Date: 2011-05-14
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Day 27I hate the next night after I send my journals to Jess. I can never remember what I did or did not say about the previous night. I HAVE learned to write down what day it is on the blank page, otherwise I would have NO idea!I know I had mentioned that I thought Old Skul was pink blazing. I don't remember if I explained what that was. Forgive me if I am repeating myself.Let's start from the beginning. Or the basic anyway. The thing we all follow along the trail is a "white blaze." It is a 2x6 white "blaze" on a tree or a rock. Shelters and water sources are usually on Blue blazed trails. "Yellow Blazing" is what it is called when you hitch a ride (the yellow line). "Pink Blazing" is what they call it when a guy is following a girl. For instance with Old Skul he had been bragging about his 20+ days, but suddenly he is hiking at *my* speed??Well anyway, I had suspected he was pink blazing, but then again, why would this 20-something guy pink blaze me?? I have *got* to get to a mirror soon! My suspicions were confirmed when I found a shelter registry comment from him. He is ahead of me and said something about how he wished S'mores would catch up.Anyway. Herb from last night's group decided to go home and not stay with the other guys. He wasn't fairing as well as he hoped and was concerned about continuing on. I told the guys I would make sure he got back to Clingman's Dome ok. he left about 1/2 hour before me and I could not catch up to him! I was booking it too! I made pretty good time and got the tower in an hour and a half. At least I know he got there, cause he wasn't laying on the trail anywhere!Clingman's Dome is the highest point on the AT, but there are no views from the ground due to the trees, so they have this tower. To get up to it there is a sweeping ramp, like a highway on ramp and the summit was socked in with fog when I got there. The tower looked like something out of War of The Worlds! I dropped my pack at the bottom and started (spryly without my pack) up the ramp. A woman coming down stopped me and asked if I was thru-hiking. I stood and talked to her and her friends for a good twenty minutes. They were so curious about it. Questions ranging from how long I have been out to when does my typical day end. It was fun sharing. I decided since it was such a dank day and it was only about 10:30 that I would go to the info center even though that meant going down a road 1/2 mile (which of course means UP back). I ended up spending the next 3 hours chatting with various people at and around the info center. I was like "And now for a limited time only....S'MORES!!!" One lady from NJ lives near the trail and told me to call her when I get there and they would resupply me and take me to lunch.I took my time getting to this shelter because it wasn't far to go and it is BEAUTIFUL! It's the first time on the trail that there are fir trees and spruces. And there is soo much moss. The forest is so thick that you honestly could not walk through it.I am tenting tonight as the shelter is pretty full. X3 was here when I got here. I knew they were behind me and I made sure to tell the info center people to let them know I was coming here.   Somehow they were misdirected and were sent down the road and had to get a ride back to where the trail was close to the road (and shelter) so they ended up in front of me. We had lots of fun with dinner. A sectioner grilled a steak and gave some to Firebug. He then gave some to me Then BobbyFlay had picked up a ham steak at the info center (I had not seen them!) and he gave me some. One of the guys from last night gave me a tuna salad packet. I mixed that with ramen, rehydrated mixed veggies and a mac&cheese packet and had a great tuna casserole. THEN X3 made...s'mores! I had some dark chocolate I picked up at the info center on mine!All in all, great day! Oh, and I love my tent. Wasn't sure if I said that (Oh yeah...AND there were no gnats today! WOOHOO!)