Date: 2014-04-17
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

What a fabulous day it turned out to be on the AT. I woke up to another cold morning and the wind was blowing. I'm getting tired of the cold, but understand I have all my winter gear and a warm sleeping bag good to 15 degrees. The trouble is I have to get out of it each morning and hike to stay warm. After 2 very long and difficult hiking days, I'd originally planned on a 10 plus mile day to the next shelter, then a nero day tomorrow when Randine, my friend and hiker Mom to her son Blue, was going to pick me up for a zero at her home in Asheville. Tortoise and Just Paul whom I've been hiking with for 3 days said they were going to try to push today to Erwin which would be a 16 mile day. They got me thinking about doing the same thing. I thought, if I could do 16 miles today, I could spend the night at the hostel right off the trail in Erwin and have 2 zeros, and celebrate my birthday tomorrow by NOT hiking. I set out at 9:00, which is on the late side for the ambitious number of miles, but decided I'd hike to the next shelter, see how I felt and how I was doing for time. It stayed cold and windy all morning. About 6 miles in, I came upon trail magic. It was Blue, Randine's son, thinking he might find me at this gap. With him were hiking compadres I haven't seen since I left Hot Springs, among them The Rock, B Man, Joe Cool, Boucher, Donali, and Safety with his dog Koda. Mountain Man and Nomad were there too, all having arrived at the gap in Miss Janet's van. Miss Janet is probably the most recognizable trail angel the 1st few hundred miles of the AT. In addition to food, they offered to slack pack me the next 10 plus to Erwin. I jumped at the chance. B Man let me borrow his day pack (thanks B Man). I gathered a few essentials from my pack (1st aid supplies, water, Aqua Mira, snacks and my head lamp just in case). I actually had a little separation anxiety leaving my backpack behind. My whole world, my home, everything I need to survive in the woods is in that pack which I have with me all the time. At the same time I was very excited to slack pack. What a huge difference it makes to hike with a few pounds on my back rather than 30. I hiked so much quicker, with so much less fatigue, no shoulder pain, and had easy access to my water while I kept moving. It finally warmed up in he afternoon, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and it was a lovely section of the trail. Miss Janet picked us all up in Erwin, took us to a Mexican restaurant to quell our voracious appetites, then drove us to Blue's, all for a gas donation. Thank you Miss Janet. So tonight, instead of spending a 3rd cold night in a shelter, I am showered and sleeping in a bed at Randine's. The other slack packers are sleeping in the garage tonight, not at all unlike a night in a shelter. I am so looking forward to 2 days off the trail to rest my body. That being said, my feet are doing very well. I still have not had a blister and I have no foot pain. My knee is better. I've done bigger miles this week and I only occasionally tweak it, but otherwise have no pain. Muscle soreness and fatigue I do have at the end of the day from daily mountain climbing, and not enough recovery time, but that is the nature of the beast.