Date: 2004-05-06
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: stream 4.3 miles north of Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

It¢s hard to get going in the morning if I¢m not caught up in my journal, so I¢m stopping in the balsam woods to write, not 30 minutes after leaving the shelter. The wind is whipping overhead, but the fullness of the trees provides a windbreak such that the grassy patches around me barely twitch.The junkoes were twittering and hunting around the shelter this morning, looking for handouts. I decided to have a cooked breakfast (oatmeal and coffee) since I realized that I mailed my next food drop box by parcel post instead of express mail; it may not be there tomorrow or even Saturday, so there¢s no point in rushing today. I¢d much rather be on the trail for a few extra days than spend two or three nights in a motel (even one with the much coveted bath tub), so I¢m slowing my pace today.The ¢Other Five¢ are now down to three, since Taiwan John and Indy felt pressed enough for time to begin the blue-blaze express. I suppose all groups ¢ like my foursome with Rael, Largo and Navigator ¢ end up being rather fluid on the trail ¢ too many competing priorities. Pokey¢s a mom whose kids and husband are holding down the fort in Maine while she hikes with her brother Zippy (just retired from 20 years of service in the military). It¢s inspiring to me to meet halves of couples out here ¢ partnership and marriage don¢t have to mean being attached at the hip 24/7 ¢ something I¢ve always feared would be stifling. I have to admire the ones at home, though, for supporting their partners¢ adventures across the horizon: despite hikers¢ 16-hour ¢work¢ days, joint and muscle aches, and sore feet, our job is still the easier one. Behind every hiker, there¢s a full support team. I know how grateful I am for my off-trail angels: Kath (on drop boxes), Heidi (plant-watering), Tricia (cat sitting) and my parents (photo developing). I hope that I can support them in their own adventures ahead.-----------------------Saw Carol today, the woman I met way back at Tray Mountain Shelter who was hiking alone and had a picture of her son on her pack. She was heading up Rhododendron Gap from Massie Gap with her brother; she had decided to section hike instead of doing the whole trail at once ¢ good for her! Seeing her reminded me of how I felt that day. It was such a gorgeous spot and I really wanted to stop, but because Rob was ahead and we were sharing my tent, I had to move on. It makes me glad that I¢m doing my own thing now. As great as it was to have Rob¢s and Rael¢s companionship in the evenings, it¢s so much more worthwhile to know that I can stop and go as I please.Last night I stopped at Old Orchard Shelter ¢ beautiful spot overlooking a grassy field and surrounded by tall, thin, deciduous trees just in leaf. Madlibber was there with another thru-hiker ¢ one of those long-legged lads who started in April and is making quick work of the trail. But it felt great to be taking off again at 5 pm, knowing there were still three and a half more hours of daylight in which to hike.I came across Jester again, tapping away on his keyboard by a dying fire. How had he got ahead of me? Apparently there was a shortcut through the Grayson Highlands; he had twisted his ankle again and took the short cut (which had at one time been part of the A.T. ¢ why do the trail designers keep making the trail longer?) ¢ ¢and my conscience is completely clean,¢ he added. Why are we all so defensive about doing this trail the ¢right¢ way? Everyone seems to have a different definition of what that means, anyway. For some it means getting to Katahdin as quickly as possible ¢ for others as slowly as possible. Some feel they must pass every white blaze, even when it means backtracking; others feel that trail loops at shelters allow (or make up for) the few blazes missed. Some, like Pirate, are blue blazers. Some are slackpackers. Others feel that a full pack is necessary at all times to be ¢true¢ to the trail. But I don¢t know of anyone yet who hasn¢t stopped in town for a meal, a night in a bed, a shower, or a drop box. If we were really doing a wilderness trail, wouldn¢t we be out here for six months straight, living off the land, bathing in icy streams (or not bathing at all), using leaves for toilet paper, and eschewing civilization in all its forms?In the end, our definition of a long-distance wilderness hike will never match the heroic journeys of Lewis and Clark and others like them. Instead, we are a bunch of mostly city-dwellers, enjoying time in the woods, temporarily away from our stashes of belongings ¢ car, tv, sofa, dishwasher ¢ chatting with other city dwellers, taking a break from an unnatural life of alarm clocks, faucets, advertised merchandise and cubicles, so that we can go to bed when it¢s dark, wake up when it¢s light, listen to bird sounds other than pigeons and grackles, drink from springs, smell the earth, and watch spring happen. That¢s a pretty good deal.I like what Largo said: ¢First one to Katahdin loses.¢ It was never truer than it was today, walking from Thomas Knob Shelter to Wise Shelter ¢ the most beautiful scenery to date (apologies to Roan Mountain and Big and Little Hump Mountains). The sun, wind and clouds conspired to make it a perfect day, and the Grayson Highlands ¢ with ponies grazing and turkey buzzards soaring overhead, apple trees in blossom, craggy rocks to climb, great fields of grass to open my arms to ¢ were spectacularly beautiful. White clouds on paradePuffing out their ruffled chestsProudly marching past.Saw another snake today ¢ grey green, and about as big around as my thumb. As I passed, it twitched its tail rapidly to let me know it was there ¢ ¢Don¢t tread on me!¢Pooja Blue, Mouse, Jerry (a section hiker) and I leapfrogged each other throughout the day. But Mouse seemed to be having trouble with one of her legs when I reached Wise Shelter. She has run the NYC Marathon so she knows which kinds of pain to pay attention to. Meanwhile, I should be stretching more in the mornings to prevent injuries.