Date: 2008-06-20
From: Hemlock Hollow Farm

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ah, that first climb of the day. There is nothing like it. The blisters on your feet go numb. Mother Nature reminds you of just how out of shape you are. That extra piece of bacon you had this morning keeps trying to escape in a gas form. It¢s the little things in life you begin to appreciate that can only come from gaining 2,500 ft of elevation right after you leave a place like Hemlock Hollow Farm. Today our journey will take us over a place so beautiful that they named it Big Butt. Along the way we traveled to Camp Creek Bald. The guidebook promises a fire tower on the bald. They were correct but it was a crappy one in that you could not get into it because the platform was locked. Next up was the pick of the day¢¦White rocks and Blackstack cliffs. Both were spectacular views on your way up to Big Firescald Knob. It is quite a site to see as exposed rocks reach for the sky on the summit. This is also snake country. At least it looked like it to me based on last year¢s experience. As we start to descend from the top my senses were proven to be correct. The rocks stepping down on the trail revealed about 1 ft of a Timber Rattler. I never got to see the snake in whole but rather pieces of him as he made his escape towards cover. If his mid section is any gauge he was one big fat daddy. Richard tried to get some photos of him much to no avail. As soon as he achieved cover his rattle went into high gear. I¢m pretty thankful that they fear us as much as we do them.    On to lunch and Jerry Cabin Shelter. Well¢¦what is it? Is it a cabin or a shelter? Actually it is a 3 sided shelter with a history. Sam Waddle became ¢AT Famous¢ for restoring said shelter from a hell hole to one of the cleanest on the trail, Ole Sam had a sense of humor too. He installed a telephone and an electric outlet there. It seems the folks who now maintain it removed those items. I¢m guessing they had numerous complaints from hikers who said it was stupid because light-weighters don¢t carry coins or plug in devices. It¢s on to Big Butt. Again the trail mocks me. Today water was in short supply. The spring at Jerry Cabin was bone dry. There is a spring listed in the online companion at mile 300.3. Someone was also kind enough to place sticks in the form of an arrow leading 125 yds to the spring. It required hiking through some stinging nettle but it was flowing well and worth the trip. Soon after the spring we passed the Shelton brother¢s graves. Long story short: 2 southerners fight for the North. They visit home and get ambushed¢¦end of the Shelton brothers and the story. We finally reach Flint Mountain shelter. Tonight we will be staying there with Jason from NY and his hiking partner Carl from Barbados. These two were very friendly. Jason teaches in a Jr. College and Carl from what I gather likes to carry a lot of equipment. Oh and he is a world class Snorer. Richard had decided to tent it but was awakened by all three of us this night. I can hold my own in a snore fest but Carl is the Champ. Richard woke up twice thinking a bear was about to attack. Let it be known that Jason started snoring the moment his head hit the pillow. I had to listen to my Ipod in order to nod off. Before leaving the next morning Carl was telling us how manhood is measured in Barbados. He said it is common for men there to father a minimum of 10 kids. He even knew of a guy who had over 30. I asked him how many he had fathered. He said ¢none¢. In my best Jamaican accent (which trust me sucks) I said ¢You lazy bum¢¦now go out there and impregnate some ladies¢. For those keeping track the water supply at the shelter that night was excellent!