Date: 2006-04-12
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

4-12-06Apple House Shelter to Moreland Gap Shelter18.2 milesI was the first one out of my sleeping back today ¢ I wanted to get going, this was going to be a big day of hiking. I went to the bathroom and then tried to wake Shane up, but she told me to go and get water while she lay in her sleeping bag longer. This is normal for her, but it pissed me off because she has been asking me to get her up earlier and she wasn¢t nice about telling me to get the water. So being a little pissed off bastard, I went and go my water and started cooking for myself, just to get her going and moving. If that is the way I get treated then there was a fat chance of me going and doing anything for her.My water was boiled so Shanae put some on for herself. I ate breakfast, got my stuff backed, and then laid around waiting for as she packed up and got water. Da Bear left, and we were soon to follow, putting our boots on trail dirt around 9:15AM.Da Bear was moving real slow today and I, being frustrated and irritated with my morning argument with Shanae, waited behind to let them go ahead, so that I would have some time to myself. It was still unbearably slow hiking.We had a gradual up through what looked like some old farming land, and then down to the Jones Falls Trail. A quarter mile later down that trail and we were witness to some magnificent falls. They weren¢t high volume, but they must have gone up about 100 feet. We stopped there for awhile to have a lunch of sorts.After I ate, I took off my boots and started to scramble up some rocks, hoping to make it to the top of the falls. My feet were slipping, but I made it up to the first ledge. Da Bear soon followed, pulling himself up on a root. I didn¢t want to go one without my sandals because I would be walking through the brush, so I asked Shanae to throw them up to me. It turned out to be another mini-ordeal because she was getting frustrated with herself by not being able to throw them to me, which she then took out on me. But after an exchange of words, she climbed over to where I could reach down for the ledge and get them.Shanae started climbing up too, but had no shoes so she ended up turning around. I scrambled through the brush, dirt, leaves, brambles, and, at the end, a maze of rhododendron branches. The view wasn¢t the greatest from the spot that Bear and I found, but we had made it to the top.After climbing down, we strapped on our packs again and headed onward to do the other two-thirds of our planned miles today. Shanae and I were going faster then Da Bear, and we lost sight of him within the hour.I had either gotten the stomach virus that has been going around or ate something that didn¢t agree with me, because I was not feeling well at all. My body seemed like it was trying to completely empty itself out. I went to the bathroom four times over the course of the day before finally stopping. It was a horrible experience, and slightly embarrassing too. It also left me quite fatigued, making the hiking that much harder.Even with my stomach issues, we crossed stream after stream, climbing the small mountains in between. The hiking wasn¢t that hard, just long. And Shanae and I made our peace along the way.We finally got up and over that last big mountain, and hiked down into the Moreland Gap shelter, where the Turtles and a guy named Robby was already there. I was exhausted by then, and just had enough strength to set down my pack and drink my remaining water. Shanae knew I wasn¢t feeling well, so she went and got water, while I emptied my pack and set up for cooking.I had stuffing with Lemon Pepper tuna (I will admit, it is starting to lose its appeal) and Shanae had herself some Raman with salmon. I also made some miso soup and Gatorade to try and rehydrate myself. My stomach must have shrank a bit, because it was hard for me to eat all that tuna and stuffing even though I used less stuffing than usual. Hopefully I will be back in shape tomorrow.By the time we were finishing up dinner, Da Bear had finally arrived, exclaiming his tardiness was due to a lengthy stream-side nap. Shanae and I quickly cleaned up and snuggled into our sleeping bags, as it was getting a bit chilly out. I wrote in my journal and listened to the rain owl hoot a couple of times, and to the heavy snorer in the shelter (Robby). I hope I get some sleep tonight.