Date: 2008-04-15
From: Spencer Field Shelter

To: Double Springs Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Life on the trail is the ultimate equalizer. Sure, we all hike at different paces, different distances, and carry different food and equipment, but in the end we all have to take care of our bodily functions, and on the trail, this is often a public event. Reading on is not for the faint of heartSO I made it through the freezing, snowy night and was greeted by glorious sunshine and a glimpse of the snow covered Smokeys the following day. IT really was amazing, and I'm grateful I was able to see the Smokeys in their snowy splendor as well. BUt a very subtle element of this part of the adventure had, as yet, gone undetected. My bowels seemed to freeze as solid as my shoes. In my haste to get dry the day before, I neglected to notice that my usually regular as clockwork system was not operating optimally. So when I had to go, I really had to go.Now I'm not the type of person who is extremely private about such matters, but still, I like my quite time when my gut starts to rumble. I remember a kid I worked with in Arizona who had just came back from a visit to a self-made privy one night. He got a bit misty eyed and said, "yeah, it's kinda romantic, pooping at night. You know... it's just you... and your poo... and the moon..." He trailed off. It was one of the funniest things I ever heard come out of a kids mouth. Ihtink of him often out here.SO back to my situation. BS and I had agreed to stick together through the Smokeys since conditions were more dangerous than usual. But honestly I didn't really feel like telling her I had to poo. I just wanted a little bit of peace and quite and privacy. The thing is, I was on the side of a great snow covered mountain... the mountains don't care about privacy. SInce she was hiking ahead I just stopped, took off my pack, went off the trail and started digging my cat hole. As SOON as I dropped my pants I hear, "Hey, Colllleeen!!! Where are you??" My eyes roll, "I'm taking a crap!" I shout back. "Oh ok," says BS. At that very moment i hear a nervous, muttering, stutter from around the corner from which I just came. "Um, er, uhhhhh." At that moment I knew it was Bobcat, a fellow who stayed in the shelter with us the night before, and was much more adept at collecting wood. Apparently he was making good time because he was at least a half hour behind us when I saw him last. So I did the only thing i could do. I pulled up my pants, told him to pass because I hadn't started yet, then shook my fists at the sky and screamed, "Is nothing sacred?!?!"The truth is that there is so much that IS sacred out here that it's overwhelming. I am filled with gratitude on a daily basis that I am able to be out here on this humbling adventure. Don't get me wrong. My life probably isn't as exciting as many of you are romanticizing. I wake up. I eat. I hike. Sometimes it's really hard, sometimes it's a lovely walk in the park. I set up camp, eat, and am usually asleep before most of the stars make an appearance. But the simplicity of it is quite nice. Keep all the great and encouraging posts coming and thank you for all of the support!Today was also the day I met Pod and Rhody, Father/son duo from Rhode Island. At the time I had no idea just how important meeting them would be... read on to find out why.