Date: 2013-04-17
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I awoke early because I wanted to beat the heat, at least for the first 5 miles, which were entirely uphill. I packed quietly so as not to disturb my bunkmates. I settled my bill with Rocket, the hostel boss, and had managed to rack up a $60 tab. It was mostly food, a few beverages, and the bunk itself was $15.I hit the road just before 8:00 a.m. and backtracked a few tenths of a mile to the trail. The trail immediately started a steep ascent, as the trucks roaring down I40 could be heard in the background. The trail rose about 2,400 feet within 4.4 miles, but thankfully it was well-graded and had many switchbacks. It was already hot at the bottom, and I drenched my headband quickly. Thankfully I had plenty of water, and the temp dropped as we climbed.The forecast called for afternoon showers/thunderstorms. A quick shower moved through about 10:00 a.m. It was just long enough for me to put on my rain jacket, but as soon as it started, it was over and the skies looked clear.At the summit stood an FAA tower (see picture). It made a strange humming noise, so I didn¢t go near it. Really, I think it was a government mind-reading machine, and somewhere attached to my SSN are my thoughts at that moment, mainly, ¢I want a Snickers!¢On the descent, I ran in to Mother Theresa and Jet Lag. At the bottom, we reached Deep Gap, and a slight rumble could be heard in the distance. As we climbed back up, the skies opened up and it poured for at least an hour. Most everyone was soaked to the bone, but thankfully it was warm enough not to be chilled. You see, even if you put on rain gear, you sweat, so you¢re either soaked from the rain, your sweat, or both.Just before Max Patch Bald, some of the Warrior Hikers began to pass me. Most of them were slackpacking from I40 to Max Patch Bald. I talked to them all and found out one guy is from Rochester, Minnesota. He is a trucker, so he told me a lot about that.Just before Max Patch Bald, we crossed a forest road and Onesimus (a former thru-hiker) was there doing trail magic. He had his RV camper set up and was grilling chicken. I also met him at Fontana Dam, but at the time, I was not eating meat so I had to skip his trail magic there. This time, however, I gladly accepted and devoured a delicious chicken thigh! He is working his way up the trail and hopes to do trail magic all the way to Maine. I hope to see him again!I continued on and within 0.4 miles was on top of Max Patch Bald. Thankfully the rain had stopped and the skies were mostly clear. The views were stunning! I found it far more impressive than even the Smokies and savored the sights for at least 40 minutes. I pondered how amazing it would be to get married on this bald. I would have set up camp right then and there, but it was very exposed and I didn¢t trust the forecast. While on the bald, I met Soulshine and Coonsy. We took turns taking photos for each other and agreed the view was unbeatable. When I last saw them, they were waving their tent¢s rain fly on the summit while shouting, ¢Let the freak flag fly!¢ They were pretty awesome and I¢m certain they took their chances and set up camp on top of the bald.I reluctantly left the bald and descended into a rhododendron tunnel and passed many streams before reaching the shelter. There I found Slim Jim, Banzai, Jet Lag, and others. I found a spot and pitched my tent, since rumor has it the shelters in this stretch are contaminated with norovirus. Later, others showed up, including Quohog and Oreo. Oreo got her name last night at Standing Bear Farm because she told Army Ant that she could do an awesome trick with Oreos. He excitedly ran to the pantry and bought and gave her a sleeve of Oreos. She then put one in her mouth, as ordinarily as you or I, and simply ate it. It was amusing, and I¢m sure she¢ll get many, many free Oreos over the next 1,900 miles.Today was my longest mileage day yet at 15.1 miles, but I feel great. Hot Springs is just about 18 miles away, and I plan to get there on Friday, in time for Trail Fest and all its glory.