Date: 2010-03-19
From: Winding Stair Gap/ Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 13My Nero day didn't turn out as Nero as I planned. Its 9:30 at night and I am sitting on the privy at the "latrines and parking" area at milepost 117.7. I am only a mile from the next shelter so I think I will soldier on after s short break here to change into dome warmer clothes. I am in shorts and t-shirt and have been hiking in the snow and dark for at least the last hour.How did this come about you may be asking, wisely I might add. Well its like this. My zero day started like every other day, I didn't want to get out of bed (in the motel), but I did and I had s liesurely day playing on the computer and eating at McDonalds. Around 2ish naked ape arrives with his kids to shuttle me and Soulsearcher around then take me to the trail. Naked ape is a great Guy and his son and two daughters are awesome people.So they drove us to rthe outfitters and the grocery store, dropped Soulsearcher back at the hotel and off to the trailhead we went. We took a few pictures and then they were going to hike up around wayah bald. After about a hundred yards up the trail I came to a cool waterfall and called them to let them know. I shot a quick video and took a few pics and sure enough they arrived. Secretly I don't think I wanted them to leave . So then we took a nice leasurely walk a mile or so up the trail. It was very nice to hike with them, but eventually they had to turn back and I had to put it into a higher gear if I wanted to be promoted from sadass biker to badass hiker. It was 5:20 and I had 2.7 miles to go to get to the shelter. My body immediately went into revolt. It wanted to know just what the blue blazes did I think I was doingstarting out at quiting time. Then my heart joined the revolution," yeah", it said, "nice people right back there want to take you home and feed us dinner." My brain started to chime in, but I popped a Jolly Rancher into my mouth and all of them dove for the flavor like ravenous dogs. My feet, deciding that they felt fine ignored the fireworks and just kept plugging along.I made it to the turnoff for the shelter at 6:23 (so sayeth the Droid) and I felt to good to waste a mile to hike to the shelter and back in the morning. (The shelter was 0.5 miles off the trail, why do they do that?) So I decided I would hike til it got dark and camp the first good spot I found. Problem was that I didn't find any good spots and the mountain for the last 3 miles is covered in snow (BTW, I am in my sleeping bag at the wayah shelter now). I just kept trudging along until I got to the afforementioned latrine, four walls and a door. Just what I needed. And since I still felt fine I decided to hike to this shelter.Along the way I came to the wayah bald tower. It came out if the dark like Dracula's Castle. Very spooky at night. The view was spectacular with a clear night and the lights in the valley. 4 dudes were cowbow sleeping under the stars behind the tower so I really couldn't mess around much there so I headed on to the shelter. I thought I had long since passes it buy when it finnally appeared. There are two guys in here now and I think I successfully set up my sleeping bag without waking them up. So now its bed time.Good night and sweet dreams to everyone out there not living the night hiking in knee deep snow dream.