Date: 2008-04-20
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter, NC

To: Walnut Mt. Shelter, TN
Miles today: 13.1

Another long uphill to start today's hike. It was only for a couple miles and I almost enjoyed it. I like climbing a lot more now that it isn't so difficult for me. I'd still prefer the flatter areas, though. We hiked over Max Patch around 11:30. We had been told that some people were going to be doing trail magic there today, but we didn't see anyone. We later found out that we had just been too early for it. Brahma Bull and Sweet Potato caught it and said the trail angels had cookies, cold pizza, juice, beer, soda, and all kinds of stuff.Max Patch was really cool. Clouds were passing through, so it was a little foggy. Still very cool, though...just a huge grassy bald. The AT goes directly over it before descending back into the woods. At the base of Max Patch and into the woods a bit we walked through a large are that looked like it had been burned in a brush fire.When we stopped for lunch New Song told us some startling news...she's decided to get off the trail and end her hike in Hot Springs. She says she's been thinking about it for a while and there are things she'd rather be doing than hiking every day. I'd have to say that I share that feeling sometimes, but for me it's more about the journey as a whole and being able to complete the journey even when it's difficult (that's not a judgment on her...it's just how I feel about my hike). She needs to do what's right for her, but we'll be sad to see her go. A couple weeks ago we all woke up to a windy, rainy morning and New Song said to me "Some days I wonder what I'm doing here." I replied with something like "We all have days like that." She later told me that my saying that was what kept her going. I felt good about that. She told me and Crabby at lunch today that she wouldn't have made it this far if it hadn't been for us. That felt good, too. I kind of feel the same way...it would be a lot tougher to do this if I felt alone in it.Crabby at Walnut Mt. Shelter, TNWe passed some southbound hikers today who told us that since people have been avoiding the Walnut Mt. Shelter, the bear that's been stealing food bags there has moved to Roaring Fork Shelter. Good news for us since we passed Roaring Fork Shelter today and will be staying at Walnut Mt. Shelter tonight. When we reached our shelter we found 3 notes from hikers who said the bear had gotten or tried to get their food bags. The last note is from 5 nights ago, so that's a good sign. There's a tree behind the shelter that some hikers had hung their food bags on. The branch they used was only 10' or so high and the bear had climbed the tree, broken the branch, and stolen their food bags. I hung our food bags far from the shelter and about 20' high tonight. The rope got stuck on the thick branch I used and when I tried to get it unstuck it got tangled and knotted, so I don't think it's gonna come down in the morning. I'll have to hit it MacGyver style in the morning by duct taping a knife to a long stick and cutting it down.Bear claw marks on a tree at Walnut Mt. Shelter - click for full sizeThe 13.1 miles we did to day is the most we've done and I felt good at the end of the day. That's a good sign. We have 13.1 miles to do tomorrow, too, with a lot of downhill into Hot Springs. Strider, Tracer, Crabby, and New Song, and Brahma Bull and Sweet Potato (a really nice couple we met in the Smokies) are here, so we'll all be in Hot Springs together. I can't wait to wash my clothes.