Date: 2013-04-11
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Day Thirty Four - Walnut Mountain Shelter to Laughing Heart HostelLast night was perfect without the tarp over the hammock. I got to see all the stars and I didn't have to listen to the wind blowing the tarp around all night long. This morning we left camp at 6:30 a new record for me. Can you tell that we are headed to town? It's another beautiful day here and it felt so good to get the up over and done with before the sun got too high. We stopped for breakfast away from the shelter so we wouldn't wake anyone and had the best hot chocolate/nido/ specialty hot chocolate mix ever (along with out oatmeal)! Within minutes of hiking (even though we were full) we started planning our in town meal. At around the halfway mark for the day we came to a dirt road and there was Hammer and his girlfriend giving out trail magic! He had taken a zero day in Hot Springs and decided to give back to the hiking community. Thank you Hammer! It's always an uphill after trail magic for some reason and today was no different. It was so hot, the sun was beating down on us and I had sweat dripping off of me. I can't imagine what this is going to be like in July or August and I can't believe that a week ago I was hiking through snow and ice. It's so funny that I wanted heat last week and now I want cold. The last mile into town was a steep down (I love downs but this one hurt) so steep that we had to go slow most of the way. We had hardly stepped off the trail in Hot Springs when we were greeted by Sondriven. We are staying at Laughing Heart Hostel and this place is great! The bathroom is fully stocked with all kinds of shampoos, conditioners, razors..... And then have loaner shirts so that when you do laundry you can wash as much as possible. Mark the guy who signed us in even offered us his room if the bunk room wouldn't work (we had wanted a private room but they were already full). It turned out perfect because we were put in a bunk room with Bearfoot who I have been waiting to meet for weeks but I saw his signature in a shelter book the other day and thought for sure he had somehow got ahead of me. He started a Facebook page for 2013 hikers and through that page I had "met" a lot of people who have helped me prepare for this adventure. It's nice to finally meet him. After dropping my pack on a bunk, I beelined it for the shower. Wow! I can not believe how dirty my legs were. I don't know how that happened I wasn't playing in mud, honest! I actually thought about getting my camera and taking a picture of the dirt. I scrubbed my toes and my toenails still look dirty but does it ever feel nice to have clean, soft hair again! Next stop was laundry, unfortunately it's way across town so we took our wallets and went out for dinner too! Turtle and Snail from Germany joined us (I wish I had learned German) and Sunshine and Not Yet stopped by to say hi. It's cool to be in a new town and yet know so many people here. On the way back to the hostel we saw several other hikers who we thought were way ahead of us by now. Seriously, it's like the old sitcom Cheers where everyone knows your name. Back at the hostel it's time to catch up on journals, upload pictures and make as many phone calls as possible. Confessions of a thruhiker:"We don't stink, we smell human! Horses have a smell, dogs have a smell, this is what humans smell like!"Trouble"Take me to the places on earth that teach you how to dance, the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart, and I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet and the stars overhead make my heart whole again and again." Oriah Mountain Dreamer