Date: 2019-04-11
From: Stealth Camped

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

The first two miles were downhill to level and I made good time. I was then faced with two large uphill climbs. The first of the thru hikers, who¢d started behind me caught up with me around 11:30 when I¢d stopped for a snack. I saw Double Stuff and Pocket Pussy several times throughout the day. I finally got a picture of the cat on PP¢s pocket. Granite passed me midday and I never saw her again. After the grueling uphill there was a loooooong gentle downhill that was extremely favorable for making good time. The terrain and elevation was varied. I was as high as 4,700¢ and as low as 1,400¢ (end of the day). I walked through multiple pine forests, multiple fields of white (and slightly pink) flowers, multiple carpets of leaves.  On the way down I met a couple of folks. There was Peanut from Denver. She¢s a young lady doing a solo hike. I¢d first saw her with Zippy (when they passed me) but I later learned they¢d just met that day. I saw Zippy after she¢d set up camp and learned she was from Reno, also doing a solo hike, and she was avoiding the shelters and campsites because she was really sensitive to noise and wanted to camp alone. I arrived at my planned campsite, Deer Park Mountain Shelter, around 3:30. It was really a pretty location, in a pine forest with lots of good tent sites. I¢d done over 13 miles at that point. I¢d only been able to do that distance because of the gentle terrain and lots of downhill. It¢s funny but on a normal day it seems like there is a lot more uphill, than downhill. But really it¢s normally about the same (today was an exception). The reality for me is that i do spend a lot more time on uphill because I go slower, probably less than half the speed I go downhill. So my perception isn¢t wrong - I do spend more time going uphill, than downhill. And you need to go quicker down otherwise you¢re (if you¢re me) going really slow. I did see a first for me on the trail. I saw an elderly gentleman working on cutting back the various vegetation that tries to encroach on the trail. He been doing that for a number of years and he parked as close as he could then walked up and got to work cutting things back. Anyway, I¢d told myself that if i got to the campsite before 4:00, I¢d continue on into the village of Hot Springs, NC. It would add almost four miles to my hike. I looked at the elevation and it was mostly downhill. I rested 15 minutes at the Shelter and discussed options with PP, Peanut, and Double Stuffed. The latter two were going to stay at the campsite but PP was going into town. Except the cat didn¢t want to go and wouldn¢t come to master, at least while I was there. I did learn that the cat typically walked around 5 miles a day and the rest of the time he was carried.  So I set off to Hot Springs. And there seemed like so much uphill. And I was tired. I was soon passed by PP as if I was standing still. He¢s a fast hiker. I was surprised to catch up with him (and the cat) some time later as he was taking a break. I figured it was the cat but he said he was tired (me too). When he did get back on he passed me with ease as I trudged slowly uphill.  I had a little signal at the higher points but made the decision to lock down a hotel when I was right outside of town - big mistake. There¢s no ATT in Hot Springs and thus no service for me. The AT goes right through town and after talking to an elderly lady walking her dog I continued into town. I asked for suggestions a couple of times. As I walked by the Alpine Motel I was greeted by a fellow hiker I¢d met in passing yesterday. She offered me a phone that worked and even her shower. Her room was full of hikers her dog and her BF. They were kind and eventually (after many tries because the ¢management¢ was not on premise) ¢scored¢ a room at the Alpine. It¢s pretty rough. No WiFi. Not even a mirror in the bathroom. Along the way I¢d stopped by the closed Visitor Center to look for intel on where to stay. And the guy who manned it came back by because he¢d forgotten something (so lucky for me) and he gave me the WiFi password for the visitor center. Which is close by the basic Alpine Motel.  Thus allowing me to post this note and to remain in contact with loved ones. Tomorrow is likely to be hard as I¢m back at a low elevation, and there¢s only one way forward, back up.  Steps: 44,000Floors: 307 (my legs are feeling them)Total Mileage: 97.6 miles