Date: 2005-03-30
From: Wayah Bald

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

3.30.05Day 177:40am So, well, it turns out that our engineering marvel of last night wasn't so marvelous after all. A few minutes shy of midnight, I hear this WHOOSH, followed by a nightmarish assault by a glowing yellow square of silnylon, that attempted to smother me. It flaped, incessantly, in the constant wind, an undulating, ghostly, biohazard-tinted pennant, a scant two feet over my head. Then, just as I was becoming accustomed to this additional noise (Cuppa Joe was contentedly snoring away), another huge gust, followed by a blow to the head -- a falling sandal. Yes, the objects we had employed to keep the second tarp down had evidently failed. I was just waiting for the other shoe (or, sandal) to drop, literally. I hear Break to my left, and Weatherman to my right, stirring in their sleeping bags. "I just got beaned by a sandal," I announced. "I just got nailed by my boot," Weatherman one-ups me. Cuppa Joe slumbered on. Weatherman got up and dismantled the tarps, flapp!ing aimlessly (but noisily) above us, but left the section above CJ, so as not to disturbhim. And still CJ slept, even w/ the raucous flapping and snapping of the tarps. Well, at least one of us got a decent night's sleep.The sunrise this morning was fantastic, a palette of colors straight from a Thomas Kincade painting. Not that I particularly like Kincade's works, but these were the pastels he utilizes, in the sky this morning. Looks to be another picture-perfect day for hiking. I'm already in my shorts.10:45am I broke away from the gang this morning, and eluded the lasoed bunge cords thrown at me, and hit the trail just after 8. To my credit, I tried to wait; I really did. But, the trail was exerting a magnetic pull on me, and the weather was so outstanding. So, I left early, but they were proabably only 10 minutes or so behind. But the trail has been beautiful this morning (exept for a slightly Blair-Witch-esque flagged detour around a washed-out section of trail). I just stretched my legs out, and let them set the pace. My hiker legs are definitely back. Break sets a terrific pacce on the climbs -- yesterday I seriously felt like I didn't have to really exert myself at all (except climbing Siler Bald -- that was a long haul) -- but descending she slows down, b/c of her knees, and I've noticed that I have to rein myself in. But this morning, I'm just kickin' back and cruisin', letting my legs take over. And it's been perfect, every element of the day -- t!he weather, the trail, the people (today's new faces include: Turbo Joe, Trip, Chuck, Josh), the views, my internal monologues. I know that it must seem like I say this every day, but it's true; this journey has been awesome, and it only keeps getting better, day by day. I'm lovin' life; what else could I ask for?I just mentioned Siler Bald, and I realized that I never got around to writing about it yesterday. Yes, itKs a gargantuan climb, and a steep one to boot, but the vistas from the top make every uphill step worthwhile. (I would, however, recommend leaving your pack at the base, and only carrying up some water and a snack. No sense logging that behemouth all the way up.) We were treated to cloudless blue skies, as well as potato chips and grapes from a family of day hikers from Ohio. You see how lucky we are? On the ascent, we pased Tree Trunks, who mistakenly thought that the AT went thataway. Bear Bait joiined us up top as well. We just chilled up there for quite a while, and I ate too much for lunch, and drank way too much Gatorade (which sloshed in my tummy for the next several miles). But the bald itself -- the views you get from them, 360 degree panoramas, and the distances you're able to see...I'm waiting here at Cold Spring Shelter, for the rest of our motley crew to catch up. I had 'second breakfast' (or would thayt be 'elevenses'?) w/ Turbo Joe, who just headed onward. But, since I now have this new-fangled, handy-dandy Pocketmail, I'm going to try and get some entries typed up, so I can send 'em off at NOC tomorrow.11:45am Just got some super-crummy news, from the AT telephone -- Weatherman turned his ankle, again, on that red-blazed bypass. so, CJ and Break are w/ him, trying to get him into NOC. Fortunately, the college students camped at Wayah Bald w/ us last night had a cellphone and, even more fortunately, reception, so they were able to call for some help. i just hope it's nothing serious. The news certainly put a dent in my good humor. But, until we know more...3:15pm Thankfully, it seems that Weatherman is not seriously injured. It sounds like he torqued his leg, sliding off of the steeply sloped bypass section, and aggravated his bum ankle. But, he's off to NOC to rest up, and either rejoin us tomorrow when we roll in, or take a few more days of rest and recuperation, and jump up to Fontana. I'm sure he knows best waht he needs, but I do hope he's able to continue hiking. Whatever would we do for entertainment w/o him? On the subject of resting -- I somehow managed to reaggravate the sore groin muscle from the first days of my hike. I felt it pull, when I stepped over a massive log spanning the trail. Nothing horrible; it just means I have to take it slower on the ups, smaller steps. And boy, was the climb to Wesser Bald an 'up'. At least a Category 3, bordering on a 4. It was just interminable. We kept wrapping around the mountainsides, ever climbing, and, after a handful of football field lengths, you'd catch a glimpse of the firetower, which conundrically never seemed to grow any larger. Eventually, I stumbled to the summit, but it really sapped me of energy -- I didn't have my trusty pace-setter Break to keep my speed sane, so I reverted to last year's tendencies and charged bull-headed full-steam ahead. I even managed to drain my water bladder -- a first on this journey. But, there's a source a half-mile from here, so no worries. I am glad that the shelter is less than a mile off, though -- I'm ready to kick back and relax for the rest of the evening. Well, Socks and KT just joined me, so...It's fairly breezy atop the tower on Wesser Bald, and there are 4 turkey vultures, just soaring in the windstreams, amidst unadulterated blue skies. Imagine what that must be like, gliding on air, going nowhere but where some uncontrollable force carries you. Imagine the liberation, of such an existence. The freedom. And then I realize, I'm pretty much doing just that, livin' such a life, out here on the AT. What else can I say?7:15pm I'm incredibly tired. Sleepy-tired. I feel as if each of my upper eyelashes has a 10# weight dangling from it, and gravity is doing the rest. Not much of a surprise, when you don't get any sleep the night before. I'm trying to hold out until 8, b/c I already get enough grief about rising early. Today was an excellent day of hiking. And, though I hadn't intentionally planned it, I'm really glad I hiked solo today. I needed some personal, introspective, 'alone' time, just me and my thoughts. I tried to picture what I'd be doign, if I hadn't returned to the trail. I'd likely still be working w/ Steve, probably wrapping up the Pizzigati kitchen, and moving on to the next project. But, as much as I loved that job, when it comes down to it -- I'm happy, out here in the woods. And not only is there nowhere else I'd rather be, there's nowhere else I can picture myself. This is my life, and I'm livin' it.