Date: 2005-04-27
From: Hot Springs NC

To: Rich Mt Campsight
Miles today: 9.0

Well, I don't have my notes and my handwritten journal with me, but I am going to try to update you all with what I can remember. Today is Saturday April 30, and I am at Ms. Janets hostel after one nasty week of mud and slop and loads of rain and thunder. I will update the dates I write about tonight with my real notes after tomorrow or before monday sometime.Tuesday April 26:After I left the library, I went to the grocery and bought WAY to much food, or at least what I thought would be way to much food. I had originally planned on buying a pint of pint of Ben And Jerry's along with my food at the grocery store for a snack, but Mr.Fusion treated me to a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. I bought a completely new variety of foods for the next five days on the trail as a treat and so I brought foods that weigh more than foods I would normally carry and the food items included goods such as a bag of big blueberry bagels and a jar of peanut butter, but first I had to the outfitter to use their ATM because the grocery store didn't take cards of any kind! Usually everything I carry is dehydrated and so it was awesome to carry real food for a change as a treat. I also stocked my food bag with a HUGE bag of Peanut M&M's and a nice supply of Moon Pies. I went to the campsight in town to take down my tent and then the thunder clouds started rolling in. I didn't see Mr. Fusion leave and then when I was at the post office forwarding myself my shoes that I wasn't using, into Damascus, VA, I saw Saxy and she tried to convince me to go to the Hot Springs, (There is actually hot springs in Hot Springs), however, I declined, because I knew it was time for me to be getting on the trail since it was getting late and the T-Storms would be rolling in soon. I started hiking and the hike was really cool out of town because it climbed up and out of the river valley and you could watch the town leaving you. It climbed up and away on some rock bluffs which were really picturesque as well. It started raining as I entered this wonderfully beautiful bald area in the mountains called mill ridge which kept my spirits very high even though it was raining. I love those pastural balds that are so amazing to amazing to walk through so high in the mountains. I would definitely like to visit there again and camp out in the open when the weather is nicer. The hike continued to surprise me with its pastural beauty and its feel of a past era. It was raining when I starting dancing along the trail to funny rap songs of the early nineties, like, "The Humpty Dance". I came up to another awesome sight when I was entering a campsight area around five miles into the days hike. It was this amazing pond which is how I picture Thoureau's, 'Walden'. I kept hiking and finally reached my campsight for the night and I pondered if I should push on or camp there because the campsight was at this fire tower called the Rich Mt. foretower. I have past by other firetowers when it has been raining or a lack of scenic views, but I decided I was going to go ahead and stop for the evening and camp alone in hopes of seeing a better view from the fire tower in the morning. I ate a little dinner, and planned on reading in my tent but quickly I fell asleep, and didn't wake up until 12 hours later and the weather cleared in the morning for a quick climb up the fire tower, which provided awesome views of the Asheville area. I was really proud of myself for not pushing myself on to the next shelter that day and for actually stopping to see a view. It was definitely a good day on the trail, with some great food that I wasn't used to eating while on the trail.Wednesday April 27:It was still raining slightly when I woke up, well the rain was coming off of the trees, and so I cooked a nice breakfast of grits with red eye gravy and dried ham chunks and read my book in my sleeping bag which was really cool. After that is when I got to run up to the Fire tower and check it out, while my tent dried. The door to the fire tower had been broken and so I could actually go inside which was cool, but the instruments had been taken out because the tower was taken out of commision a while ago I guess. I left camp really late that morning and then I got to the next shelter around 11:00 and saw Mr.Fusion and met, Noonen, Panaramic, and I also saw Grump for the firsts time in a few days. Grump informed me that he dropped his poles while hiking next to my tent at around 6:00 that morning but I figured it was him when it woke me up. After I ate lunch at the shelter which was awesome, consisting of a sandwich made of blueberry bagels, p-nut butter, and marshmellows, I hiked for a while with Mr. Fusion and then at a road crossing, I saw signs for trail magic that required me to walk down the road a few hundred yards into this couples really cool new log cabin. I walked in pretty excited because on the sign for the trail magic it said they had hot stew which was really inviting on this rainy day. I ended ended up staying their after eating an outstanding ice cream cake with nuts and talking for over three hours! Needless to say, my mileage didn't accomplished that day but it was perfectly fine with me because of the awesome events that occured instead. I had a blast at the cabin talking with the owners, FAL and HERCULES who thru-hiked in 99 and Mr.Fusion, and Noonen, and Panaramic, and Jackaroo were also there. They also made a great cup of cappucino for me. I hike out of there with a huge caffeine buzz and then only a few miles outside of the cabin, there was another sign for trail magic and so I went to that also, and got some oatmeal goodies from a guy who informed me that Mr. Beer who is a guy from Japan was in backpacker magazine which was pretty neat.I almost hiked to the shelter from the trail magic in a break in the rain, but it started again and so I got soaked again. I got to the shelter and it was full, and so that meant another night of tenting in the rain. A lady at the shelter that evening gave me some salmon which was great. A sat around a fire that night which was really nice , and since I had marshmellows I got to roast them! Everyone looked somewhat jealous! Everyone at the shelter kept joking on me all night because of the light pack that I carry, but I think they all wish that their packs were so light! The terrain today was a welcome change fromm the normal terrain that I encounter because a lot of it was down low in piney areas and so it was nice.