Date: 2004-04-20
From: Hog Back Ridge Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Well we had quiet an influx of people late last night. It seems to be a large group who have come together on the trail and have been hiking together for some time. So far all of the hikers that I have met on the trail have been, without exception, pleasant and helpful and understanding people. Not so for this particular group. They were a bunch of loud-mouthed foul talking people. They stayed within their own little clique and made no attempt to interact with anybody else. They also decided to build a fire. I helped to gather some wood and tried to introduce myself and be nice but I may as well have been invisible as far as they were concerned, Worse, after they had started the fire, they then decided to go get water ¢ which was quiet a trip ¢ and they all wandered off leaving nobody to look after the fire, which they had decided could look after itself until they returned. I don¢t consider myself too much of a prude, after all I spent 30 years working in an inner-city hospital, but I don¢t see much need to have loud and vulgar discussions about various bodily functions in a communal shelter. I know that we all ¢Hike our own Hike¢ and on some level I understand that this is their way of hiking, but it was pretty upsetting to a lot of other hikers. Not very nice company, they sat up long after everybody else had turned in for the night ¢ which is OK ¢ but they continued with their loud and disruptive behavior late into the night - which is not!. Pifin had to appeal to them to keep it down, and even then they complied with much complaining and little grace. I am trying to be as understanding as possible, but there are limits. I suppose that hikers are just like any other group of people and there are a few bad apples in every barrel. Left early. Overcast and cloudy ¢ good hiking weather. There was a stiff ascent and then a long descent into Sam¢s Gap. I thought that a wayside cooler was trail magic, but alas it was empty! After the gap it was up and down and then a very, very long up to Big Bald. There were great views, a lot like Max Patch, but there were a lot of threatening clouds gathering over the bald. In fact it began to rain while I was crossing and continued, on and off, during the gradual descent into this shelter. Piffin was here, and the majority of lasts nights crowd have already passed on through. We are developing a nice crowd at this shelter however, and my faith in the hiking community is restored! There is a young couple here ¢ Chris and Ellen ¢ who are environmental engineers ¢ and who, like me, use a butane stone. We are certainly in the minority as far as our stoves are concerned among hikers. Had a good dinner but I think that I need more to eat during the day while I am hiking, I felt a little lightheaded today. Could also be that I am losing weight and may need to adjust my blood pressure medication. Looks as if I will have just enough food to get into Erwin. I am in good physical shape ¢ no blisters no pains ¢ but I must admit that it was just very hard work today. Thought for today ¢ This hike is like a pilgrimage in many ways. We walk like mendicants to a common destination, either to atone for past sins ¢ the older of us ¢ or to seek guidance/ indulgence for the future ¢ the younger ones.