Date: 2013-04-19
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Laughing Heart Hostel 
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: light rain

I awoke to light sprinkles on my tent and said, ¢Oh HELL no!¢ I wasn¢t in the mood to pack up a wet tent, so I scurried to beat the showers. Thankfully it was a false alarm and the heavy rain held off, but I managed to pack up in 30 minutes and leave camp at 6:45 a.m., just after Slim Jim.Town was just 3.2 miles away, and I moved quickly. I listened to the radio and heard that it was pouring on the east side of the mountains in TN, which only hastened my pace. I also heard that Watertown and Boston were essentially on lockdown as authorities searched for one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.I made it to town just after 8:00 a.m. and saw that Onesimus was parked at the trailhead parking lot. I skipped past Laughing Heart Hostel because I¢d heard their bunks were all reserved. I walked into Elmer¢s as they were preparing breakfast. Initially I was told to set my pack down and wait until 10:30 a.m. to see if they had any vacancies. I said that was cool and that I¢d visit the Smokey Mountain Diner across the street and then come back. But just when I thought I was in, another staff member told me they weren¢t likely to have any availability. He directed me to free camping across the river, and I thanked him for his kindness.I decided to grab breakfast at the diner and consider my options. I ordered the breakfast skillet with a coffee, and the skillet was HUGE, so large that I couldn¢t finish it all, which is saying a lot for a hungry hiker. This town doesn¢t have cell service, so I decided to go to the Laughing Heart Hostel since they offered $8 tent spots with wi-fi and a shower. Once there, I met Tigger and gave her $10 for a tent spot. She didn¢t have change and was in a good mood so decided to take $5 instead. Sweet!It started to lightly sprinkle, so I made setting up my tent priority one. I picked out my dirty clothes and left everything else in my pack. I left my pack in my tent, threw on my rain gear, and hiked to the laundromat. I stopped by the post office first and picked up a magical drop box from Sprite. I then walked next-door to the Hiker Ministry and picked up some free laundry detergent. I noticed they had laptops and iPads for use, so I vowed to come back later.Once at the laundromat, I stripped down to just my rain gear and threw every stinking item of clothing into the wash. Many hikers were there, and I took a seat next to Banzai and had a nice chat with Tags, Jet Lag, Slim Jim, and Sriracha. I then got down to business and opened the magical box. It was full of hiker goodies, including Q-Tips, drink mixes, Lipton sides, granola, Clif bars, Annie¢s pasta, peanut butter, Ziplocs, love letters from Sprite and Lori, and sunshine--literal sunshine. Thanks, Sprite! [You¢re welcome!]. I¢m glad I opened the box before resupplying!When laundry was finished, I stepped across the street to the outfitter. Rumor was they had a body scale, and I wanted to see how much weight I had shed. My clothes are MUCH looser and my hip belt cinches down further, so I know I¢ve lost weight. However, that lying scale said I had lost just 10 pounds. I told myself I¢ve lost fat and built muscle, which is a truthful consolation.Back at the Hiker Ministry, I played on the internet for about 20 minutes. I set up my COBRA user account and did some other business. Outside, I hiked down Main Street in the pouring rain with my white trash compactor bag full of dry clothes and magic flung over my shoulder. A perfect picture of hiker trash! I walked into the Dollar General and picked up a few resupply items. I then hiked back up the hill to the hostel and promptly took a shower!All afternoon, I lazed around the community room at the hostel. It was cold and rainy outside and warm and dry and ¢The Hobbit¢ was playing inside, so it wasn¢t even a close call.Around 6:00 p.m., I decided to make my way to the $8 all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner. My timing was perfect because as I walked outside, Noodles and his friend were there in a car and they offered me a ride. I gladly accepted and in just minutes was scarfing salad, garlic bread, and spaghetti. I didn¢t recognize most of the about 50 hikers there, so I sat down next to Noodle, not Noodles, whom I had last seen at Wesser Bald Shelter. Man, did he have stories! Mainly that he is still with Knutt and GMan but that he had left them today at Gatlinburg and hitched to Hot Springs in five hitches over about six hours. Also, and this is splashy, he reported that Morris had some disagreement with one of the forest rangers to the point that they handcuffed him. True? Heck if I know. The trail is FULL of rumors, and perhaps this one is fictitious. Go read Morris¢ journal to find out the E! True Hollywood Story.So since I haven¢t mentioned it, this weekend is Trail Fest in Hot Springs. The towns along the AT have multiple celebrations as the NOBO bubble moves up the trail. The big one is Trail Days in Damascus, Virginia, but this one in Hot Springs is the first I¢ve attended. I registered next to the library and bought two rubber duckies: #563, my old area code, and #522, my old telephone prefix. I¢m gonna win this one; I¢ve got a good feeling!Next-door, I bought a French Broad ESB Ale to take back to the hostel. Back at the hostel, ¢The Hobbit¢ was playing again, but I enjoyed my cold brew, along with a delicious chocolate chip cookie that one of the hikers had baked, and journaled.It was a restful day. The rain finally stopped in the early evening. I¢m not sure whether I¢ll go back out tomorrow or partake in some live music courtesy of Trail Fest. It¢s supposed to be about 35 degrees tonight, much colder than it has been, so I¢ll see how I feel in the morning.