Date: 2012-04-16
From: No Business Knob Shelter - Tented

To: River Road - Uncle Johnnie Hostel
Miles today: 5.8

Day 22 - Monday, April 16thHiking Days 16 / Nero Days 5 /  Zero Days 1Start Location: No Business Knob ShelterMile Marker: 335.7 Ending Location: River Road - Johnnies HostelMile Marker: 341.5Time: 2h 10minMiles: 5.8Weather: pleasant in the morning, warmed up quickly.  Actually turning to hot fast 48-50 morning, sunny 80 afternoon.  Night is expected to be warm.First warmer night.  Actually fully extended the tarp-tent to allow for maximum ventilation to flow through.  Just a very mile breeze all night so all was good.  My alarm is now set for 6:00 on a daily basis.  This is anticipating an early evening by 8:30 or so. Nine should be the latest I want to go to bed.  As it turns out, one of the hikers had hit the previous trail magic right at the time they were picking up the coolers.  As such he had fours beers their and carried up four more.  The four he had was enough to make him loud and a bit irritating.  Blabbed on until 10:15.  On these still mountain nights you can hear a noise from the other side of the valley.  So for him, he may as well be shouting in my tent.  Slept well.  Was already up by 6:00 but with nowhere really to go there was no motivation to rush up.  After all, what difference would it make if I get to the hostel by 9 or by 10.  As such, this may be one of the rare times getting out early makes no difference.  So I got up when I heard the other getting up.  Packed up and hit the trail just after 7:00.  Mr. Wrong had sheltered and was heading out at the same time.  We hiked a bit together chatting away.  Nice guy. I kid with him about morphing into one of those things called a light weight hiker.  He has changed his shoes to trail runner type footwear, he is dumping his hiking poles, and yes, he has even exchanged his heavy, full since leathermen knife for a mid sized Swiss army knife. Still much more then he needs but steps in the right direction.  Hit johnnies in just over two hours.  Already getting hot and a bit humid as-well.  Did laundry, showered, fussed a bit, took the lunch shuttle, beer run and now back in the hostel.  Ate at a pizza house that had a buffet going on.  Had a few pieces of pizza but as it turned out I was much more fixated on the salad bar.  It was nice to have fresh salad.  Though I am a bit full I will go on the diner run.  Still need a couple of items for my next hump.  I am planning on maintaining over 20 mile days into Damascus.  There seems to be a new hostel about 65 miles from here with a modest resupply so my intent is to carry two evening meals, three afternoon meals and 8 snacks and some oatmeal.  There are serious rain storms expected shortly tonight with moderate rain for the two day following that.  The storms should be done by the time I leave tomorrow and the rain I could handle.  In-fact, I was going to sent my rain pants forward to Damascus but with the expected rain, I will sent them back at Damascus.  I plan to also swap my fantastic windshirt for a much lighter wind breaker thus saving another pound or so.  I look forward to this.  Also I bough a new small 4 ounce plastic bottle for my fuel to eject my now three smaller ones.  I have taken today to tend to my wounds.  I am down to just one bad spot on my little toe and one crack on my heel.  My blister under my big toe is coming along and the crack on my other heal is mending.  The burn on my back is slowly, very slowly, starting to get better. Man, I really f'd this area up.  It has taken three weeks to show any real steps to healing.  It is hard to see what all went on with tegardd to my  burn but between the comments of others and with what I could feel, it was extremely bad.  I will have it checked out next time I go to the doctors. Hung at the hostel and did more pack chores.  The on to the diner shuttle.  Had the all- you-can-eat KFC Buffett.  Two solid helpings then on to the Dollar General.  Got my resupply but can't find my headlamp battery.  It should be in my next mail drop which is expected at Damascus.  I'm out of many of the smaller thing.  No rubber bands, had to buy ibuprofen, out of vitamins, baggies those kind of  items.  Its now 9:23 and ready for bed.  There is one guy here from Lithuania who has indicated that his pack and gear was stolen by a motorcyclist who grabbed it when he set it on the side of the road and just walked a hundred feet away from it.  He said his pack had everything including his passport and visa.  If true that really sucks.  Early morning, ready to go and start the push to Damascus.  At johnnies the hostel door is close to the tables.  As such, the hikers are chatting just outside the door.  Add a few beers and the volume gets rather loud, especially when trying to get to sleep.  Actually it doesn't bother me all that much since this is the hanging area out of the way to everything except the hostel.  Everything quieted down around 10:30 or so.  I also think the Dr Pepper I had at diner did not help much either with all the sugar and caffeine. But it sure was good.