Date: 2004-07-08
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Bad Vibes From A Hiker
Miles today: 16.9

This morning, the Appalachian Trail passed through stretches of uncluttered forest where the ground was relatively flat. I have always preferred walking and bushwhacking in spacious forests rather than hiking on mountain trails. A deep forest is mysterious, containing nooks and crannies rarely visited by people. On much of the Appalachian Trail, the woods on either side of the path are situated on the slope of a mountain or on the top of a narrow, wooded ridge. Under those conditions, the forest does not hold the same allure for me. This morning, there was plenty of deep forest on either side of the trail to occupy my curiosity. Another nice aspect of the day was cooler temperatures and lower humidity.For the reasons just stated, I experienced much pleasure while hiking along the trail.In the middle of this Appalachian Mountain high, I met a southbound hiker. He was a middle-aged man. We exchanged greetings and he sat down. The man told me that he was thru hiking to Georgia and had begun his hike on Mount Katahdin in Maine on April 1st. I had wondered when I would encounter my first southbound thru hiker, and asked him some questions about his experience.The man launched into a diatribe of negativism. He told me that he was tired of thru hiking, having completed four such hikes already. He complained that it costs too much money to thru hike. He complained that the trail was too difficult, and warned me that after Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, the going becomes especially rough. He told me about an AT hiker who was bitten by a rattlesnake in Pennsylvania and paid $30,000 for anti-venom injections. This man was embittered with the Appalachian Trail. The thru hikers I have met are generally upbeat in their demeanors, not negative and bitter like this man. I stopped for lunch at an elegant lodge frequented by visitors driving cars around the national park and not camping. It felt strange to walk into a nice dining room wearing my grubby hiking clothes. I was hoping to find an affordable and filling meal. I scanned the menu and read one selection called, "Art Deco Chicken;" that was not a good start. Fortunately, there was a hamburger and french fry selection that was affordable.I wandered around the lodge. There was a community room with couches, magazines, and a gorgeous view through a bay of windows. It felt nice, surrounded by such civilized comforts. I entered the men's room, checked to ensure that nobody was present, and washed my feet in a sink. I am still concerned about the cut on my foot and the possibility of infection.I stopped at a shelter for water. Slow Train was resting there, along with a thru hiker and new face named Mountain Goat; he is a forty year old man from Australia. Slow Train and I agreed to meet up in a few miles and camp together. We chose a site in the woods near another eatery at Skyland, a tourist area at the highest point in the park. Mountain Goat joined us.My strategy has been to eat at grills and restaurants in the park, and save on carrying the weight of food in my backpack. This system also enables me to eat with better nutrition. This evening, I ate dinner in a restaurant with Mountain Goat and Slow Train.Mountain Goat sleeps in a hammock. At our campsite in the woods, we inspected each other's hammocks and shared our experiences in them.At this high elevation, it will be cold tonight. I have erected my tarp close to the hammock to better stay warm.