Date: 2010-04-24
From: Walnut Mountain Road

To: Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast
Miles today: 10.4

Dr. Evil had a 10-mile slackpack planned for this morning. At first we didn't know if we were going to be able to stay at the hostel another night. It was full, but Mary opened up one of her B and B rooms for us to use dormitory style. Seven or eight of us ended up in there. Two on the bed, one on a cot and the rest on the floor. I wasn't sure I was going to hike, but it seemed boring to hang around the hostel (no internet, so I couldn't update the journal) so I decided to go.Dr. Evil had said last night that he had pushed it too hard and he wanted to walk behind me again today, but then this morning when we got out of the car at Walnut Mountain he said, "I'm going to burn this, just so you know." I said, "Go for it." He and Captain Slick took off and that was the last I saw of them.It was a nice hike. I did the first half in good time. I stopped atMountaineer Shelter to sign the log and chatted for a minute with a couple of guys there. I stopped and hung out at Jone's Falls and chatted with a few people who had been at the hostel last night and who were headed north. It was supposed to thunder and lightening and rain an inch later in the day, so I felt like I needed to keep moving.The second half of the hike seemed to go a lot slower. I ran into Lodestone, Joe, Leaf, No Tek, and Tom Thumb. Tom Thumb asked if I had been slackpacking with Dr. Evil awhile and I said, no, just for 3 days. He asked if I slack packed alot and I said this was the most I had ever done it. I explained that Dr. Evil goes really fast and then takes long breaks and that I just plug along. If Dr. Evil didn't take breaks there is no way I could keep up with him. Tom encouraged me to keep on plugging along.It rained a little right before I got back to the hostel. I put up the umbrella and held on to it. When I got back, there was a pizza list and I ordered a pizza. Then I hung around a little while waiting for the shuttle into town. Croft was there. I told her how my cabin reservation had gone at Uncle Johnny's and she said she hoped she hadn't gotten my cabin. She had an extra bed in hers and if she had known I could have slept there. She had gone to bed before I knew I didn't have a cabin.Terry did 3 town runs. I went to the Dollar General and bought some more notebook paper and some hair ties that I think I can use to attach my umbrella. I was going to have to go on the third town run to get cash, but Dr. Evil owed me money from the Greasy Creek Friendly and he said he would go into town and get cash to pay me back.The pizza was awesome! I drank two of Dr. Evil's beers with it. I was a very happy camper. We watched The Aviator along with Captain Slick and some others.I've been on the edge of being too tired the last couple of days. I've hiked 140 miles in 14 days. I've been wanting to take a zero, but wasn't sure where I wanted to take it. Then, tonight, when I took the tape off my big toe, a layer of callus came up with it and it ripped the skin under my big toe to where it was bleeding. So now I have to figure out where to stop for awhile. I thought about just going to Abby's Place (2 miles) because there is internet there. We'll see.