Date: 2008-10-11
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I dedicate this journal entry to Cubby. Last night we were at Cherry Gap Shelter. I was in my hammock about 100yds. from the shelter. Spoon and Cubby stayed in the shelter with 2 other section hikers. Mango and Grettle never made it to camp and wilderness camped somewhere north of Cherry Gap. At 12:30 am I was awaken by the flicker of the fire. Before looking out of my hammock I wondered who the hell showed up at our camp and re-lit the fire? Shortly after that I heard someone vomiting close by. I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or not. I thought of the book Dreamcatcher by Stephen King where guys in the woods are infected with alien worms that make them sick at first and then the worms grow and take over the body. Did an alien host stumble into our camp? I looked out over my hammock and saw a headlamp near the shelter. I figured that one of the 3 day hikers at camp was sick and waiting it out by the fire. I passed back out to the sounds of someone throwing up. I got up early at 7ish this morning. My pack was hanging in the shelter. When I made my way over there I passed by Cubby in his sleeping bag laying next to the fire pit. I felt so bad. I didn't think that it was one of my own that was sick. I couldn't have imagined what might have made him sick... we all ate and drank the same things. Spoon was already awake and he confirmed that Cubby was awake most of the night vomiting in to the fire (because he didn't want to attract bears by doing it in the woods). At this point Cubby was up and describing the pain that he was in. He looked horrible and was bent over holding his stomach. We were meeting Spoons friends today at 8+ miles out of Cherry Gap. We looked the map over to see if there were any short cuts to get Cubby close to an access road. Sure enough there was a forest road that cut about 4 miles out of the hike. I agreed to hike ahead as fast as I could to meet Spoons friends (the Sauls). Once I reached them I would explain the situation and take the forest road in toward Cubby and Spoon.There was a 1200ft. vertical climb out of the gap. It was difficult for me and must have been 10 times as difficult for Cubby. He was dehydrated, nauseous and didn't sleep. I kept saying in my head, "your the man if you make it out of this gap Cubby". I walked extra fast to meet the Sauls as soon as possible. Evidently Spoon was able to contact the Sauls by cell phone before I could reach them by foot. Mike Sauls was driving at me on the dirt forest road (ran parallel with the AT) in his mini van. He introduced himself, told me he was aware of our dilemma and told me to hop in. We found Cubby and Spoon about 3 miles behind where I was picked up. I patted Cubby on the back and told him "good job". I don't think he felt how sincere I was. I was proud of him that he toughed it out.The Sauls drove us to their house in Greenville TN. They bought us BBQ lunch and cooked us a feast of ziti, meatballs, sausages, apple pie and ice cream for dinner. As it is Saturday afternoon Spoon and I watched College football and drank beer. Cubby went to sleep at 1pm... woke up to eat dinner and went back to bed. He must have had some horrible bug or reaction to something because he said he was feeling better and could hold down food.I've come to love Cubby as a brother. He is 9 years younger than me but we have allot in common. When we are alone on the trail we talk about girls and relationships mostly. I don't try to give him advice but enjoy sharing my stories and opinions with him. If he can learn anything from my mistakes and success that's cool... if not then it's still cool. He always seems interested to listen.When the Saul's picked us up today they were asking where we got our trail names. Spoon told his story about forgetting to bring his spoon and having to whittle one out of a forest branch. I told my story about Mango naming me after The Count of Monte Cristo for being in so many places and telling so many crazy stories. Cubby regrettably told his story about being named Cubby (the cub scout) by a 3rd grade bully on the school playground and the name has stuck with him since. He said that he wished he had waited for a trail name so that he would have a cool story like ours. At that moment I decided that it is my goal to rename Cubby before the trail is over. He has graduated from a name given to him by the 3rd grade bully. I look at him as being a strong link to our crew and he deserves better. Cubby is our fire guy, the romantic, always honest and the young buck of the crew who will do anything for any of us. No one in our group reads my journal entries. No one has time. When this is all said and done I hope Aron recognizes how much of a friend I consider him. I get the sense that Aron might think that we are all hiking together by mire coincidence or out of convenience. I have told him before that any of us could have split off at any time to either hike solo or with the many other south bounders that we have come across. It is not mire coincidence that the five of us have stuck together for 4 months now 24/7. We are bound by our personality's, like minds and we all bring something special to the table... including Cubby. When you do read this Aron I expect us to remain friends for years to come.We picked up Mango and Grettle in town. They hitched their own ride out of the woods to the Erwin Post Office.   ~Santana~ "by myself but not alone"