Date: 2003-04-16
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

After a restful night's sleep at Elmer's in a room that I shared with Regan "F8", I awakened to birds singing and the smell of spring in the air.After a hot shower, my last for 5-6 days, a stop at the Post Office to mail my bounce box, and another at the outfitter to get 3 more Clif Bars, Shocked and Awed and I were on our way down Bridge St., across the river, over the guard rail and back into the woods. The trail followed the swollen river for some time and then headed up the mountain, meandering back and forth due to the steepness of the terrain. The views from the top were worth the climb and we stopped several times to take pictures; mine to be added to my photo page and Shocked to be sent home to his significant other.There were several new varieties of wildflowers to see today and we also saw a 6-8" lizard. He bobbed his torso at us just to show us how tough he was and I was able to get a picture of him that I hope Nathan will be able to blow up for me so that it's not one of those pictures where I have to say, "There, it's right there, see it?" (John, I'm not sure if the question mark goes inside or outside of the quotations!)I had my first bear encounter today, well almost. We hiked with Gonzo, from Gonzo the Bear Slayer fame, for a time in the afternoon. I was last in line and as I came around a corner, Shocked and Awed and Gonzo were walking slowly and quietly motioning for me to be very quiet because there was a bear next to us in the laurels. I could hear it slowly walking away from us but never did see it. My camera was poised and ready for action, but no bear. I snapped a picture of Katie and Shocked instead and I think that it's as good as any bear pic would have been.Gonzo's first bear encounter was much different than today's. She was alone on the trail around Wayah Bald area (we had been warned of a problem bear in the area and I had walked with my whistle in my hand for miles) and had stopped to answer the call of nature. She had just dropped her pack and was about to put down her hiking poles when she saw a large bear not 20 feet away sitting on his haunches watching her. She froze. The bear charged her, stopping only 2 feet away when she sprung into action. Her mouth opened, she said that a sound came from it unlike anything she has ever heard, and her arms flailed with her hiking poles. The bear turned and ran away! I asked Gonzo not to tent near me tonight, that girl is a bear magnet.The temperature today climbed near 80 degrees and with no leaf cover yet, it got kind of "toasty" in some sections of the trail. My goofy hiker tan has started to develop; my hands are tan, and my legs are getting tan to my sock line 3" above my boots.Physically I've changed; my lower legs look toned and strong and my thighs aren't far behind. I got on a scale at Elmer's and had lost about 5 pounds but I've gained at least 3 in muscle. My chest is disappearing, an unfortunate thing but when body fat goes, it goes; I don't get to decide what goes and what stays. I don't get to see myself in mirrors often and when I do it's a real shock. How is it that I can be so happy and look so awful? I look old and weathered like the trees that I step over on the trail every day.We reached camp at 5:00. Slug and Mumbo were already here and set up in the shelter with 2 section hikers who had called their wives from a cell phone and asked to be picked up at the next forest service road. It was their 1st day out and didn't know how difficult it would be.I'm tented on the hill above the 1930s shelter with 5 other hikers. We made a fire, cooked dinner and the lights were out by 8:30.I'd like to get in 15 miles tomorrow, rain is on it's way. We'll see what my feet and legs think of that tomorrow afternoon.