Date: 2018-03-06
From: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I forgot to mention that yesterday coming down the trail into Uncle Johnnys I came across an individual working hard with a pickaxe digging out a tree root from the trail. We chatted for awhile, his trail name is Itsy Bitsy Spider from when he thru hiked the AT in 1977. Itsy Bitsy is now 73 years old, and he has been maintaining the same 4 mile section of the AT for the past 22 years - and is still going strong. I thanked him immensely for his dedication and service all these years; without individuals like him the trail would not be nearly as nice as what it is. When hiking along I think to myself what a monumental undertaking it must have been to not only establish a route for the AT, but also to physically construct it. Most of the trail is very remote, and Im certain that when constructed over 70 years ago it took a lot of hard working individuals using only basic hand tools laboring tirelessly for many hours. The end result is a beautiful trail that has, and will continue to be, enjoyed by many individuals - be they thru hikers, section hikers, or just folks/families out for a leisurely hike on a Sunday afternoon. A job well done by Myron Avery and all the individuals that brought the AT to fruition!Todays hike started in the rain, and we had overcast for almost the entire day. A low ceiling meant we were hiking in the clouds once we gained some elevation, so unfortunately there were no views to be had. Night Train, Capt. Blackbeard and I left Uncle Johnnys and were hiking at 5:45 AM, and we arrived at our destination at 2:30 PM. Unfortunately Jeep did not leave with us, as he elected to remain at Uncle Johnnys for a day or two to see if his shin splints will heal up with some rest. Jeep has been dealing with shin splints for several days and has been bravely hiking through the pain, but they are not getting better. I know first hand from my high school track team days that shin splints can be very painful and downright debilitating. They are not fun. We all wished Jeep a speedy recovery, and are hopeful that we will see him again, and soon, on the AT. Jeep is a good guy, he was the hiking spirit for the Four Horsemen, and we will miss him dearly. The truth of the matter is that any one of us hiking the AT could come down with an injury/ailment at any time that could knock us off the trail. While hiking today I came across an evergreen tree next to the trail at roughly 5,000 ft. elevation that had been decorated with various ornaments, placards and misc. mementos. Stopping to take a closer look, the decorated tree was dedicated to Max Merrell (sp.) who passed away in 2016 at the age of 22. Tragic.There is no cell phone service here in Cherry Gap Shelter, so I will try to post this entry tomorrow.  I have time to kill tonite, dont want to go to sleep too early or Ill be up at midnite wanting to hit the trail. Guess Ill try to catch up on some reading, I have several books downloaded on my phone via. my Kindle app. Isnt technology wonderful!I am safe, warm and dry tonite in my sleeping bag in the shelter, all is well!