Date: 2005-04-14
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

4:28 pm ¢ Down by the RiverAt Silas Bald Shelter two nights ago, the weather didn¢t hold. I was lulled to sleep by a massive thunderstorm. I stayed dry, but Gozar Paul wasn¢t so lucky. Rumor holds his tent was soaked.The next morning started out alright. The skies were overcast and it was very foggy, but it wasn¢t raining. I was instantly faced with a decision, though: whether to take the short route back to the trail and miss 0.2 miles of the AT, of whether to backtrack the way I came in and be a purist. I chose purist, though I did allow myself the ¢luxury¢ of later taking a blue blaze to Silas Bald itself. It was a wasted trip, made even more wasted by later conversation that cast doubt on whether I even took the right trail. I saw a bald, but it may not have been Silas.Lunch was at a pretty cool stone tower atop Wayah Bald. It was there that Crazy Legs floated the second temptation of the day. He proposed high trailing it to the NOC that night for a warm, dry bed and pizza. I was initially gung-ho, but talked some sense into myself. Killing myself with a long, long day in order to gain a zero day I don¢t need doesn¢t make sense. If I got to the NOC early, I¢d either have to rush and get out that afternoon (which doesn¢t buy me anything, since getting to Fontana Dam Saturday night doesn¢t effect when I can get my PO maildrop) or take a zero day. I halted instead at Cold Spring Shelter an hour or so after it started raining.Still, it was early and thoughts of a short day into the NOC were tempting. Cold Spring is 11 miles away; Wesser Bald Shelter is only five miles away. Eventually, Dandy (latest rejected name for Sherpa Andy), Gozar and I set off, though I enjoyed an early dinner first. Our gamble paid off ¢ it was a larger, much nicer shelter and we ended up with more room than we would have had at Cold Spring. We rationalized correctly that most people who made it to Wesser Bald by early afternoon on a rainy day would just continue to the NOC.This morning, I finally made an efficient start, getting packed up and eating breakfast in just over an hour. I bid farewell to McGyver (a guy I met in the shelter who had a ham radio with him) and took on a leisurely stroll down the Jumpoff to the NOC. It was a beautiful day. The trees were finally budding and fog lined the low lying valleys. The morning air had a sharp bite ¢ it was perfect hiking weather after two rainy days.I arrived at the NOC and checked into the hostel, which consists of cabins lining a hillside. Before I could cross the river and take a shower, I heard a voice calling, Papa Razzi!¢ It was Crazy Legs. I joined him and Gozar in the River¢s Edge Restaurant for a huge cheeseburger and homemade bread pudding. It tasted indescribably scrumptious.The afternoon was mundane but relaxing ¢ shower, laundry, get food drop, experiment with some packing ideas and just generally chill out on the cabin¢s porch. I made the trip down the hill to pick up a few basic supplies ¢ batteries, alcohol, and matches since I accidentally left mine at the Cold Spring Shelter. I raided the community kitchen and found a trash bag which I hope to fashion into a pack cover.Now I¢m just sitting by the river¢s edge at a picnic table near Slow Joe¢s caf©. There¢s hardly a cloud in the sky, and a soft breeze is sweeping across this valley. If life gets better than this, then I must be wrong, ¢cause that just doesn¢t seem possible.