Date: 2006-04-28
From: Glassmine Gap

To: Wayah Gap
Miles today: 13.2

Greetings! Beautiful morning. Cold though- I started hiking in gloves and hat. I got up at six and was hiking at 6:40. I had a little over six miles to hike to the road crossing at Winding Stair Gap, where I had heard the local motel owner did a free daily shuttle to town, around 8:30 or 9:00. So I wanted to get there in time to catch it if I could. I was happily surprised to knock out that half dozen miles in short order, pulling in to the gap in less than two hours. Too bad it took me almost an hour to hitch a ride (yeah, no sign of free local shuttle guy). After about a hundred cars zoom by without so much as tapping the brakes, you start to wonder what is wrong with you. (i.e., "do I have dirt smeared on my face? Is my fly open, or what?") seriously, I have no idea what I look like cuz I haven't seen a mirror since I left Hiawassee. The guy who finally did give me a ride told me to keep an ear open for the wolves around here. No kidding! I was surprised enough to learn about the wild boars. Now there's wolves, too? The guy who dropped me off, and two different people at the post office offered me rides back to the trail, which I had to decline because I have other errands to run. Hopefully it's a good sign for later, though, when I try to hitch back =)I'm in Franklin, but I'm not going to take a zero here. I've already been to the post office, and I'm here at the library. After I hit up the grocery store and maybe the Pizza hut lunch buffet, I'll be ready to hitch back out to the trail and hopefully put in a chunk of miles by sunset.Oh yeah! One state down, 13 to go! I passed the GA/NC border yesterday morning. Not much to speak of, just a little board tacked on a tree, with carvings and graffiti making the original sign hard to read. But it is a milestone, nonetheless. My first 100 miles are down, too. I feel like I'm starting to pick up some momentum. Which, Incidentally, would be a cool trail name. Kinda hard to get out though: "hey Momentum! howzit goin!" or "Want some of my gorp, Momentum?" yeah, a little cumbersome. Actually, I've been toying around with the idea of Jumpstart as a trail name, for a few reasons: 1. that's what I needed when my ankle went out. 2. It seems like I'm usually the first one on the trail each morning (yeah, Mom and Dad, I know it's hard to believe but it's true. Out here, I go to bed and wake up with the sun.) And 3. It's a good reminder for me to be the kind of person who infuses energy and life to others on the trail, by being an encourager and a witness for Christ. Still tentative, but that's what I've been thinking. I had thought that we would all sit around the fire every night trying to name each other, but apparently that group is way up north or something. So I'm taking matters into my own hands here. =)I keep forgetting to mention some of the "trail magic" I've received. On Easter Sunday, I ran into the Easter Bunny himself- a man hiking Southbound on the trail wearing large bunny ears and carrying a basket of chocolate. Then, a few days ago, we encountered Preacher Dude. This guy has hauled on his back (to the AT from a side trail) hundreds of pounds worth of tents, food, stoves, coolers, etc., and, depending on what time of day you pass through, will force you to sit down and enjoy coffee and omelets, cold cut sandwiches, or hearty stew. He's a pastor who plans on leaving the stuff there all year, even when he has to be away. He uses the bills and coins in the tip bucket to drive to town about once a day and buy more soda, fruit, etc. The potheads I was hiking with asked him to "bless" them. I had already left but was told later that the prayer he offered up on their behalf brought at least one to tears! Anyway, for me, it was nice to have a fresh banana and a coke.