Date: 2005-04-12
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Painter Branch
Miles today: 2.3

.12.05Day 309:30am Sitting outside the cabin at Standing Bear Farm, on the bridge, over the stream bisecting this idyllic haven, the muted tones of Linux strumming the guitar wafting through the air. There's a sense of timelessness here, as if the clocks are frozen in place, seconds no longer tick by. Rip van Winkle of the AT, where the rest of the world continues its hectic, hurried pace, but here, time isn't relative, b/c it's immaterial. Peace pervades the atmosphere. It's such a refreshing and balancing sensation.Reunited w/ my buddies Cuppa Joe and Break, they've gained the reputation and slogan 'Go Lite, Go Easy'. (And the 'lite' is not in reference to pack weight either. No, that award currently goes to Thirsty Boots, who's pack weighs under 20#.) They've recruited 2 new initiates into the ranks -- Pacman and Linux. This morning, we were all hangin' out around the table, discussing our plan to get into Hot Springs. Today's goal was the first shelter, a challenging 7-mile hike. As a true (and original) member of the Go-Slow gang, I proposed as an alternative, hiking an ambitious 2.5 miles up to the first campsite. Taxing, I know. But, considering the current forecast of rain today and rain tomorrow but clear skies the day after, a slow pace allows us the (admittedly miniscule) chance of getting a decent night up on Max Patch. Plus, after my big day yesterday, I'm not in aany hurry to scurry anywhere, and certainly not up that hill I know is coming. Well, it took about 10 seconds of explanation of my proposition before it was overwhelmingly adopted. As Break put it: "We've missed you." So now, I have virtually all day to be a lazy bum, and just chill on the farm. Pretty tough life, no?11:30am We all had a late night last evening, chatting around the campfire. I lasted until midnight, but the 18 miles coupled w/ the largely sleepless night before, plus the one beer that pushed me over the top. So, I stumbled off to bed, in my usual locale -- the floor. Cuppa Joe and Linux opted to snooze on the benches surrounding the campfire, and right now CJs catching a few more Zs on the porch of the bunkhouse. Oh, he's got his book open in his lap, giving a pretense of reading, but the telltale deep breathing foils his ruse. It's just one o' those days. A few brief spatterings of rain, but no sign of the thunderstorms threatened as of yet. Hmmm. Probably'll wait until we actually start to hike out. Ah well. So it goes.2:15pm The time warp continues. Not much happening. The flow of hikers in and out ebbs and wanes. The rain has kept up its persistent drizzle. A good day to hang out under a roof. I've been browsing through a biology textbook, which was just randomly sitting around in the kitchen hut. An excellent reminder of how much vocabulary and lingo I've strained from my brain. It's all packed in there somewhere still, though, b/c flipping through the pages set off familiar bells in my head. Ahh, the good ol' days of Introductory Bio. Right now, I'm rediscovering the inner workings of the sodium-potassium pump. Good tmes.On the eve of my one-month anniversary, I've been looking back a lot over the past 30 days. When I hurriedly gathered together all my gear and threw it in my pack, that morning of March 12, crazedly and dazedly running around trying to complete all of those chores and tasks I'd procrastinated on up to that point, that morning a whole slew of emotions coursed through me. Predominant was wory, that something would interfere w/ my departure (not getting my gear packed in time, flat tire on the drive to the airport, flash flood, meteors, etc). But also prevalent was trepidation, though I'd (rather successfully) kept it dampened and hidden. My fear was that I had constructed these unreachable castles in the sky, of what the hike, the journey would be, based on last year's experience. I feared a colossal let-down, a crash-landing from an emotional high. I feared that I'd built up my expectations to unattainable heights. But instead, what I've found is that my expectations have been left in the valleys, while I parade about on the peaks. This journey has taken me to so many amazing places which, although I may have traversed the physical territory last year, I failed to see or visit. Perspective gives you so much, carries you beyond your physical environment. Yesterday, w/ the resurfacing of my trail legs, I reached that fluidity and union of mental and physical, mind and body in a coordinated dance of unity and clarity.10:30pm Yes, that is indeed the time. And yes, I did actually hike today, maintaining my standard of the 'Nero Queen' (not to be confused w/ last year's title of 'Zero Queen'), by walking a grand total of, oh, about 2.3 miles. Our departure was oft-delayed, much-debated, and highly questionable at several points. We had originally planned on taking our leave b/t 4 and 5pm, which would get us to camp by 6, leaving several hours of daylight for chores. Well, around 4, the rain really picks up. My desire to head out is severely dampened. Then, Freedom and Thatch roll in, clothing wet but spirits high. They debate about staying or pushing on. I convince them to spend the night, invest in some quality bonding time w/ the washer and dryer. And the hot shower. It didn't take much persuasion to talk them into it. Then, they turn the tables on me, as I'm already teetering on the brink of staying. Hiking out, in the rain, to throw up my tent, in the rain, wasn't so!unding exactly palatable, especially when compared to the option of sleeping in a warm, dry cabin. So, I start in on Cuppa Joe -- "I'll stay if you stay." I detect a slight wavering, as the rain comes down in torrents. (Okay. slight exaggeration. The rain really wasn't all that bad. But, it's my story, so back off.) (The hailstones were the size of golfballs. ) I move on to Break, where "I'm thinking of stay another night" becomes "I'm staying another night." I sense a definite teetering, as the vortex exerts its magnetic force. Of course, as soon as I make this declaration, the rain almost instantaneously ceases, and patches of blue sky appear. Hmpf. So, naturally, the see-saw starts to totter in the opposite direction, the pull of the trail in full effect. 6 o'clock, Cuppa Joe announces his intent to hike out. I hem and haw, but I know I'll be on my way as well. A successful battle against the vortex. Lasy year, I would have succumbed. And, even w/ all our good intentions,we barely escaped. We reach ed the trail at 7:08pm, rolling into camp exactly one hour later, arriving to a smoky campfire provided by Linux and Pacman. What a welcome sight. B/c I had a lunch-dinner of mac'n cheese back at Standing Bear, I just sort of gnoshed for supper on the incredibly tasty Kudos Fruit and Nut bars that my trail angel from Saturday unexpectedly gave me. Karen, the woman who drove me from Gatlinburg to Newfound Gap (my easiest and most effortles hitch to-date) appeared at Standing Bear this evening. And, she arrived bearing a personalized care package for me (w/ my name on it and everything) -- vegetarian dinners, and snack bars. So, I added it to my (already enormous) food bag. I'll just continue to hand out food to fellow hikers who underestimated their food consumption. But, Karen's gift was an unexpected (but supremely appreciated) surprise. The generosity of strangers cannot fail to overwhelm. As Pacman said, "For under $10, you can make a thru-hiker so happy." So true. But, to return to my story, I munched on the Kudos, and passed them around to everyone else here tonight -- Break, CJ, Linux, and Pacman. A relaxed evening around the fire, watching the stars gradually become shrouded in clouds, and the lightning creep ever closer. Currently, the rain is steadily assaulting my rainfly, and I've discovered two mirroring drips inside my tent. Not from the rain (I hope), but from condensation (I hope). Otherwise, things could get a little damp in here tonight...Just as we all crawled in to out tents (at 10:30), a trio of owls began calling to one another. One sounded alarmingly monkey-like, like a screech monkey. But, apparently the were united, b/c their calls soon ceased. As will this entry, b/c it is late, and I am tired. Hopefully, the rain will lull me to sleep. And have stopped by morning.