that Baseline was going to pull ahead for a few days. Gypsy and Touk had started to formulate a plan where they would join our crew for awhile. I told them that it was a great plan and that I had ulterior motives. Gypsy looked at me and I explained. I told her I took up the rear of the line and that Break was usually in front of me. If they joined us they would be near Break and I would be able to listen to the three of them sing. I would be a happy hiker. They both got a chuckle out of that one. The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in the backyard, enjoying the sun and talking. Serenity, NumTum, Bearbait, Hopeful Hiker, and Scholar were there. Scholar had followed my lead and pushed into town. Break, Linux, and Pacman were going to lay up and come in tomorrow. While I was walking today I realized that it was the one month anniversary of our start date. Scholar has been with me almost the whole time but Break and I have been hiking together since the get go. We have been around each other 24/7 for a month. Geez, I wouldn't wish someone around me 24/7 for that long, not even my worst enemy! I do want to give her a special shout out. She has kept me honest. Honest in the pace I take and the miles I do. I realized today just how easy it is to bust out the miles but she has reined me in. We have talked a lot and I have a great respect for her. I have been told by at least two others that we make perfect hiking partners. Whether that is true or not I do not know but I do know that I have enjoyed every minute of the hiking with that "Extraordinary Machine". Here's to thirty days on the trail Break and hopefully, many more to come. I hope it continues for awhile but I do realize that the AT accordion can break up groups for a time. If that happens, the knowledge that the group can reform at any time is always there. The only thing I really want to happen is that we summit Katahdin together. It would be incredible to summit the mountain with those you started with. So, Break and Scholar keep that in mind. Tomorrow the whole crew is back together. Weatherman is meeting us here so the four of us will be back on the trail together as well as the new recruits we have picked up. I am still trying to get Serenity to see it our way!