Date: 2012-01-31
From: I-40 & AT

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night Curtis had told me that if I was ready when he drove his daughters to the school bus he could take me to a convenience store where I could buy a hot breakfast and any snacks I would need. Then he would drop me off by the river where he had picked me up, and I could make up the mile I missed last night. That sounded like a great plan, so I was all ready to go at the appointed time. We headed off for the entrance to the interstate, but there had been a rockslide that was blocking the westbound traffic. We ended up taking the scenic route on backroads to the girls' school. I had a nice breakfast and bought a few snacks that appealed. Curtis dropped me off by the river and I walked back up to the hostel. My feet hurt so much that I decided to try the Crocs and socks approach to footwear. It was okay for the short, relatively easy walk back to Standing Bear Hostel, but I decided I really needed the boots when I've got the pack on. I tended to the last of my packing, settled up with Curtis, and headed on up the Trail. Since the past two days had been long and hard on the feet and knees, I decided to take today fairly easy. Groundhog Shelter was my destination. I deliberately took my time, stopping frequently to rest and get off my feet, if only for five minutes at a time. I paid more attention to the sounds on the Trail than I usually do. I heard the helicopter that I guess was flying over the site of the rockslide on the interstate. Leaves crunched beneath my boots, birds rustled in the branches, and water burbled down steams.   I had been feeling played out, empty. But as I wandered my way up Snowbird Mountain, I began to feel refreshed. Even though I didn't have that far to go, I was moving so slowly, especially on the downhills which caused my feet and knees to protest, that I began to wonder if I would make it to the shelter before dark. I urged the feet to move faster. They protested. I tried switching to the Crocs, but that made it even worse as my toes bumped painfully against the ends of the Crocs. I went back to the boots and hobbled on. I needn't have worried about making it to the shelter. Well before dark I reached the side trail and headed down. To my surprise someone was already there. The first time I'd shared a shelter on this hike. I met 2-Cups, a hiker out for 9 or 10 days. He's hiked quite a bit in the area. We found much to talk about as I went about my camp chores and we each made our dinners. 2-Cups had taken a zero here at Groundhog Shelter and had spent some of the day gathering wood. He got a great fire going that made a bright, cheery light for the evening. We talked some more and then turned in. A couple of hours later I was startled awake by the sounds of someone or something large moving around outside the shelter. 2-Cups was across the way in the shelter, so this was someone or something else. I was still groggy and trying to sort things out when I heard a relieved, exhausted, "Thank you, Lord." I finally realized that it wasn't a bear, but a late-arriving hiker. It turned out to be Kitchen Sink, a young guy hiking as training before reentering the military. He had hiked today from Tri Corner Knob (where I had been 2 days ago) all the way here - 27 some miles. And he deliberately carries a heavy pack as a training tool. No wonder he was exhausted. The three of us talked for a while. I offered both men brand new earplugs as protection against my snoring. Both declined (foolish men), and we all went to sleep.