Date: 2010-04-21
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Slept so well last night by the fire! Well, except for the uneven shelter floorboards that rolled me towards 6 Course all night. Very dark and foggy when I woke up to pee. Rain fell really hard right when I awoke. Made it hard to get out of my bag. Hillbilly started working on the firewood. Packed my things just as it stopped raining. Should have gone to get water and food bag but I waited until it started POURING again!Super Max comes in telling us that she had a fever and was puking with an upset stomach. I'm wondering why she's out of her tent! I hope she'll be okay. We tell people to watch out for her. There are people staying in the shelter again tonight so she'll be watched. I'm so paranoid that I'm going to get sick out here!Warm instant coffee, milk and vanilla granola! Trooper left singing and dancing to a Marley song. I thought McKinley was going to attack him for running. The way she attacked me on Max Patch. Glad someone's spirits are high in this storm! I fed off it and started whistling. Pretty soon the rain slacked up and I headed out. Very hazy and foggy and could only see 20ft in front of me. Caught 6 Course, Sid, Ratman and Tumbler not far from the shelter. I passed them on Big Butt Mtn. (haha). Thought I'd gotten turned around a little for a minute. The trail gets confusing in the fog when it twists around on itself and then ends up at a road. Sid and 6 Course got lost and ended up hiking 1 1/2 miles out of their way. The Flying Scots man ended up getting a 20mile hitch to Spivey Gap. Fun Dip told me that he'd gotten lost for a while also.I really enjoyed the day in this storm. I like it when it rains! It lifts my spirits and I start being more introspective. I sung Soul Rebel, Small Axe, Could you be loved, Buffalo Soldier and Concrete Jungle as often as my lungs would allow it! I sang "I Can See Clearly Now" forever today! Before I knew it, I was at Flint Mtn. Shelter. Wizard and his dog, Uncle Doyle were there. Trooper was there.The cause of my pinky toe pain has been discovered! It's the socks! Those nice, big, expensive socks I got back at the NOC are to large. It cramps my toes in my shoes. Today I switched back and I could actually feel an immediate difference. I decided to test my trail legs in the rain. I pushed my physical limit to exhaust myself. I went faster than ever before. I surprised myself actually. My legs held put PERFECTLY! No shinsplints. Maybe I changed my gait because of my toe and that caused the pain in my legs.The trail crossed Rector Laurel Rd and changed completely! I love it when that happens. It crossed a pasture. My first residential area so far! The forest was emerald green. Lush green grass and umbrella shaped plants sprouting everywhere. Carpeting the brown leaves on the forest floor. The soil looked like wet coffee grounds. The trail sidewinded through like a zig zag maze. Lots of switchbacks. Walked past the first waterfall I'd seen since Amicalola. It's cold out so I ate my crackers on the run. Tequilla John passed me. There was a place on the trail where it ran along the ridge and paralelled a bobwired fence. Ifelt like I could see Roan Mtn and a road that looked familiar from the shakedown hike I did with Lish back in August. I hope there will be nice weather for the views off of Big and Little Hump balds.Talked to a section hiker with a dog named, "Blackie". The dog is carrying a huge pack for his size. I felt sorry for him. The dog was also strapped with a pair of it's owners croc sandels. They were poorly attached so it made the dog walk sideways. Poor thing. The owner was complaining about the inclines so I left her to her wallowing.Met Confucious and Minnie Mouse and their dog Maynard! Trooper passed me while we were talking. When I catch him he comments about my facial expression. That I looked, "Distressed" I guess I was just focused to much on going fast. I was still having fun, but I was having difficulty breathing. I shouldn't get in a hurry like that. I felt good and felt like testing my hiking legs.Oh, the trillium was impressive today! Huge thick clumps all patched together according to their color! Pink and White. Purple and White. I was the first to the Shelter. Trooper came next. Then Tequilla John (called that because he drinks a little tequilla before bed...I think that's the cause of his coughing fits in the morning).I got water. Well, there was more to it than that. Trooper told me I could get the water with flip flops on. I could barely stay in the darned things because they were sliding off my feet! Steep inclines! The water was 1/4 a mile away from the shelter. When I came back Fun Dip was there. He's moving on tonight. Lots of people here tonight. Rain 30% chance tomorrow. I'm pretty dry and clothes are dry even after today's storm. "Blackie" the dog has sores on it's back from the pack it's carrying for it's owner. She's pretty inconsiderate of others so she's not a big crowd favorite right now. Ratman and 6 Course offered me a place to stay in Erwin tomorrow. I really want to take a real "0" day. To go BUFFET HUNTING!