Date: 2016-04-14
To: Story Time: A Concert in the Hills
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After my much needed shower, I head back into the bunkroom, plug my phone in, message Julie about tomorrow's meeting and start browsing through Wikipedia and Imgur--a nightly ritual I had before I lost access to the American telecommunications grid. The other two guys in the room, fellow thru-hikers, are discussing the strange pile of gear on a singular bed and whose it could be."That girl who was in here, with the dreadlocks, is that her stuff?""I don't think so. She was just in here for the TV.""What the hell? There's no one else.""Whatever man, just kill the lights."One turns to me. "You good with the lights?"I give a thumbs-up and a nod.Five minutes later, a lumbering bear of a guy in his early twenties comes in with as much noise as one can make without vocalising. His clothes rub together as if they were made from trash bags, he snorts and clears his throat and gives several loud sighs and he snuggles himself into his bed with his gear, heavily breathing through his mouth as if he just finished a thousand-foot climb. I finish with my phone and lock the screen, and roll over onto my side ready for a good night's sleep as I've needed for a few days.Hrrrnk.Oh goodness, he snores. I hope it's not--Hrrrrnk. KHAKH! 'Kha. Hrrrrnk.Oh no, it's getting louder. This is bad.HRRRRRRRRRNK.....*sigh*HRRRRRRRNK.After about ten minutes of a deep appreciation for the resonating chambers in this guy's chest and head, one of the two guys in the bunks starts laughing under his breath. Of course, in stressful situations, once humor starts leaking, the trickle will grow into a stream and then into maelstrom. The other guy starts giggling, and after about thirty more seconds, the three of us are all laughing at our own luck. HRRRRRNK!!!...HRK. HRK. KHAKH!! HRRRRRRNK!!!After the laughter dies down, another fifteen minutes go by, my brain has learned the rhythm of the snore, and has started tuning it out. I'm starting to drift to sleep..."F***!" The guy shouts. "Are you f***ing kidding me!""Dude, chill out, just try to go to sleep.""I can't! This sucks! What the f***! Like, I'm about to sleep outside!"HRRRRRNK!!! Khkhkhkh. HRRRRRRNK!!!"F*** this," he resigns. I see his silhouette get up and grab the thin mattress off the rack along with his sleeping bag and caseless pillow. He drags the three noisily through the back door and slams them all onto the ground. "F***ing--what the s***, man. I just want to get some f***ing sleep tonight." His string of foul language trails off as the spring and hydraulics slowly close the screen door. "Jesus, man. He needs to chill out," the remaining guy says now to himself.HRRRRRRNK!!!!......I think he's stopped breathing. Should I wake him?KHAAAaaah.He rolls over onto his side, much to my relief. There's a brief respite from the atrocious noise.Khkhkh...choooooo...KHKHkh...chooooooo...KHKHKH!...choooooooHis snores continued not nearly as loud, but the pitch of his exhalations and the irregularity of his breath made it worse than before. I once again couldn't contain my laughter at what luck I had choosing the same room as a champion snorer.While I drifted off to sleep eventually, the change in snoring pattern would always wake me and allow me to marvel at the natural beauty of it.The following morning, I awoke to his trashbaggesque rustling and clearing his throat. When he stood up he noticed the lack of mattress and smiled ot himself."That was quite a performance you put on last night," I say to him, an empathetic grin on my face."Yeah. That wasn't the first time someone's been forced outside." He scratched his back-end and his belly at the same time and walked out into the hallway clicking the back of his tongue against his soft palette.