Date: 2007-05-20
From: Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs, NC

To: Alpine Court Motel
Miles today: 0.0

5/20 Zero day at Hot Springs $328.82I slept very well in a comfy bed last night and was awake at 6:30am. I went downstairs where the cook was starting breakfast and asked her if I could use the phone. I zapped some journals to PocketMail and called C, whom I hadn¢t talked to since the 15th.For those of you who have not met me, I need to explain here that I am very soft-spoken person, and C does most of the talking when I call him. I was in the sitting room on the phone at 7:30 when the menopausal cook popped her head in and told me my voice carries and could I keep it down. I just stared at her, blinking, with my mouth half agape. Did the cook just shush a guest??? As people wandered downstairs, she greeted them cheerfully at full volume. It was just more than I could tolerate. I could blame my bad experience at Elmers yesterday on exhaustion and sore feet, but there was no F¢n excuse this morning. I had to get out of there, this minute, away from all the bad karma.After my phone call, I packed up and left in about 15 minutes without brushing my teeth. I walked down the street to the Duckett House Inn, where the guy told me ¢It¢s way too early, go eat at the diner and come back at 2pm¢. I found two Geocaches and ate half a bag of potato chips on the way back into town (all three blocks), and thought ¢This is stupid, carrying my pack around town for errands¢. I stopped at the Alpine Court Motel around 10am. Harold is very sweet and accommodating and told me I could leave my pack on the bench until a room was available. The day was suddenly brighter. I took some pictures of the caboose at the town welcome center and proceeded to the outfitter for fuel. I looked around and asked if they had about a 3000 cubic inch pack to fit a fat midget like me.I think I¢m in love. I got an Osprey Ariel 55!!! It fits like a dream and I could swear it is 20# lighter when loaded. OMG I am sooo amazed. I feel a twenty-mile day coming on. I was walking around with the pack on in my flip-flops, never noticing any soreness in my feet! After I loaded it I took out the food and weighed it at the outfitter - 23# with winter clothing. It feels like 10#. Yay!Oh, and Duhhh, when I talked to C I found out yesterday was Saturday, not Friday, so my son wasn¢t there to talk to anyways. I guess it¢s a good thing that I don¢t know what day it is. It just means I can¢t hit the trail early in the morning until the post office opens. Then I have to take my old pack, which I disassembled, to the outfitter to be UPS¢ed home. Maybe C or G could use it when they get brave enough to try shittinginthewoods with me.I had an awesome huge buffalo burger (real bison meat) at the Paddler¢s Pub for dinner with BluePrince. With my new pack, I just might be able to keep up with this feisty 80-year old!With all my errands remaining and a big bunch of hikers from Damascus Trail Daze leaving in the morning, I decided to splurge and take another zero day at Hot Springs. I have seen Crease, Azars from Cloud 9, Brillo, and Ding Dong. I love my street side room. I have a window on three sides to watch the hikers and bikers go by. By 10pm, I am exhausted again and I didn¢t get around to calling C or using the computer today.Thankful for: amazing gear.