Date: 2016-04-18
From: War Spur Shelter 

To: Niday Shelter 
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

Jigsaw snored like, well, a jigsaw, and I had some trouble getting to sleep. I woke up feeling pretty rested though, and after a dream where I'm pretty sure Quentin Tarantino and I were trying to stop Jim Carrey from achieving some diabolical plan. The sectioned were out pretty soon, as were the couple. I was out right before Lightning. At Wood's Hole, Slug entrusted me with Ghost's sock that he lost, thinking that I would pass him faster. Apparently I passed him without running into him, as Lightning said he was camped at the Captain's for the night. I left a note and hung the sock from a signpost impossible to miss next to the shelter. Here's hoping the sock found its owner. The trail headed down before beginning a long and pretty tough ascent of Kelly Knob. I got flashbacks to the previous Kelly Knob in Georgia, but this one was less "emotionally crushing," as Willard had put it. I passed the sectioners and met Cabot and Hobbes, a couple from Maine thru hiking. At the top a side trail led to an awesome series of ledges looking south into a long valley. The trail dropped down from there past a shelter and into a long long set of pastures. Out from under the tree cover, it was blisteringly hot and I tried to move quick through the open terrain. It was the warmest day I've had yet and even supposed to be the warmest we have for a while. I half expected some modern day Tom Sawyer to be lounging in the shade of a lone pine tree up in the pastures and amused myself with the idea as I headed towards the second big climb of the day. I stopped for lunch at a lovely footbridge (and the last on-trail water for 9 miles) and sat in the shade enjoying the day. Cabot and Hobbes rolled up, as did Quixote and Audubon. I ended up staying there probably about an hour, because there was just no need to push myself today with only 9 miles left. We chatted and enjoyed the animals we found in the creek - a crayfish, two snakes and a big frog - before finally deciding it was time to go. The trail started going up and up and up. I passed the Keffer Oak, the biggest tree on the AT in the south, and had a number of cows give me skeptical looks as I walked past them. The mile and a bit up Sinking Creek Mountain was very steep and draining on my legs. I took a few breaks and soon had Lightning and the couple come by, so I fell in with them. We passed over a ridge that went from very flat and nice to very up and down rocky and finally a long series of slanted ledges with spectacular views, but very difficult footing. The sun was still beating down on us. Lightning and I paced each other throughout the afternoon. He's just a few months older than I am, also taking off senior year to hike, and is very joyful. At the end of the ridge, we came to a sign marking the Eastern Continental Divide, splitting where the watersheds flow south and west to the Gulf of Mexico or east to the Atlantic. I came up with a visualization that I really like: all the big rivers we've crossed have so far flowed from our right to our left, and in fact, all water from this part of the trip must either flow from right to left or flow into a larger river that we then pass, flowing from right to left. The French broad, the Nolichucky, the New River, all have gone from our right side to our left. From now on, the reverse is true, and the big rivers, the James, the Susquehana, the Delaware, the Potomac, the Hudson, all will flow from left to right. I enjoy this fact. More importantly, Lightning and I decided to make our contribution and each relieved ourselves on both sides of the divide. The trail made a few more miles of rocky descent to Niday shelter. We were the first ones there and we hung out on the stoop of the shelter for a while. Audubon decided to hide our packs far away when we went to get water so we put his even farther. Cabot and Hobbes came by and passed on, looking for a longer day after their short day yesterday. Spirit of 76 came up soon enough and we cooked dinner. Then palindrome and Rabbit arrived after their very long day. They're alright, but need to respect Hike your own Hike more. Palindrome especially is a bit judgmental of other people's miles, and when I told him I was off trail for five days, accused me of having Noro and hiding it. Rabbit is quieter, but told me I needed to wash my legs because he thinks the dirt is disgusting. He was right, though, and I did wash them off a little later.I'm the only one in the shelter tonight with everybody else camped out. Tomorrow will be another pretty full day into Four Pines Hostel, where I will take a shower and do laundry and pick up some things at a grocery store for the day and a half to Daleville. My father told me that he's finalizing plans to pick up my brother in DC and come down and visit me this weekend! Which is so exciting!! It means being clean and good food and easy resupply and cars! I'm looking forward to it. Night!