Date: 2004-05-28
From: Dennis Cove Road, Hampton, TN

To: Re-energized
Miles today: 10.6

Taking a rest day at the Kincora Hiker Hostel enabled me to catch up on sleep and ingest lots of calories. As a result, my energy on the trail has returned; this was a great relief to me. Another possible factor for my renewed energy is a twice daily mixing of sports drink powder with drinking water; this will replace minerals lost from excessive sweating.Before departing the hostel, I chatted with the owner, Bob Peoples."You see multi millionaires hiking with homeless people," he said about the Appalachian Trail. He added, "Seeing hikers renews your faith in mankind. People (hikers) who stop and help each other don't know each other twenty-four hours earlier." He said that hikers pass through his hostel in waves based on employment and school schedules. The first wave consists of chefs from ski resorts who are between seasons, and the owners of bed and breakfasts who are also between seasons. College students with trimester course schedules also round out this initial wave. The second wave of hikers consists of CPA's and lawyers who hit the trail after the deadline for tax returns on April 15. The final wave of hikers includes many teachers because schools have closed late in the spring. College graduates also hike in this wave. He said that more hikers in their fifties have been hitting the trail due to early retirements.I resumed hiking with Swedish and his girlfriend Shannon, who are in their twenties. Early on, the trail passed by Laurel Falls, a beautiful terraced waterfall. I took a portrait of Swedish and Shannon at this location. Since the beginning of this journey, I have been taking portraits of people that I meet.Another thru hiker appeared today. His trail name is "Messy Garage." He is a former employee of the Federal government in his fifties. I asked him about the origin of his trail name. He replied that his wife had told him in jest to clean out the garage or go take a hike. A long ascent followed the visit to the falls. After that, it began to drizzle and then rain heavily. The trail became flooded. My feet, shoes and socks got soaked. Other articles of clothing got wet to a lesser degree.Late in the day, the trail passed by Watauga Lake. A large tent with space to stand up in, and a tarp, was erected in the woods near the shore of the lake. I assumed it was owned by campers getting an early start on the Memorial Day weekend. I approached the tent, intending to duck under the tarp for temporary shelter from the downpour. I needed to open my backpack and remove some items without exposing them to the downpour. As I walked closer and announced my presence, I noticed trash all over the site. It was apparently the shelter of a homeless person. There was no reply to my greeting. I stood under the tarp beside the entrance to the tent and removed the items from the backpack. I did not know if anyone was inside the tent, but I sensed a presence. It was an uncomfortable sensation. As I left the site, maybe twenty yards away, I heard a faint sound from the direction of the tent. I looked back for a split second then turned away, wondering if a set of eyes was peering at me through a crack in the fabric of the entrance.The rain stopped and I erected my hammock behind the Watauga Lake Shelter. The other occupants of the site were Swedish, Shannon, Messy Garage, and a southbound section hiker named Bear Killer. I told Bear Killer that he should modify his name to Bear Slayer; the new version has a better ring to it. I took my time setting up the hammock between two trees directly behind the shelter. I experimented with different placements of the tarp which protects the hammock from rain. Bear Killer assisted me.Today, it was unpleasant getting wet, but there was a consolation. I was hiking again with a spring to my step. I have a new insulation pad for my hammock. Hopefully, with more food and better sleep, my stamina will sustain across the miles and mountains that lay ahead.