Date: 2003-04-08
From: Franklin, NC

To: Campsite after Wayah Bald
Miles today: 13.6

What a great nights sleep I had! I could have used a couple more hours but it was still good. Got up at 7:00, breakfast was a bagel and muffin from the continental breakfast. It didn't look like too nice of a day when we opened the curtain. Robbie & Stacy came by to get us at 8:15. Last night they offered to take us back to the trail on their way to work. We were on the trail before 9:00. By the time we walked the 3 miles to Winding Stair Gap, Robbie came flying by us in his UPS truck, waving as he went by. It was very hard to be motivated today, I just wanted to go back with Val & Rob and be lazy. A couple more miles up the trail it started raining and has yet to stop. After hiking 6.8 miles, Smokey and I decided to walk the extra .5 mile off the trail to the Siler Bald Shelter & have lunch. Chuck was there waiting for Cap'n Ben and Christy to arrive. Smokey made herself some coffee and I made myself and Chuck some chicken noodle soup. It is a cold, rainy day and something warm to eat sounded like a good idea. We had literally just finished cooking when a stream of people started arriving. One by one the all came in. Everyone had decided to stay there for the night which Smokey and I contemplated doing but Stephen was already ahead of us and we had already decided to camp up the trail a ways. So the 2 of us and Viking, Cap'n Ben and Christy all ventured back out into this lovely rain. It would have been nice to stay at the shelter but it was really full. And so we marched on. Hiking in the rain isn't really that bad except it makes for a slow hike. I spent the day trying to stay on my feet and not end up face first in the mud. Since when did the AT become a river? Smokey, Viking and I arrived at the campsite only to find that no one else was here. I guess Stephen, Cap'n Ben, and Christy all went on to the next shelter, which I can't blame them for doing. It was close to 5:30 when we got here and we didn't think we could do another 5.5 miles to the next shelter before dark. We figured we were going to be in a tent no matter which place we stayed so why not stay here. I know my rain gear is breatheable but I think thats something they just tell you. You'd think by now there really would be a rain jacket that doesn't make you as wet on the inside as you are on the outside. I REALLY hope my clothes dry out by morning. There is supposed to be a spring at this site and there is if you want to call it that. You can barely get any water out of it. So after putting on my long john top and dry fleece (had to wait on the bottoms and socks until I was out of the rain for good, well for the night anyway), made dinner with what water we could get. I had a nice cup of hot tea, a Mountain House spaghetti, and half of Viking's chocolate bar. I don't think I've ever eaten my dinner so fast. I guess I was hungry. Hung the food bags then we all jumped into our tents. Ahh, so nice and dry now and trying to stay warm.. I'm hoping I won't have any problems with water coming in through my floor tonight, something I've been hearing a lot about these last couple of days. It is about 40 degrees and still raining. The rumor on the trail is that its supposed to rain all week and snow on Thursday. What, did you say SNOW!? Thursday I'll be coming into the NOC. My wimpy side says if it snows I'm staying at the NOC but my adventurous side says COOL, lets stay out in it. Chances are I'll stay out (as long as my boots are dry which now they are not) since it would only be another day until Fontana. Just to keep you updated on my thinking. I'm planning to take a couple days off at Fontana and get a ride around to Clingman's Dome since I've already done that section and really don't want to do it again. Its time to zip up the sleeping bag. Hello to everyone back home!