Date: 2006-04-02
From: Hot Springs, NC (The Sunnybank Inn)

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

4-2-06Hot Springs, NC (The Sunnybank Inn) to Spring Mountain Shelter11.0 milesOn the trail again...Woke up early to get errands done and because I thought the breakfast bell was going to ring according to Daylight Savings Time. I realized since my watch is missing one of its little knobs, I can't change the time and will just have to mentally add one hour. Errands done and finally the breakfast bell rings.Elmer had prepared for us yet another feast. Fresh eggs (my favorite), biscuits served with an excellent vegetable gravy, butter, honey, or jam, granola, and grits. There was apple juice on the table and Shanae and I contributed out champagne we hadn't drunk, so most of us had apple mimosas to start off our day. It is a great thing to be boozing it up on a Sunday morning before hitting the trail.Bellies again full to the brim; we packed, paid, and bid Elmer and his workers goodbye. We moved Shanae's car to the trailhead parking lot and shouldered our food-laden packs. This was our one last stroll through Hot Springs along the AT and we were on the trail at 11AM.Reaching the first big climb, Shanae ambitiously plowed ahead, only to get slower and slower as the reality of hiking with a pack set in. We passed so many people, more people than I've ever seen on the trail in one day, must have been almost 30, all headed back to Hot Springs.Halfway there, we came up to a stream, and Brad (Sir Hawk) of all people was there lying on the bridge. We talked for awhile and caught up on things. I might try to catch a ride to Bonnaroo with him and his friends if at all possible later on down the trail. He left and Shanae and I hung out for a bit longer, making it an hour and a half break. We set out and climbed the last few mountains, finally reaching Spring Mountain shelter around 6:30PM.Kelly, Sir Hawk, the Tortoise, and Dr.Jones and his wife were already there. We set up our tent on top of the hill overlooking the shelter. We made dinner outside the tent because it was so warm, and then hung our food and curled up in our sleeping bags. As I am writing I noticed some heat lightning off in the distance and Shanae and I watched that for a bit.A little while later a huge gust of wind starts coming through and I realize that that was no heat lightning in the distance. Storm clouds rolling in, I rush out of the tent and grab the rain fly from my pack. Struggling to put it on the tent in the heavy wind, I managed to get one clip in before all hell breaks loose and the heavens release their deluge. I am still struggling with the tarp as water is pouring down, and Shanae is inside the tent, throwing stuff in her sleeping bag to protect it from the rain. I finally untangle the tarp and get all the clips in, but now I can't find the stakes I just had in my hands. Somehow in the confusion they had scattered all around the tent, and I managed to find one, then two to stake out the vestibule. I stake it out, making sure it is nice and tight, then grab our packs and throw them and myself in.I am soaked from head to toe and the tent and everything in it has definitely seen some water. I get out my super absorbent towel (thanks Mom!) and furiously try to dry off everything, especially my sleeping bag, because down is pretty useless when wet. My liner had gotten outside of my sleeping bag and was soaked through. As Shanae and I are drying off everything she suddenly remembers we left out shoes out there. With a groan, I again run barefoot out into the storm and retrieve our shoes.Back to the tent again, I get out of my completely soaked clothes and return to drying out the tent and wringing out the towel. We finally get everything to a semi-dry level, and I settle into my sleeping bag to dry the rest of it out with my body heat. Even with the lightning, thunder, and rain all around us, I still managed to catch some shut eye. What a crazy first night for Shanae!