Date: 2007-12-13
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

mi. 16.4sleep hoteldest. Erwin, TN day 153 Happy 5 months on the trail to me. It feels like forever ago I started. I'm lovin it. I think everyone needs to take a 6 month trip. It puts everything into prospective. Last night was pretty interesting. These TN places are very strange. Just after dark last night we heard something that can only be described as coyotes. It was a lot of yapping, not really any howling. It went on for a few minutes. Then well after dark we heard a loud gun shot. Hunting after dark I take it. Then around 7pm we heard what can best be described as a tractor pull. It was an engine reving, then a pause, then another pause. Sounded like he was stuck. Then a little after that the coyote noise started again for a few minutes. Needless to say all 3 of us we happy not to be alone there. All of us said we would have been wigging out. Together it was kind of comical. All the noises sounded fairly close. The sounds could have been bounces around a little. The B went off nice and early. I kind of like the early starts. Usually I am close to getting up anyways. Today I was on the trail just light. The day started off over a bump that the guide says reminds southbounders of Maine. It actually did. It was a beautiful pine covered summit. Lots of moss and ferns growing. Definitly a cool spot. Just before it I got to a piped spring on the trail where Oblivious was taking a break. Usually I treat water. Not this time. It was flowing out of a pipe, hitting the ground 3 feet below. No dipping and sipping here. I just held my head under. Nothing above the spring but the summit. The water had to be some of the best of the trail. The trail went over another great bald today, Beauty Spot. It was just that. Another great view of every direction. Today there was even a temperature inversion. The fog had not burned off of the valley below. I could see the fog down low and the scattered clouds up high. I will never get tired of seeing that. If I could I would spend all day looking at the view. We cruzed into town just before 2. By town I mean we crossed the road bridge were you can go into town. There is a hostel right across from there. We had all heard mixed reviews from there. With the 3 of us we decided to go into town and stay at the Super8. It is within walking distance in town. Otherwise we would have to be shuttled in. So we sat on the guard rails across the street from the hostel we didn't want to stay at. We could see the guy sitting on the porch. Deluxe and Oblivious tried their cell phones, no go. It would be a hard-ish hitch. Not a busy road, with a turn. Just about then someone pulled up and asked if we were heading south. I think he thought we were going to stay at the hostel. Just as he was about to pull away I walked over and started to talk. After a minute I came right out and asked if he could drop us off. He was going that was anyways. He looked like he really didn't want to give 3 smelly hikers a ride. But he said yes. We all piled in and got an easy ride to town. He let us off just down from the hotel. I can't call the a yogi, that's where you get someone to give you something without asking for it. But I'm definitly proud of this one. He definitly didn't want to give us a ride when he pulled over, but hey he should have known better. We checked into the hotel just before 2pm. Just in time to miss a huge rain storm. It had been looking like rain most of the day. After the rain we headed over to McDonalds. Where we made McPigs of ourselves. Then it was a discount resupply at the discount store close to the hotel. Followed by dinner at McDonalds. All told I eat 3 double chz burges, 20 nuggets, 1 fry, 2 drinks, and 1 Big Mac today at that place. Add a 2 liter of rootbeer and a bag of Dorites at the hotel. Needless to say I felt full. I picked up my mail drop today also. Unfortunatly the shoes didn't fit. My feet changed more than I thought. I looked up some online. Tomorrow before we leave I think I'll order some and have them sent ahead. We are planning on staying at a hostel just before the Smokies. It was fun being in town again with other people. We stayed up until 3 or so Watching tv and living the High Life. If we haven't seen it "8 days a week" is a funny comedy. Another one of the stupid funny ones I like.