Date: 2009-03-31
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

I was the first one up at 7 am! I wanted to have a chance to watch the sunrise, but I was a bit too late for that, and since it was somewhat cloudy, I don¢t think I missed a good one anyway. Earlier in the morning, I heard an animal underneath my hammock. I quickly shifted to try to scare it away as I did not want it messing with my backpack! As I was making my breakfast, I saw the culprit! Another bunny rabbit! He wasn¢t even scared of me, and actually started hopping right toward me at one point! He seemed to have found a rich place to forage on this hilltop. No one else in my campsite stirred until 8:30, and by 8:38, I tied my earliest set-off time for starting out on the trail. Today was a short 11.5 mile day, but featured a long descent into the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center), which I was not looking forward to. Downhills take a toll on my body and take me much longer to cover than uphills. I passed by two guys who were camping just a little ways ahead of my campsite. One of them started just after me and caught me after about twenty minutes. His name was ¢Spotlight¢ and he was booking it because he was so cold! I caught up to him again, and we walked together for the next portion, with me in the lead. He talked about the guys he had been hiking with, and at one point, mentioned something about ¢Sir Richard.¢ ¢That¢s what they¢re calling him?¢ I asked. Funny¢¦We stopped at Tellico Gap for a change in layers (and a cigarette break for him) and then headed uphill to the Wesser Bald fire tower. I made it up first (he would later tell someone that he tried as hard as he could to keep up, but just couldn¢t, and said to me ¢I¢ve got to hand it to you¢¦) The tower afforded more magnificent 360 degree views! ¢Spotlight¢ took off before I was finished taking in the scenery, so I made the 6.5 mile descent into the NOC on my own. There were a couple of steep places, but there were several uphill stretches along the descent, allowing the knees a break. The grade, for the most part, was more gentle than I was expecting. At about 2:10 pm, I could see a building, and many colored kayaks, along with the river! I made it to the NOC! I crossed the road and walked over to the outfitters where several thru-hikers were standing outside (none of whom I knew). I saw Truckin¢ crossing over a bridge as she talked on her cell phone. I decided to head over the river and try to locate the hostel and check in before it was filled. A lot of the NOC seemed to be closed and/or under construction (including the restrooms) which felt disappointing. I could not find the hostel and had to ask someone for help. It was located at the far end of the property, and up a steep hill. We seem to have no problems hiking over every hill and dale on the trail, but when it comes to off-trail walking, it feels like cruel punishment to have to climb steep hills in order to get to our rooms with further climbs to the bathroom and kitchen¢¦ I guess when you think you are finished walking after your 11 miles and are looking forward to a break, your body and brain revolt at any additional effort.   I opened the door to my hostel room to find a colder and more bare setting than a prison room! (I started missing Joe Dodge Lodge in the Whites). We had to walk back over the river to the outfitters to get coins and a little baggie of detergent for 50 cents in order to do our laundry in the community building. I picked up two miniature peppermint patties at the cash register counter, but they turned out to be stale! I brought my laundry necessities back to my room, and set off to sit by the river and soak my feet in the cold water (for the first time on this trip!) while I made a phone call. I would have liked to take a rafting trip on the river, but had no one to accompany me, so I decided that would have to wait for another time¢¦ Then, it was off to the restaurant for dinner! There was one table of thru-hikers, so I joined them at the head of the table. A lot of the people were new to me, but because of the behavior of one particular individual who was sitting in close proximity to me, and who instantly made me feel the most intensely uncomfortable I have felt on the trail, I was too unnerved and tense to converse with the others. This hiker had been drinking since 11am and would not stop staring at me, inches away from my face, while asking me, ¢How old are you? ¢¦ So what¢s your story?¢¦¢ and then repeating the same questions again. I ordered a burger and a Blue Moon, and wished I could sit at the opposite end of the table near Sir Richard and Spotlight. Another hiker that was new to me had joined my end of the table, and tried to diffuse the tension. He apologized to me for him and explained that he was really nice when he wasn¢t under the influence. Later, he took him outside to have a talk with him, but by that time, Mr. Ed and Lightweight had come in for dinner. I moved over to their table, and felt much better. I ordered a brownie sundae and a coffee to top off dinner, and Boo-boo, joined the three of us (after everyone at his table left). He had hiked the AT in 2004 and is hiking it again this year. He asked how my feet were doing, and I explained my recent pains (bumps on my left heel and pain in the bones on the tops of the arches on both feet). He had some tiger balm in liquid form that he applied to my heels with a napkin, and told me to back off on the mileage. ¢Your feet are what are going to get you to Katahdin, not your heart,¢ ¢I know, I know¢¦ You¢re right¢¦ It¢s just my personality!¢ I said. Lightweight said they would keep an eye on me and make me stop when they did. I had been worried about the damage I had brought on my body after such a high mileage start, and sometimes wondered if my hike was about to come to an early demise, already (and what a tragedy that would be!).         I headed back to the hostel to do my laundry. I had wanted to catch up on my journaling, but I was so tired and overwhelmed with all of the repacking after yet another (too big of a) mail drop (this one with a new journal, new toothpaste, new hand sanitizer, etc, etc. all of which I did not yet need¢¦) and then having to coach Erik on what to include in the next two mail drops, that I went to bed after midnight without accomplishing any writing. I did spend a good amount of time labeling 150 pictures on my second memory card, though¢¦.