Date: 2006-05-13
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: broken clouds

Total miles today 7.4 (need to add 2 non-trail miles to 12 May journal)Trail miles today 7.0Start NOCFinish at Sassafras Gap Shelter at AT mile 140.83000 ft of ups400 ft of downsstaying in tent   Well I putzed around having breakfast at the NOC restaurant with Blister Bill and Whimsy. Went and packed and hit the trail at the late hour of 0930. The prediction of warm weather was true and I hiked in sunshine all the way to the shelter. Only 7 miles, but none the less it was the longest stretch of hiking with good weather the entire trip so far. It is cooling off now and it is only 1430. Supposed to be cold for the next few days.   Well the dreaded climb out of the NOC (it is 3000 ft up and one of the longest sustained climbs on the AT) turned out not to be so bad. Maybe it was the zero day providing some required recuperation or maybe I am just getting stronger. I cruised up the first 2000 ft or so all full of myself as I was cooking along at 2 mph. About that time the old body starts to go "You know, this is a pretty big hill after all." So I had to put a little effort into it from then on but still managed to keep to the 2 mph.   The drop of 3000 into the NOC and the subsequent climb out both took me through my hay fever zone. I noticed on the 11th that as we dropped off the top, where the trees were not yet fully budded out, that there was a band of elevation where I was getting a reaction from the plants (sneezing, etc). Then when we got to the bottom I was not having any trouble. The exact same thing happened on the way up here today.   Met 7 hikers heading down into town, 4 older guys and 3 younger one. One of the younger ones was wearing blue jeans. The last older guy pulling up the rear looked really shot. I asked him if he was tired and he said yes. As he looked pretty down I tried to cheer him up by reminding him it was all down hill the rest of the way. This was true but it was about 3 miles and 1500 ft drop. That is pretty hard on the knees.   I see I have been spoiled by the town food. I was finding my peanut butter tacos (this is large globs of peanut butter smeared on a tortilla shell and rolled up for you non-gourmands) somewhat unappealing today. But I have to have 2 to get the requisite calories in me so I added some beef jerky to spice them up a bit (this was about 1300 calories). Sort of worked. Chased by raspberry hot chocolate so all was not a loss. This is on top of the 2 snickers bars, consumed while trudging up the hill (I am restricted to no more than I candy bar per hour), and the omelette and hash browns and coffee (yes!) savored at breakfast. I am approaching 3000 calories for the day so I think I can get to my goal of 4000 for the day. Well have to see about dinner here in awhile    Well Blister Bill & Fancy arrived as well as a couple of section hikers and two new thru hikers named Chad & Frankenfoot. This makes 5 thru's at one place. This is the most I have seen. It sounds like a couple of the thru's that I had left behind are struggling and I wonder if they will keep going. It is kind of surprising how many people have started late.    As usual I am staying in my tent, but there is great hilarity going on in the nearby shelter as the new thru's carry mousetraps with them. When they got here they had nabbed a total of 13, but they have already gotten 3 more. If a few more people did this we would not have much of a mouse problem.Better go to sleep.WyomingWhich way is North?