Date: 2018-05-17
From: Clark's Ferry shelter

To: Peter's Mountain shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: light rain

Well there is that reason I slept with my head facing out towards the shelter opening. I couldn't sleep well, actually woke up at 11 pm and rolled onto my stomach and propped my chin up on my folded arms and looked out at the night. It was peaceful and I'm so tired I want to sleep but sleep escapes me. Then I see it. Lurking in the shadows until it makes a bold scurry across the floor boards in front of me....the (not so Mickey) mouse. Damn! I'm pretty sure it went out but not positive because now my mind will inevitably play tricks on me for a few minutes. And then I remind myself it's a mouse, a tiny mouse. I make a conscious decision to roll back over, close my eyes and focus on my breathing until I drift off. I wake at 5 but it's too early to get up so I lay there needing to pee. I don't want to wake everyone up. Eventually Mouse Trap stirs. He quietly gets up followed by Evo and Moxie. We 3 girls stay put until Evo and Moxie are dressed and gone. Then we surrender and deflate our sleeping pads. It's still raining and we've got a short day of 6.7 to Peter's Mountain shelter. None of us are excited about another rainy day of hiking but the miles await. I'm still super low on fuel so I eat a cold breakfast of a Luna bar and I filter water at the spring. The notes in Guthooks state that Peter's Mountain spring is 300 steep steps down from the shelter. Yeah....I'll pass on that and hope I can carry enough. I take 2.5 liters which I think should get me thru until Friday morning. We set out just after 8am Thumper and I. Steady is still getting ready. It was a strong hike and I felt good for most of it. Thumper is ahead of me but we don't try to hike together, we just want to hike our own and meet at shelters or camping sites. It's ironic about this section of trail having the views and we can't see them. It's like someone taking away your dessert! I pass the Table Rock view and I can't help myself, I take a picture of the sign and of the view, a white rain cloud. I reached the shelter around noon and Thumper is there. A nice shelter which is the largest yet sleeping 20. It has a loft upstairs and we choose the first floor so be don't have to lug our packs up the wooden ladder to the loft. I roll out my mat on the right side, next to a long wooden box with padlock that holds tools and supplies for the caretaker. I can use this box as a table to set all my stuff on, so maybe it will dry a bit. Thumper hung up a line and we draped wet clothes over it. The shelter has a rolled up shade to block the wind and rain if needed and a picnic table inside under cover which is awesome! We leave the shade rolled up. The rain stops around 2pm and Steady is now there. I visited the privy and gave a full report to the ladies. Use the woods for #1 and #2. Unfortunately this privy is overused and the turd tower is just below the seat. A vision I won't soon forget. The privy is right off the trail and located near intersecting local trail so it's convenient for many people not just AT hikers. The nobo bubble isn't even here yet so I have no idea how things will look when that happens. The next shelter is 18 miles away at Rausch Gap. All is quiet when suddenly hikers are pouring in, about 15-20 of them. They litterally storm the shelter and they're loud. They're behavior is as if no one else is there. They have a discussion about their plan and check out the disappointing privy. Some decide to push on and some stay. Unfortunately. In all my other tenting or shelter experiences on this journey it's been nice socializing with other hikers. People from all different walksbof life and all ages. This group differs. The " leader" it seems is a hiker named Joe Kool ( with a K) and then there are his tramily. Joe Kool doesn't have any respect for hikers in the shelter that aren't in his tramily and he has no inside voice. We've all met this type of person, can't tone down is always turned "on" and can only talk about themselves. He smokes cigarettes and pot in the shelter. I'm laying on the floor by the picnic table. There are many in this group and about 6 are in the shelter the rest in tents or hammocks but the gathering spot is the picnic table. Other hikers are eating their dinner outside on the steps. I finally ask if I can get a seat at the table to make and eat my dinner and they do make room. I take care of business making a little small talk with Lotus and escape back to my space. More pot and cigarettes are smoked and at 8:30 another thru hiker arrives and takes a spot on the floor up by my head. We all stink but he smells terrible!!! Like dirty stinky feet and I glance up to see they're sticking out of his quilt. He's very quiet and nice and he spending the night next to Joe Kool who is sleeping under the picnic table so he can be near the opening of the shelter because he smokes....all night. T-Bird arrives, makes dinner on the steps and crawls into a space between Thumper and Steady. River arrives and says hello and I can tell she's quickly summed up the scene. Though there's room on the floor next to me she sets up her tent. Eventually the gang settles down and goes to bed. But Joe Kool stays up with his phone... smoking. And as the breeze gently blows the smoke towards Steady and I we look at each other because we know it's going to be a long night. Every time I hear the lighter I cringe. He's a chain smoker, great. I do drift off to sleep but the entire shelter is awoken at 11pm sharp. Not by Mr Kool. By Mr Porcupine who is under the shelter chewing on it. It echoes loudly and goes on for at least 15 minutes before Mr stinky gets up and goes outside to convince it to leave. Rest comes again. Hopefully I will get more than anticipated!