Date: 2009-05-10
From: NEW FOUND GAP

To: PECKS CORNER SHELTER
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I FOUND OUT I MISSED THE SHUTTLE TO THE TRAIL BECAUSE I DIDNT KNOW IT LEFT EARLIER THAN THE CHECKOUT TIME OF ELEVEN AM. SO IM HEADING OUT TO THE OUTFITTER. I GOT A LATE START. PACK WEIGHS 75 POUNDS AND OFF I GO. I RAN INTO MILES WHO WAS PUTTING HIS BIKE TOGETHER AT THE OUTFITTER BECAUSE HES GONNA RIDE A SECTION AROUND GATLINBURG. HE ASKED IF HE COULD TAKE A PICTURE OF MY PACK WHEN I TOLD HIM HOW HEAVY IT WAS. I WENT INSIDE AND BOUGHT A COUPLE OF LITTLE CAN OPENERS, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. I INQUIRED ABOUT A SHUTTLE TO THE TRAIL AND THEY TOLD ME ITS AN EASY HITCH BUT I CANT BE IN TOWN I WOULD HAVE TO WALK UP THE ROAD ABOUT A HALF MILE. I THEN WALKED UP TO THE ROAD TO HITCH A RIDE UP TO NEWFOUND GAP. LOTS OF TRAFFIC. SOMEONE PULLED OVER AND I ASKED CAN YOU GIVE ME A RIDE TO NEWFOUND GAP AND HE SAID HES JUST STOPPING TO WALK HIS DOG. I MANAGED TO HITCH A RIDE IN THE BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK. THE WEATHER WAS A LOT BETTER. THE TOURISTS WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE. BOY DID I GIVE THEM SOME COMIC RELIEF. THE VIEW WAS GREAT TODAY. I HAD A LOAF OF BREAD AND TWO BANANAS 3 ORANGES AND A APPLE HANGING OFF MY PACK. I CARRIED UP 2 PORK STEAKS, A PACKAGE OF BALONY, A ONE POUND 20 OUNCE CAN OF PEACHES, A CAN OF FRUIT COCKTAIL AND A LOT OF OTHER STUFF. CHARLIES BUNION NOT A PROBLEM. AS I FOLLOWED A OLD GUY IN A FLAG COLOR SHIRT HE JUST KEPT GOING AND I DINT WANT TO STOP AND JUST KEPT PACE WITH HIM WHEN HE FINALLY STOPPED AND TURNED AROUND AND SAID. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HIKING?" SURPRISED AT THE SIZE OF MY PACK AND HOW I COULD KEEP UP WITH HIM. I TOLD HIM I HAD BEEN HIKING FOR 200 MILES WITH 60 POUNDS SO I WAS USED TO IT. YOU SHOULD OF SEEN THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AS I CONTINUED BY HIM. I HAD A LITTLE TRAIL MAGIC AT THE ICEWATER SPRING SHELTER. A MOUNTAINHOUSE, GRANOLA WITH MILK AND BLUEBERRIES AND TWO HALF FULL BOTTLES OF WATER. I THOUGHT IT WAS TRAIL MAGIC UNTIL I WALKED AROUND THE CORNER EATING IT AND SAW A PACK HANGING ON THE BEAR CABLES. I THEN FREAKED OUT AND LOOKED AROUND AND DIDNT SEE ANYONE AND THOUGHT I BETTER FINISH IT OFF AND GET OUT OF THERE QUICK IN CASE THE OWNER OF THAT MOUNTAIN HOUSE WAS NEAR BY. AFTER HIKING DOWN THE TRAIL IN A HURRY, I CAME ACROSS A YOUNG LADY WITH A CAMERA. SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS THRU HIKING AND I SAID YES. SHE SAID HER STUFF WAS UP THE TRAIL AT THE SHELTER. I SAID IT WASNT THE GRANOLA WITH MILK AND BLUEBERRIES WAS IT CAUSE I ATE IT. SHE SAID "NO" THAT WAS THERE WHEN SHE GOT THERE. "TRAIL MAGIC, THATS WHAT ITS IS" SHE SAID. SO WHAT A RELIEF. OFF I WENT. GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES. ARRIVED AT PECKS CORNER SHELTER ABOUT 6 PM. TIMEBOMB AND THIMBLE ARE HERE AT THE SHELTER WITH ME. AND OLD GUY WHO LOOKED HOMELESS SHOWED UP. I KNEW THIS WAS A PERMIT ONLY SHELTER AND ONLY 4 THRU HIKERS SPOTS ARE AVAILABLE. RIGHT AT DARK A BUNCH OF HIKERS WITH RESERVATIONS SHOWED UP AND PROCEEDED TO AGGRAVATE TIMEBOMB. THEY WERE LOUD AND JUST INCONSIDERATE. NO REGARD FOR THOSE WHO HAD WENT TO SLEEP. I WAS KIND OF TAKEN BACK BY IT. I SHARED SOME NUTTER BUTTERS WITH THE OLD GUY WHO SAT WITH ME BY THE FIRE. I HAD GOT IT GOING IN THE FIREPLACE IN THE SHELTER. I GAVE HIM SOME COUGH DROPS TO TAKE WITH HIM BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS SOMETHING TO SUCK ON, KINDA LIKE CANDY. I HAD GOTTEN THEM OUT OF THE HIKERS BOX IN GATTLINBURG. I REMEMBER WHEN TIMEBOMB AND THIMBLE SEEN ME PULL OUT MY PORK STEAKS AND WRAP THEM IN TINFOIL AND THROW THEM ON THE FIRE. WHEN THEY WERE DONE. TIMEBOMB SAYS "THOSE DONT LOOK VERY GOOD" AND I SAID "YEA I BET" AND I CHOWED THEM DOWN. I HAD MET ROUTE 66 THERE AND HE TOOK A PICTURE OF ALL MY CAN GOODS I HAD CARRIED UP. HE WAS SURPRISED THAT I CARRIED ALL THAT WEIGHT, HE JUST HAD TO GET A PICTURE. WEIGHT DOESNT BOTHER ME. I FELT BAD BECAUSE I TOLD THE OLD GUY THE SHELTER WAS FULL BUT IF I WAS HIM HE SHOULD SLEEP ON THE GROUND UNDER THE ROOF OF THE SHELTER TO AVOID THE RAIN. HE SAID THAT WAS GONNA BE FINE WITH HIM AND THE NEXT DAY I REALIZED I COULDNT COUNT. I REMEMBER TIMEBOMB ASKING ME WHO SAID HE COULDNT SLEEP IN THE SHELTER AND THE NEXT MORNING I TOLD HIM I THINK I TOLD HIM IT WAS FULL. I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE WHEN EVERYONE STARTED SHOWING UP THEY GAVE ME A WRONG NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY. HONEST MISTAKE I SWEAR.