Date: 2012-03-16
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 6.3

Made it to Uncle Johnny's Hostel (Erwin, TN) around 11:00am...got a cabin for $25. Did laundry, showered and got on the shuttle to town for lunch and resupply. I able to exchange my sleeping bag pad (ThermaRest Neo Air All Season) for a new one at Uncle Johnny's....called the company told them that two of the tubular seams had come undone and I was on the AT...the company and Uncle Johnny's worked out an exchange for me..Uncle Johnny's just got one in stock that day..What luck. Nice relaxing day..Mexican food for dinner and Dancing With Wolves movie at night.People on my journal have asked me what I eat and what a typical hiking day is like. As far as eating...I have gone from 194 pounds to 171 pounds as of yesterday....For breakfast I eat peanut butter and honey on a tortilla or flatbread...an energy bar of some sort..Cliff, ect...some dried fruit...Lunch is a single serving of Spam or Tuna in a foil pouch...more peanut butter/honey/flatbread...energy bar...Dinner is about the same thing as lunch...throughout the day I am eating Snicker Bars, Jolly Ranchers and pop tarts...just bought some Pringles and summer sausage to help keep some weight on me. I would bring more food, but it just gets too heavy.A typical day is waking up at 6:30am and immediately start packing. Let the air out of my sleeping pad...pack the pad and sleeping bag into the compression bag. ..put the clothes I am going to wear for the day...and pack everything else into the pack.... obviously the tent is last to be done. I eat a quick breakfast...remember I sent home my stove...so eating is fairly quick...then off I go. Most days I see zero to a few people while hiking...all I hear is the leaves and sticks crushing beneath my boots, hear an occasional jet overhead and some birds...I have seen very little wildlife. I use my IPod a lot...have about 300 songs on it...it transports me away mentally....I think of my family a lot...how they are doing...my wife, Pam, has had to get the flyswatter out to chase the 13 year old boys away form my 13 year old daughter...neither ones have a clue what they are doing...very little face to face talking...nowadays it is Facebook and texting ...hang in there honey! My 10 year old daughter thinks the whole thing is gross...Yes!!!! I pretty much focus on the next day's campsite..the terrain that I am covering...number of mountains ect. My food supply verses the next resupply stop. My mind wonders all over the place during a given day...very therapeutic.   I have mentally cut the journey into two parts...Georgia to Harpers Ferry...3 weeks off...Harpers Ferry to Maine....its been a month and I have settle into a routine...it is more mental now than physical...it is an ultra ultra marathon of hiking.My thoughts go out to Gina Stanford...hope you get better soon! Tom Tanner in Afghanistan ...you are the one that needs to stay safe...see you in May...Wally Johnson very nice to hear from you...nice surprise. To all the rest of you who have bloged my journal THANKS!! It really helps in the mental game of this hike. Unfortunately, I can't respond to all your entries...but I really really appreciate them...ALL OF THEM...especially as a solo hiker.