Date: 2004-05-11
From: Cove Mt. Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

An inchworm slowly crawling on my hand. That's the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning. My first thought was, 'Yep. Spring is finally here.' My second thought was realizing how many unwelcome bugs and inchworms and spiders and other creepy-crawlers would be, well...creeping and crawling all over my body in the next few months while I slumbered.   Nature is gross.   I didn't sleep well last night. Not that I get the best sleep out here anyway, but last night was particularly unrestful. Maybe it's the warmer weather. Maybe it's the insects. I don't know.   I got to Bryant Ridge Shelter for lunch ahead of the rest of my group (Camel, Tinder, Bandicoot, Patrick, and last but not least Flora & Fauna). There was a big group of kids from an outdoor school who had been hiking a section of the trail in the opposite direction. They also decided to stop for lunch here, but the shelter was plenty big enough for everyone with a second deck, a loft, and a front porch. Not your typical AT shelter, but they do exist. When you get to a shelter this nice, you sometimes think, 'Too bad we didn't stay here last night.' But really, would it be that much of a difference? Either way, you're sleeping on a floor.   Watching and listening to the kids around the shelter area, I couldn't help but be amused. First of all, two of them were throwing a football. They packed in a football. I'll pack in a football when the trail in Virginia becomes flat.   I heard one of the kids talking complaining about his shorts (I think he ripped them or something). Another kid offered a pair of his assuring him that he wouldn't need them.    "I have four extra pairs," he said. My eyes widened in disbelief. FOUR extra pairs?? Hold on. Why would you even pack ONE extra pair of shorts?? What are they TEACHING these kids? The football I could understand cause maybe they were afraid of having nothing to do. (God forbid they have to spend the whole time just TALKING to each other). But FOUR EXTRA PAIRS OF SHORTS??    Okay, I know. He's a kid. He's only out for a week. He doesn't have 1430 miles left to hike where he actually has to concern himself with keeping his packweight down. It would be unfair to call him an idiot.   "You guys have a nice hike ahead of you," said Mr. 4-Extra-Pairs to me and a couple others in my group who had just caught up.   Oh yeah? You mean, like, nice views?   "Well, no. I meant challenging."   Ok. Enough evidence. He's an idiot.   I'm not looking forward to "challenging" anymore. I think I stopped being excited about the "challenge" of the trail after the first week. I'm looking forward to "easy, leisurely walk in the woods." I'm looking forward to "flat." And, since I'm now pretty sure neither of those exist anywhere on the trail, I'm looking forward to Town.   I'm ALWAYS looking forward to Town.   The climb that followed was one I had been dreading all day. I saw the elevation profile this morning, and wasn't looking forward to it.    Guess what, Chris. You're on the Appa-friggin-lachian Trail. YOU'RE GONNA BE CLIMBING MOUNTAINS FROM HERE TO KATAHDIN! WHY HAVEN'T YOU EXCEPTED THAT YET??   After suckin' it up and just DOING it, the climb was over before I knew it. Even had a light rain answer my prayers to help cool me off.    Sat in a GREAT privy, summited a nice summit, and hiked under the Guillotine.   I guess there's no sense in dreading things that you KNOW you have to do. It's alot easier to just buck up and do it.   Of course, it's alot easier to learn things than to remember them, so I'm sure misery will keep making it's appearences.