Date: 2016-04-30
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Sassafrass Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: few clouds

Today was a banner day! Some days are just better than others and this was one! I woke up earlier than I had been and was out of camp by 7:30. Funny story. I had washed out my shirt and hung it to dry overnight. When I woke, it was on the ground and a mouse had eaten a ton of holes in the side. Bummer! It was a very muggy morning and I sweated through my newly ventilated shirt. I made the 6 mile walk to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) by 10:00. I heard they had a pretty good restaurant and I was so hungry for pancakes! I ran in the door and they quickly showed me to the patio with some of the other hikers. I ordered the biggest breakfast available and it did not disappoint! I dined with Chad, Ocho, and Charlemagne. We laughed a lot. The new shoes had given me three pretty tough blisters so I walked over to the outfitter to see about shoes. I was in luck as they had one pair of my old shoes in stock and it was my size! I was elated. I then sent back the other shoes to Franklin for a refund. A bunch of the gang had gathered at the general store across the street and I mosied over to visit. We all had some good laughs. They all got a kick out of my shirt! The NOC is great! They have zip lining, a railroad, and river rafting. It would be easy to spend several days there. However, since I took several zeroes in Franklin, I just couldn't stay. The AT crosses the river and I ran into Teddy and her husband Travis. They are a cute couple. Travis has to go back to Arizona for work, so they had rented a car and were going to enjoy a few days together. Teddy is a strong hiker, so I am sure I will see her down the road. The climb from the NOC to Sassafras Shelter is amazing. Almost four thousand feet in 6 miles. That is over half the Grand Canyon! I ran into Dusty, Maria, and Lost on the way up. Also Monkey Leg and Tiny. They had pizza and beer before starting the climb and it showed!!It started to rain on and off when I arrived at the shelter. Due to the impending thunderstorm, everyone was shooting for it. I met up with a lot of folks who I had known previously and it was like old times. Teddy Bear, Curry Toe, Hawaii and Florida Keys, Looker, Bear Burrito, Montechristo, and the others I passed. Fortunately it is a big shelter that sleeps 12 in two decks. As I am tall, I took the upper deck. For dinner, I had Idahoan instant potatoes with gravy and tuna fish. It was my best dinner in 3 days! We all exchanged meal ideas as Curry Toe has gone stoveless as well. Bear Burrito had a ball to massage muscles and loaned that to me. Boy did that feel good. With the rain came a cold front. The temperature really dropped and everyone decided to turn in early. I learned a couple of items. The Quaker Breakfast Oatmeal Bars are just OK. But with peanut butter, they are good! Next, I bought Reese's Peanut Butter for a premium thinking it would taste like peanut butter cup peanut butter. The best!! When it tasted like regular peanut butter, I was irritated. Next time it's Peter Pan. Today was a great day. I was finally used to being back on the trail and returning to my other shoes was great! I saw a bunch of old friends and that was nice too. When I got laid up in Franklin and Matt Damon quit the trail, it did make me a little sad. It also bummed me out that Hoot and Pad Foot were probably done. It is amazing how attached to our friends we become. Just like real life, there are good days and bad days on the trail. I am working on finding the good things on even the tough days to make them positive.