Date: 2004-04-08
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Good Evening! I just arrived at the shelter and its 11 PM. This goes without saying but I'm pooped. My calves are KILLING me...I had 4 Advil and 2 Aleve, plus I was offered another drug to ease the pain, but I will get to that in a bit. I did not start hiking until 4 PM and it took 7 hours (including dinner) largely due to the pain in my legs. Walk Softly hiked with me and it was the first time night hiking for each of us. Below is a rough timeline of my day:5:00-Rooster Crows, 5:01-Rooster Crows, 5:02-Rooster Crows...6:00-Rooster Crows, 6:01-Rooster Crows...6:37 Beatbox wakes up thinking ill thoughts towards roosters, 7:00 Beatbox showers (WooHoo!), there is a collection of dead mosquitoes in the shower, 7:30-Beatbox buys and eats breakfast number 1 (sausage egg n cheese biscuit, hashbrowns, and a coke), 7:45-Beatbox and Tarzan head to town but all of the places in town are yet to open.*OK I'm tired let's make this more of a recap.Tarzan and I chilled in town, went to the outfitter, received Post Office packages and played hockey with no ice or sticks :). Tarzan returned to camp while I ate breakfast #2 with Mouth, a UNC student who hates Duke! I had a steak egg n cheese biscuit, a biscuit and gravy and Pepsi. I also completed a crossword. I talked with other hikers in town (Apple Pie, Freight Train, BuckEye, and Mr. Freeze)and packed up camp. This included adding all the new food from my package and giving extra food to Tarzan and the newly arriving Walk Softly. I am still going to Easter with Walk Softly (YAY) and I met his mom. She came to return the "Big Stick" he had lost. As long as I keep up with Walk Softly I have a ride for Easter. My leg is painful but I will make it (stubborn man sounds.....ugh!). This means 17 plus tomorrow and 15 more Saturday. I feel like the Devil does not want me in church, but I'm determined. My legs are really hurting bad.Over the course of the day I reunited with Happy, Dutch, Red, Jeep, Nik and other hikers. Apparently Nik was in the hospital for 5 days due to a spider bite. Sadly the Roman Noodles and Indiana Jane did not show up. Walk Softly and I looked for our friend Heather again but nevre found her :(. I checked my e-mail (very little love), weighed my full pack at 24 pounds, and headed to the pub for a late lunch with Red and Jeep. I spent the majority of my lunch expressing my hatred for roosters....have I mentioned that I was awakened by a rooster this morning? - I HATE ROOSTERS! Anyway, I ate a Portabello and Goat Cheese sandwich (excellent) had 2 beers (dumb idea) and was ready to hit the trail at the bright early hour of 4 PM. *Still tired, regressing more...- I bought a book of trail flowers. I love learning about them. I saw Rue Anenome and Cinquefoil.- I would have considered trading my soul for 2 new calves today.- I'm purposed to hike with Walk Softly and go to Easter.- At 5 PM we hiked by a big lake held up by a big wall (on the mountain). I walked across the wall chancing a dangerous fall to fill water. I lived :).- Where the trail crosses the road a 99 thru-hiker and his girlfriend pulled up in a big truck. We talked and he asked if we "smoked bud". (While tempting with my painful legs) We replied: "No". Instead he gave us figs (Hmmmm...pot or figs...?), I think my stomach would have prefered the pot. The couple was cool though and I beatboxed with the guy...It was tight. Then as we hiked on we found 2 Vanilla Cokes they had left for us on the trail with a note, it was sweet.- At 6:30ish we ate dinner overlooking a highway. Highways are neat when you do not see them all the time. A trucker blew his horn for us.- Figs + Vanilla Coke + Bacon-Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper = Beatbox's stomach gets mad!- Due to laziness and my leg we hiked WAY LATE.- I heard coyotes and other random sounds. Its freaky hiking in the dark and you trip more. - Walk Softly hiked slowly because of my leg. This was way nice of him.- I'm praying for healing in my leg and looking forward to tomorrow. My journals are better when I sleep, but thanks for sticking with this one.God Bless, BEATBOX ttt