Date: 2019-04-13
From: MollieÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Ridge Shelter 

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a better day, but again I didn¢t make the mileage I wanted to. I woke up feeling pretty horrible given my day yesterday, but writing my journal helped me process through it and get ready for the day. I woke up at 7 and didn¢t really want to move. Unfortunately, had I moved, I would¢ve missed the rain. But since I didn¢t, it started raining and I was still in my tent. I used that time to write my journal. I left at 11.Today was my latest start of the trail, but I really needed that time to get my head in the right place. I actually chatted with a man named Richard while I made my oatmeal. He was a bit older, but had a young face. He said he moves very slowly, about a mile an hour. I finally got my stuff packed up and headed out. It wasn¢t raining anymore for the most part; it sprinkled throughout the day. I stayed in my rain clothes just in case. I had taken my pack cover off, but I decided to stop and put it back on. Unfortunately, 5 minutes after I stopped, I ran into a ridge runner and he asked to see my permit, which was in my bag. Luckily he was nice and took it out for me so I didn¢t have to take my pack off again. He was friendly and said someone ahead had mentioned me! I passed two shelters this morning. Both were within a couple of miles from each other. At the first, I ran into Nate! I haven¢t seen him in a while. He was planning the same mileage as me, but we both got a late start. I needed water so I filled up there and Nate headed on. He¢s really a nice guy. Apparently his girlfriend broke up with him on the trail and he¢s been dealing with that all alone. Poor guy. His name is now ¢Lone Wolf¢. I¢m glad we know each other and ran into each other. I reached a mountain, ¢Rocky Top¢, around 3:30. I was making good time, but my late start had still pushed me back. I met a past thru-hiker, Wrong Foot, and his daughter on the summit, as well as a couple, Robinhood and Melissa. Wrong Foot hiked it in 1998 and has written a book and given talks on the trail ever since. It really does stay with you for life and I like that. He was super friendly and we chatted for a while as I had lunch. He said he was the 8th person to hike it the year he did it, and I told him I was 1400 after that this year! Crazy how times have changed and how many people do it now. Robinhood and Melissa headed on and I followed a few minutes later. There was a fair amount of climbing and steep downhills for the rest of the day. I saw Robinhood and Melissa again and walked with them for a bit. Robinhood was very into the wildlife and kept stopping to look at field mice or interesting flowers. I was third-wheeling again; I find myself attaching to couples sometimes haha. Take me in and give me love too! Haha I¢m totally jealous of their companionship and I wish I had it on the trail. It really is hard to keep going sometimes and I really do feel so alone, no matter how many friends I make. The couple stopped for a break and I kept going. It was 2 miles to the nearest shelter by this point and it was late. I was thinking I¢d have to stop there or else I¢d have to night-hike, and I didn¢t really want to do that. I kept going, but that last 2 miles felt like forever. It really does amaze me how the trail works that way. The morning 2 miles felt like nothing and this felt like forever. But on some days, the entire day drags on. It is hard to recognize the accomplishments sometimes when I hike 7 miles and it takes me four hours. It¢s a long four hours. I can usually make a pace of 2 miles an hour, but even that feels so slow to me. I actually stopped .3 miles before the shelter, feeling like I¢d never get there. I checked my phone and had service, and it said I was .3 from the shelter. I pushed on and arrived around 7pm. Hermione and Green Slouch were there, which was awesome! And some of the other folks I met at Fontana were also there. I could not push on the 5.7 miles to the shelter I wanted to in daylight. I was too afraid to hike in the dark alone and Nate was already gone, so I stopped. The shelter was full, but I expected it to be. Anytime I arrive late to a shelter, I expect it to be full. I was okay with that because it was dry. There was a storm coming, but at the moment it was dry. I actually found a genius spot right to the side of the shelter. The wind would completely miss my tent and blow past, and it was flat.Because I got there late, I was having dinner late, but I cooked my meal and sat in the dark with my headlamp. My meal was not cooked well because I didn¢t wait long enough, and the wind was really picking up. This was some of the worst wind I saw on the trail and it was howling. Someone said, according to the weather, it was 60 mph. I believe it. The bear cables were flying all over the place and it was loud as they squeaked. The tarp on the shelter was flapping around and it was hard for me to keep my food and supplies still as I cooked. I ended up not finishing my meal, but just heading to bed. Today was long and had some rough terrain, but I was in a better place than yesterday and was happy to see friends. Song of the day: ¢Trenches and Charms¢ by Jon Bryant Little Debbie