Date: 2014-03-24
From: Rock Gap shelter

To: Franklin, North Carolina
Miles today: 3.8

Last night I stayed at Rock Gap shelter, which is roughly 4 miles from town. I think I could've made it into town yesterday, though my feet may have begged to differ. Then there's the issue of catching a ride into town. I haven't had a haircut in 2 years, I haven't shaved in 2 weeks, and I can see vapor trails coming off the odor I'm putting out. So yeah, I didn't like my chances of hitching a ride. Walking the 11 miles from the gap to town was out of the question. Spending the night at Rock Gap worked out well though. I ran into a guy I met on day 1, and I liked hiking with him. Keith (Double R), is 60 and retired from the railroad--hence his trail name. Our political views are diametrically different, though we do listen to each other's viewpoints, and are respectful of our differences of opinion. We got along well right away.Double R did me a huge favor on day 2: we were hiking together to Gooch Mtn, and for me it was practically a death march. We were nearly there when I threw my pack off, and announced that I needed to eat. I was lightheaded, and could hear / feel a buzzing sensation in my head. Clearly, my gas tank was well below empty. Rather than dig for my food bag at the bottom of my pack, Double R gave me his dried apricots from his easily accessible snack pouch! Now, Double R lives near the Houston area, but is originally from Maine. He has the distinctive accent of someone from Maine, and I give him loads of grief about it. So when I saw Double R at the Rock Gap shelter, some 11 days after we first met, I shouted at him from down the trail, "DABBLE AHH! IS THAT YOU?" He just shook his head and smiled.Double and I hiked the easy 3.8 miles to Winding Stair Gap, and started to discuss a plan to get a ride to town. We agreed to split the cost of a shuttle, as neither of us wanted to hitchhike. We called a guy who would shuttle us for $30, which was pretty much robbery. However, the idea of eating town food was the overriding factor, and we told the shuttle driver to come get us. Twenty minutes later, a black pickup pulled into the Gap, and asked us if we needed a ride to Franklin. The way he said it lead us to believe that he was our shuttle. As we were headed into town, we started to settle on our bill, and he flat refused to take our money! It was then we realized this was not our shuttle driver, but a nice resident of Franklin, who routinely gives hikers a ride to town. I tried calling the shuttle to cancel our ride, but his phone went to voicemail. Damn.Anyway, Manny drove us to an outfitter in the center of town, where we each needed to replace a few pieces of gear. I left my gloves in Manny's truck, and he was gracious enough to drive back to the outfitter and return them to me. Thank you, Manny! My Thermarest sleeping pad had sprung a leak near a seam, making it impossible to patch. I would have to blow the damn thing up 4-5 times during the night, and I was hot to buy its replacement. I picked up a Static V air mattress, which is a bit lighter, and a lot more durable. I haven't used it yet, so I'll defer my review until then. Equipment issues resolved, Double R and I set out to find food. We walked up and down the main drag in Franklin, and couldn't find a suitable place to cure our ridiculous food cravings. We eventually asked a local resident who was out shopping if she could recommend a good place to get a cheeseburger. While attempting to give us directions to a restaurant, she abruptly paused and told us to get in her car; she'd give us a lift. Thank you, Toni! I ate a half pound bacon cheeseburger (with mayo) and an order of waffle fries. Lunch rocked!After lunch,we walked the 1.5 miles back to the outfitter where we'd secured our backpacks, and they were kind enough to give us a lift to our hotel. I told Double R that I felt bad about stiffing our shuttle driver this morning, and that I was going to call him and offer to pay for his time and effort. While I thought the shuttle fee was obscenely expensive, this seemed like the right thing to do. Especially considering we'd had our share of free rides today. Turns out that Larry is an older gentleman, who supplemented his income by shuttling hikers. He was very grateful that Double R and I had stepped up and paid him. The weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for a "wintery mix of ice and snow," so I'll be taking a zero in Franklin after all. I'm off to resupply for the next 5 day leg of the trail.