Date: 2017-08-12
From: Hexacuba Shelter

To: Glencliff / Hikers Welcome Hostel
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

I hiked a bit with Tiny today and was weirdly relieved to hear that she kept tripping on roots too.I didn't realize it was a weekend until I started seeing lots of day hikers. I've totally lost track of what day it is.Hexacuba sounded like a cool shelter but wasn't actually anything special.I finally made formal introductions with Wanderer yesterday. She's the girl with the partially shaved head and side ponytail that I've been seeing on and off for weeks, so it was nice to finally get her name! (She reminds me a bit of Margaery Tyrell)I got turned around at the fire tower on the top of Smarts Mountain and a girl with giraffe spats helped me. Those gaiters were the coolest thing! I really want a pair. She looked like she had giraffe feet!Note: Trader Joe's Sriracha bacon jerky is the best thing ever! It tastes amazing! It burns, but in a good way (hurts so good). It burns the roof of your mouth so you can enjoy the flavor even longer. I wish I had more. I am officially sick of peanut butter Clif bars and was pretty grossed out by the RX brand peanut butter protein bar.Lots of hikers are talking about a trail angel who makes omelettes on Moonshine Road, just coming up. I'm going to be so heartbroken if there are no omelettes. I am dying for more food.3:00I love Carl the Omelette Man and his boxer Liberty! He has a whole setup in the forest, and every day just makes food for hikers. A LOT of food. He goes through 25-30 dozen eggs a DAY!I had a five-egg omelette with cheese and ham and green peppers and onions, after a banana and a muffin and sour patch kids and orange juice and coffee! I tried to give him money, but he doesn't take any donations. This is just what he does.The radio was on an 80s station and a bunch of us sang "Video Killed the Radio Star" together. When U2 came on, One Night Stand (a hiker) was just as excited as I was. I told him I just saw U2 in concert this year playing The Joshua Tree. Then we bonded over how great that album is.Tiny joined us, very very happy for the food. We took a photo together. Everyone commiserated over falling in the mud. The goodness today made up for how terrible yesterday was.Never in my life have I had a five egg omelette. (all the guys were having 6 or more. He once made a 24-egg omelette for a hiker!) I could actually see my stomach distended. A food baby! An omelette bump!I've been hiking with just my chest straps on, the waist unbuckled, just so I can digest all that food while hiking!I've put 700 miles on this pair of shoes (including Pennsylvania!) and it's starting to show--the toebox on the left is separating from the shoe and the fabric on top is tearing.Hair Candy was also in line at the Omelette Man's---we've met before but I couldn't remember where. His name comes from waking up in a shelter with mice chewing on his hair.We swapped stories about falling on the trail. One guy had turtled, meaning he fell backwards onto his pack on a rock in such a way that his legs weren't reaching the ground and he couldn't get back up.One of the guys was wondering when his last 20 on the trail would be, since the terrain is about to get a lot lot harder. The others were getting on his case about doing too many miles, telling him to focus on the smiles, not the miles.The Whites begin tomorrow. Mt. Moosilauke. I'm SO nervous. But also excited. The fear of the unknown is awful. I want to finally SEE what the fuss is about, to know what I'm dealing with. My goal is 7.8 to Beaver Brook shelter. Please may I do okay!