Date: 2003-04-26
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Got out of the shelter at around 11 this morning, walked to Indian Grave Gap and waited for Cuss, Llama, Snackattack, Buzz ans burn. They staggered in within the next 20 minutes. There was a group of overnight hikers there waiting for a shuttle from Miss Janet back to their car in Erwin. Since they were waiting for Miss Janet I thought that maybe, possibly we could get some cheeseburgers from town for lunch. So when she got there we asked if we could pay her for a shuttle to Sonic burger and sho' nuff she obliged. Snackattack, Cuss, and Burn rolled with her while Buzz, Llama, Sticks and I hung out at the gap and threw the frisbee for a hour and a half. I got a double cheeseburger. fry, chicken sandwich and a soda. It was so good and actually filled me up for the entire day. Granite took the drive back to the gap with Miss Janet, he's waiting for Garmont to send him another pair of boots via Fedex today. I hope he catches up soon. Flash was also in the vaan, he slack packed the section we did today yesterday so he was able to start out with us after our feast. Once again Miss Janet displayed her true devotion to thru hikers by refusing any compensation for the shuttle. People like her are the reason why the social aspect of the AT is so wonderful.Tonight I am tented behind the full shelter in the rain. In the shelter tonight are Sticks, Soy Nut, Snackattack, Cuss, Llama, Buzz, Burn and Smokey. there are also Flash, Sspiderman, and two other people I haven't yet met tarped just north of us.Tomorrow I enter supposedly one of the most dangerous sections of trail for hikers. I'm not talking about the trail itself but the locals in the area. The story goes that the NPS or NFS exercised eminent domain to get the land for the trail through this area and the local landowners aren't too happy about it. I hear they have vented their frustration by beating the hell out of some hiker cars and even some government vehicles a few years back. I've also heard of a place called Fishhook Alley where fishhooks aren't used to snag fish, we'll see. Of course this is all hearsay and I really can't picture anything like that happening because I've met nothing but great people both on and off the trail.I'm not sure if I mentioned it in a previous journal or not but I got my replacement shoes from Montrail when I was in Hot Springs. Here I am about a week away from there and the shoes are already falling apart. The left toe is delaminating from the sole. I am not sure if I am exceptionally hard on shoes or if I'm just unluccky. Other hikers using Montrail shoes are having no problems to speak of. This time I'll try to fix them myself when I get to Damascus to an outfitter with some shoe goo or seam sealer.I listened to the radio while hiking in the rain today. I caught a good bluegrass show and listened to hiphop the rest of the day. I got to hear "Air Force Ones". I think that song is hilarious. The dud raps about his shoes that he wears "once, maybe twice". He gets two pairs at once in case his first pair get a scuff in the one or two times that he waears them. I'd like to see him wear the same stinky, snasty two pair of socks every day for a week at a time, let alone the stinky and very scuffed shoes. I'll stop rambling now, good night.