Date: 2007-05-06
From: Spivey Gap, NC

To: Nolichucky River, Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, we were up and ready to go by 10:00 a.m. this morning. It's always alittle crazy when you're waiting for shuttles, because Ms. Janet and her teamhave to sit down in the morning and figure out what the plan of attack is. Wefinally found out it would be closer to 11:00 a.m., so Persistent and I decidedto walk to Ms. Janet's house. I needed to buy more vitamin I and she needed touse the internet, which was down in our motel.On our way walking there, a train (of course LOL) went thru, but it stopped,backed up, went forward, backed up, and kept doing this over and over, and itwas blocking traffic the whole time. We started joking about running up to itand rolling under it to get to the other side like in the movies, but to bothour mom's we were ONLY joking! LOL (If anyone knows why trains do this backand forth thing while blocking traffic, I'd like to know. Are they switchingtracks or something?)We finally got there, and when I walked in, a man was in the kitchen, and heimmediately asked if I'd eatin breakfast. I said kind of, so he proceeds tomake me this awesome plate of scrambled eggs, 2 biscuits with gravy and OJ! Guess who he was....Baltimore Jack! LOL He is a "trail legend" of sorts. Theguy thru-hiked the AT 7 years IN A ROW from 1997-2004, and an 8th time sincethen. He's back out again this year!! He carries a 50 lb pack, has a shatteredknee, and I believe someone said he passes people going up hill with a cigarettehanging out of his mouth! LOL Crazy to be served breakfast by him. Nice manwith a wonderful practical outlook on hiking. He pointed out that a "zero" dayusualy ends up being full of walking all over town, to the P.O., to the store,and all over, so the much needed rest (and icepacks) your body needs neverreally happens. He's right. The most restful zero I've had was the one we tookin the woods.Lot's of hikers were everywhere @ Ms. Janets, of course, but around 11:45 a.m.,Tim arrived with Pete to take us to Spivey Gap. If only all hiking days could be like today. The terrain was nice, the sun waswarm, at about 70, a slight breeze, fragrant smells of spring flowers and one ofmy favorite winged friends were all over today, butterflies!! There were bright yellow with black, black with a little blue, and orange withblack. It was as if they had all emerged from their cocoons this morning andwere so happy to be flitting around. It was beautiful.All thru my hike, there have been little white butterflies too. Usually it isjust 1, and I swear it's following me. There were also a lot of beautifulstreams with little waterfalls. We met a couple from Finland today who have only been on the trail for 19 DAYS!! Man, the shape some people are in! LOL Only thing kind of crappy I discovered today is that I don't think my new shoesare going to work afterall. The toebox is a bit more narrow than my others, sothey rub the joint by my pinky toe. MAJOR bummer. I ended up hiking the last40 min. in my crocs. We made it to the Nolichucky River, and the intersection where Uncle Johnnies isby 6:00 p.m. Our motel came to pick us up ad I asked the guy if he could swingus by Subway so we could grab a sub, and he said sure.Persistent, Pete and I all ordered footlong subs. I don't remember the lasttime I could finish that much...but wait, there's more! I also ate a bag ofchips, a coke, and 4 cookies! By 9:00 p.m., Persistent was already talking aboutwanting a banana split. LOL I don't know where the girl puts it all.So now, the dilemma is what to do for shoes. I called Ms. Janet's tonight tosee how feasible it would be to go to the outfitters in Johnson City (about 15min. away) in the morning and hopefully find some new shoes that fit properly,then we'd like to slackpack the 8.8 miles from Indian Grave Gap back into townin the afternoon. I haven't heard back, so I guess we'll have to wait tilltomorow morning to see what happens. Both Persistent and I need new shoes, soput this in your memories...trail runners seem to wear out around 300 miles. Ihad heard 500, but I do believe 300 is a safer number.Today, while hiking, I thought a lot about happiness, joy, and sharing it withothers. Seems to me we are lacking (as a society) in the ability to shareanother person's joy or happiness for nothing more than the sake of sharing it. You know how a parent can genuinley be happy for and with her\his child when thechild comes home excited about something going on at school? Half the time, theparent doesn't even know what the kid is talking about, but sharing in thechild's happiness is still the result.Well, that same concept only between adults. I guess by the time we all "growup" we become so focused on our own lives and problems that taking the time andenergy to enjoy another person's happiness can become a chore.My mom and I still have this though. It's a special thing we share. She's ahuge poker player, and even though I don't always fully understand thesignificance of a certain hand that she tells me about, I really enjoy hearingher enthusiasm and excitement about something that she enjoys so much. I enjoysharing and being a part of her happiness. She has always done the same with metoo. God knows she wouldn't know what the difference is between a tree hugger,ridgeline, or crocs, but she listens to me talk about all of it endlessly, andhas always shared my joy. I wish people could learn to do that for each other alittle more, as well as be more tolerant and compassionate towards one anotherdepite all of our many ideosynchrosies and weird habits. So, share in someone's joy today. Oh and by the way mom..try not to forget toput your teeth in when you go to work tomorrow!! LOL (she's gonna kill me forthis one) LOL~Certain