Date: 2007-04-19
From: Davenport Gap

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

April 19, TiredToday was probably the worst I've felt hiking so far. I got up at about 7:23 a.m. and started getting ready. Our shuttle would be at the Motel 6 at 8:30 so I just needed to pack up and eat breakfast. I was still tired and my head cold felt about the same as it did yesterday.While I was in the bathroom, I heard Scribe and Gadget come in and they were talking to Certain about zeroing. They were going to zero today but meet us in Hot Springs this weekend. Curtis from Standing Bear arrived at 8 a.m. even though we had arranged for 8:30 so we rushed to finish up. I had a peanut butter and banana tortilla and called it good. Curtis had the car ready with Dolly Parton playing. Woohoo. I was totally out of it but he and Certain talked all the way to Davenport Gap. When we got there it was nice. It was probably around 45 degrees and sunny. I was very thankful to be starting the day in my long-sleeved shirt rather than full rain gear and a hat and gloves. The first couple of miles were beautiful. We hiked near a stream for quite a while and the woods were full of green. It even smelled great! I was so thankful to be able to stop and not worry about freezing, it was almost warm!After a little bit, we crossed I-40 and had to do a little bit of road walking. From that point, we had about six miles of uphill to go. Six miles of uphill. To be honest, the terrain was not all that bad - but for some reason, I felt terrible today. My knees were killing me, my right foot hurt with every step, the blister on my right pinky toe felt like it was coming back, my back hurt, my calves were tired, my achillles were tight. I felt like I was moving in slow motion. I had to take lots of breaks. I guess three zeros was not enough. Or maybe it was too much.We had lunch at Painter Branch. It was a nice little campsite area near a stream that we even thought about stopping at for the night. But, we only had 4.9 more miles to go and we could be in better shape for the rest of the week if we pushed on. It sprinkled here and there but for the most part, we were lucky with regard to the weather. Up at the top of the mountain, it was cool but once we got down it was pretty warm and there was even some sun! I was so thankful for the sun and temperatures that weren't freezing.I set up camp and just as I was getting ready to make dinner, it started to rain. I headed up to the shelter to cook and met some of the other folks staying here tonight - Wolf, T&K Express, and Plodder. We just hung our bear bag and now I'm in my tent and out of the rain for the night - at 6:30 p.m. But I am exhausted so I bet I'll fall asleep soon.I just felt really bad today. Low energy and lots of aches and pains. I hope tomorrow is a better day.Oh, we passed some sort of FAA beacon on top of a bald today. I thought it was a UFO. I was hurting too bad to inspect it for aliens. - Sound of rain drops falling randomly off of the trees, laughter from the shelter, a bird chirping, and a plane. Post Trail Thoughts:Groundhog Creek Shelter was a lovely place with ample camping. I enjoyed my site and loved the whole relaxing experience there. It was also nice to be around other folks that night.