Date: 2003-05-16
From: Nolichucky River/Hostel

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 10.6

(craig says) Back on the windswept ridges and grassy slopes of the AT after puttin' the feet up and takin er easy in Erwin for a day or so. (Actually, everything was about a twenty minute walk away so we did quite a bit of walking, but without a pack...ahhh...just a walk in the park...get it?...get it? Just a WALK in the park? No? Anyway, After a Huddle House (think Denny's, Bickfords) breakfast of waffles and sausage bathed in syrup for myself and an omlette, homefries, and toast for Erin along with numerous cups of coffee for both, we hit the post office and the library (again,) after word that some others had signed on to our guest book. Not to mention the internet is really quite fun after being on the trail awhile. We found a ride back to the trail without having to ask for it. An older gentlement dressed in slacks and a nice, pressed, button up shirt strolled out of a bank, leaned against the railing above the sidewalk and asked if we were going to the Nolichucky hostel. The rest was history. Actually we had to wait fifteen minutes for him to finish up business inside so I took advantage of the opportunity and ran down to Erwin Burrito to get chips with salsa and a sweat tea....yum.Everyone on the planet, it seems, has gone ahead to Damascus, VA for Trail Days to party it up with ten thousand or so other hikers and gear reps. I guess it's a real big deal. People have been talking about since the beginning of the trip. It sounds a bit like a big Dead show but with more backpacks and slightly less acid. Anyway, Erin and I have the trail virtually to ourselves. And we must admit, it's kind of nice. But coming to the decision of lagging behind while many of our hiking mates hitched and shuttled ahead to bask in the glory of being celebrated as thru-hiker was not an easy one. We were forced to hold a long, intense, multi-faceted meeting in the large private conference room at the Super 8 motel in Erwin.   There behind heavy oak doors and moderate security we sat down to scrutinize and examine all the details both grande and minute to come to a final decision we were mutually comfortable with. The meeting, which began at the reasonable hour of 8:00AM along with the pledge of allegiance and the honorary reciting of our mission statement, stretched well into the less reasonable wee hours of the night. As dogs barked and the honest hard working citizens of Erwin called it a night, we were pouring over numbers, giving Power Point presentations to each other, calling in past thru-hikers, conference calling with our financial advisor, personal trainer, nutritionist, gear reps, media agent, and various sponsors before inally, around 4:00AM after much fist-slamming, coffee-consuming, and nervous deadline armpit sweating, we decidided we'd rather use those days to hang out in air conditioned hotels watching TV and sipping icy cold beverages. (Plus we intend on possibly visiting both D.C. and home for a couple of days when we get in the area)So, later we hiked the long slow up to the 'Beauty Spot' which is a large Bald overlooking Erwin and set up camp by a little fire pit at crest of the hill. Down below in a small turnoff where a dirt road led was a white pickup with a large fire blazing behind. The flames licked wide and high and at first glance it looked as though the truck was on fire. A black figure loomed before the fire and we wondered if perhaps we shouldn't be witnessing whatever this guy was up to. Maybe he was burning the remains of something or someone that was supposed to be somewhere tomorrow. Instead We strolled down and met Derrick from Tallahassee FL, who passed us a bottle of Seagrams 7 whiskey and told us he was burning an old shelf of his that he'd ruined on his trip from FL to Johnson City. He was a cool guy, told us he was living with a friend in Johnson City for the summer to get away for a while...p>As night fell we walked back up the hill to our campsite and watched the lights of Erwin until the clouds slowly rolled in and filled the air with cool moist fog before turning in. Just before sleep we heard Coyotes yipping and howling in the distance. Or was that just my butt? God that was tasteless....