Date: 2015-04-23
From: Hot Springs

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: few clouds

I kind of piled the mileage together her because I just want to catch up. Left Hot Springs on Friday April 24th and arrived in Erwin on Tuesday morning April 28th. Can't recall Friday nights sheler, Saturday was Flint Mountain shelter, Sunday was Hogback Ridge shelter, and Monday was Bald Mountain shelter. I did buy a map book in Hot Springs so now I know where I am going. And I know what the blaze looks like now (ha). That is a story for my longer journal. Left Hot Springs Thursday morning about 9:30 am. Hiked with Nurse half of the day. We talked gear. He loves my pack and we are the only ones it seems that use the big ghost poncho. He loves his just as much as I love mine. Met a young man (Tarzan) on the trail where I stopped for lunch and water. Nurse hiked on. I talked with him for a while. He was real emotional and said his parents kicked him out because of a pregnancy scare with his girlfriend. He said he was on the trail to get closer to God and read his bible everyday. I told him I would pray for him and immediately he asked if there was something he could pray for me about. Hmm....I asked him to pray that I would always put God first in my life. 11 miles today. Tent night. Only one person, SquarePeg, at shelter. He makes one heck of a fire. I like him. Very soft spoken, his alarm goes off at 5 but he gets up and hour later, and hikes off about 6:30 am. He is from Uvalde, TX.Sat: 15 miles Hiked by myself all day. Detour to Hemlock Hostel to have a pizza. saw a small black bear on the way. No bears in the Smokies but finally saw one here in North Carolina. Met Hattie who owns the hostel. She is stressed out and has her hostel on the market. Her husband died in September and her house burned down on Jan 14. My Mom and daughter's birthday, 3 days before her birthday. So sad. She is very sweet. I found out she is a quilter and for a moment she stopped what she was doing to show me her beautiful quilting and look at my pictures of my quilting. I had the best pizza and took the rest with me for dinner and breakfast the next day. Took a bath in the waterfall and washed my tshirt.   Hard day of serious rock climbing with beautiful views. Got to the shelter at 8 beacuse I spent too much time at the hostel. Tired. Shelter. Sun: Left camp at 9:30 or so because I heard there might be trail magic at Sam's Gap. Thought it might be a church group and wanted to meet them. Possibly after church service hours. On the way down I came across a marker that was from a family that gave up some property to the U.S. Forest service. The marker states that this part of the Appalachian Trail is to be recognized as a manifestation of the glory of Christ Jesus, our Lord. I loved finding this. It was so appropriate for my Sunday morning. Arrived at Sam's Gap about 11:30 am and two super nice men, Rick and Chuck, greeted me. They live in Virginia and do geocatching. Rick made me a bologna sandwich on white bread with LETTUCE (yay, got some greens) while they charged my Ipad for me. Indy showed up! Have not seen him since my first trail magic last Thursday morning at Newfound Gap in the Smokies.How funny he was here for my second trail magic also. Continued on. Hiked 10 miles alone today. More rain. Lots of rain actually. That's why only 10 today. Made and ate an entire box of Kraft Mac-n-cheese. YUMMMMMMM Mon: Sent Dave an email at 6:30 am to pick me up in Erwin today at 4pm. Called him at 2 when I stopped for lunch. He never saw the email. Good thing he answered. Hiked 16 miles today. Dave was late, again. Stretch and Quahog (pronounced Cohog) came with us to dinner. Fajitas and 2, yes two, Dos Equis. We talked and talked. I think Dave was tired of us talking. He was quiet this time. Dropped them back at the hostel and Dave brought me home but not before stopping at DQ for a butterfinger blizzard. HOME is where the heart is. Tuesday morning weighed myself. I have lost 9.5 pounds. UGH. Way too much for only 15 days. Bulletproof coffee this morning! Hope to be back on the trail on Friday.