Date: 2017-03-25
From: Siler Bald shelter, NC

To: Wayah Bald Shelter, NC
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Sleeping in a shelter is a challenge. Someone is always snoring or farting or rolling around in their sleeping bag. No one tries to be rude but it's more togetherness than most of us want. Mice are a problem too. They're the permanent residents and we are the transients. Pegleg left a plastic bottle that she'd made tea in standing upright open at her feet in the shelter. I heard this strange thumping noise repeating throughout the night but managed to sleep some. Around 0600 the noise intensified and I had to turn on my headlamp to see what it was. A mouse had gotten into PegLeg's open bottle and was jumping against the inside of the bottle trying to get out. Everyone in the shelter was awake by now and PegLeg started shouting to get rid of it (she's a retired US Marine but is afraid of mice?!) and Ginger (who's the world's biggest bleeding heart for animals) is telling me to let it out and don't hurt it. I tried shaking it out, slinging it out, even bashing the bottle on the table leg, but the damn thing wouldn't come out of the bottle. I eventually just tossed the bottle away from the shelter and laid back down. PegLeg started telling us how she thought she could eat one of us, she called it ass jerky, before she could eat a mouse. I was laughing too much to go back to sleep so we all got up. We said goodbye to PegLeg because she was leaving the trail to go to Jamaica with her family. We had breakfast, packed up, and left the shelter to head North. The trail climbed up from the shelter and we were sweating and out of breath very quickly. Hiking seemed harder today and the elevation hovered around 5000 ft. I guess that saps more strength from me than I realized. We stopped for lunch in a little meadow and I found some wild onions. Ginger tasted then and seemed happy with the idea of eating wild food. She's always interested in learning about the woods and excited with new things. It makes the hard walk worth it to see her joy. We were treated to trail magic near Wayah Bald Tower. Sandals and Snail, a couple from Greenville, SC. had set up in the parking area and had Coke, Gatorade, fruit, and doughnuts. They even brought lawn chairs for us! The treat of sitting in a soft chair with back support is incredible. If you get a donut and a cold drink too it's almost indescribable. We stayed a while and enjoyed the magic. We passed by the tower through an area that was fire damaged. It will take a while for the trail to recover. The shelter we sought was only about a mile away but it was all downhill and was very painful for me. We found a quiet place for our tent, set up, made dinner and retired for the day. Tomorrow we're in a real bed after a real meal and a hot shower. I can't wait.There were two young women in the shelter who had passed us earlier in the day. Bruce Willis ("because I'm a Diehard when making ascents") and her younger sister, Nemo. The conversation usually includes where you're from and something about who you're hiking with for pairs. Ginger and I have joked for years about our age difference. She's almost 17 years younger and looks even younger than that because she's very athletic and just a very natural beauty who doesn't need makeup. I was looking every bit of my age at this time and Bruce finally asked the question I've been waiting for: Is Ginger my daughter? I laughed and answered that she's my wife. It was hilarious even though Bruce was embarrassed. That was priceless!