Date: 2016-06-04
From: Stealth Camp, SNP, mile 893

To: Hiker Cabin, Lewis Mountain Campground
Miles today: 22.0

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met."   - William Butler YeatsDay 85Choosing the most difficult section of the AT in SNP is like choosing the ugliest Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. But for me, I would go with the section between miles 892.1 and 911.9. There were a few moderate climbs, enough to cause me to break out into a full sweat. I saw a few deer and a few hikers going in each direction. Most hikers reported having seen one or more bears in the park, but so far I'd only seen large mounds of bear poop.As I hit the 19-mile mark on the day, I was tired and more rain was in the forecast. I looked at my guide and saw that the Lewis Mountain Campground and Cabins, featuring a camp store with laundry and showers, was only 3 miles away. Decision time. Option 1 - stop now and camp, stay dry, rest tired feet and body. Option 2 - press on, risk getting wet, further tire the body, but reach the campground. My feet voted for Option 1, but they were overruled by the rest of my body. I pressed on and hiked to the campground, just as rain started to fall. It had been a 22-mile day, my longest on the AT so far, and my 6th 20+ day overall.At the Lewis Mountain Campground store, I met the manager, Randy, who has been working there more than 30 years. He's a friendly, outgoing person who loves telling stories and jokes to hikers. My first priority was to take my first-ever coin-operated hot shower. As the rain continued to fall, I put in a load of laundry and purchased a Stromboli and chocolate ice cream. As I sat there on the porch eating, Tree Beard approached me and said, "Hey, Fob, a bunch of us went in on the hiker cabin if you want to join us. It's rustic, and all the beds are taken, but you can sleep on the floor or on the covered porch under a picnic table. It would save you from having to tent in the rain." I replied, "Yes! Absolutely! Thank you so much! I'll be over in 10 minutes."It's funny how perspectives change on the AT. In the real world, it's so easy to complain if the hotel room temperature is a little cool or warm or the church pew isn't soft enough. Here I am, on the AT, absolutely thrilled to be offered a 6' by 3' section of dirty floor in a small, rustic cabin with 5 other tired, smelly hikers. That, my friends, is how the AT can change your perspective and make you appreciate what you have rather than complain about what you don't have. Mission trips, by the way, have a similar effect.Several of us sat around the small cabin porch that night telling stories and enjoying each other's company. I met Happy, an older military veteran doing a section hike. We were joined by Tree Beard, Waterfall, Pantry, Too Tall, Tree, and Arrow. Arrow, a short, friendly hiker in her early 20s, is considering a military career, and asked for my advice on the differences between the services, types of jobs within the military, pros and cons of military life, etc. Having grown up as a military kid and then having served a 23-year Air Force career myself, I had some opinions on these subjects. Among other things, I told her the most successful people I knew in the military had two things in common:1. People skills...the ability to understand, relate to, and get along with people. No one likes to work for or with self-centered jerks. On the contrary, people who respect you and enjoy working with/for you are generally going to be highly motivated...which makes it easier to accomplish the mission.2. Communication skills...the ability to sell your ideas through speaking, writing, or giving a presentation. If you have good ideas on how to fix things, how to "work your boss's problems", and you can effectively pitch your solutions, you are going to stand out.As an Air Force personnel officer, I have given career and other forms of counseling to hundreds, maybe thousands of Airmen through the years. It felt good to wear that hat again and try to help out a young lady who is trying to plan out her life while on the AT.As we sat there, I checked tomorrow's forecast. It was supposed to rain most of the day. Tree Beard, who is quickly turning into one of my favorite hikers said, "You know, we could take a zero tomorrow and avoid the rain. One of the nicer, regular cabins is available. If we split the cost it'd be cheap. And I talked to Randy, the manager. I think I might be able to convince him to loan me his truck so we can go into town for some grub and re-supply." He had me at "zero day and avoid the rain". Yes, we can hike in the rain, and sometimes we need to. But sometimes you audible to a day just hanging out with friends, staying dry, not hiking, and resting the body. Everyone wholeheartedly agreed with Tree Beard's proposal, as did my feet.Fob