Date: 2016-05-04
From: Hot Springs 

To: Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

5/4 - Day ThirtyNote. I had my days on the trail wrong all alone? Today is the one month (30 days) on the AT. After 30 days I am at 284.7 (Spring Mountain Shelter). This breaks down to 9.49 miles average a day or 10.17 not counting the two zeros I have taken (Neels Gap and Franklin). I would have liked to hit 300 miles, but at the same time I am happy how my knees are holding up. I will make bigger miles in VA.The day started at the Laughing Heart Hostel where I sorted into a big pile what I intended to send home (cold weather stuff). When I stepped out of the hostel... It felt cool (go figure).Me an Hula Bear went to the post office. She was sending extra cold weather stuff home also. As I boxed my stuff up I noticed everyone coming in (locals) with cold weather jackets. Great! Just as the tape hit my box I snatched my "extra" long john tops and bottoms from the box. Thank god, this would prove to be a good move.After lunch and resupply Justin, Mayfly (back from the visit to his brothers in Asheville) and I crossed the French Broad River bridge and headed out of town.We were sluggish. We stopped on a bluff about a 1/2 mile up. We had to go 11 miles today (camping is not allowed where the big fire just occurred). As we did Foxtrot came cruising by. As it turns out she would be the only other hiker I would see all day.Justin pulled out ahead and Mayfly, really sluggish from his Asheville "vacation", fell behind me. I would walk through the burned area alone all day.Today's walk was bitter-sweat. The hike covered some easy ground, some rough ground and some interesting ground. It even passed a pond and old hay fields now used for grouse and turkey nesting.b in some parts the AT followed gravel roads and I had to keep my wits sharp to make sure I followed the white blazes. I also reflected on the fire that hit our farm last October and studied what the fire did to the trees here on the AT. I was happy to see that for the most part the fire stayed on the ground and was relatively "cold". In some places it looked like the results of a a good prescribed Fire. However, in the ravines and gullys it appeared the fire came in hot.I was glad to finally cross over back into the unburned area as the burns after awhile kind of brought me down. When I did get to the end of the fire area, I crossed a dirt road and there see two National Forest lawmen staking out the trail head. I stopped and we chatted about turkey hunting. I was carrying my call in my mouth and I played it for them. They were armed to the teeth with teasers, pistols, flashlights and other implements of destructions and said they were there making sure no one went up the road because it washed out. I am pretty sure they were looking for someone on the AT as they were parked strategically where the trail crossed and hikers could not see them until they stepped out onto the road. Who knows? They were nice and we talked turkey hunting until Mayfly came up.It was getting dark and we had 1.7 miles to go, so I said goodbye and we hauled ass to the campsite and arrived as it started to rain and get real cold!The first thing I did was set my tent up and the second thing was put the very same long johns on that almost went home earlier in the day. I am now in my tent and it is pouring and the wind is roaring. It's going to be a long cold wet night!!!