Date: 2007-06-09
From: Kinkora Hostel

To: Kinkora Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Upon waking up this morning, the still present pain in my shin is the determining factor for my zero day. It seems like just yesterday when I was in Hot Springs taking a zero, so today is kind of painful in that I'm taking another one. But, what can I do? I don't quite know how to describe the pain in my shin, apart from saying that it was too painful to do much walking on, let alone with a fully loaded backpack on.Midget Mom is still here, and the two guys from Brevard press out, hiking south. The lady I'd met just two days ago, who was obviously having a tough time (the lady who told me "I'm way out of shape!) shows up, too! She hiked out to a road, apparently, having decided that she wasn't fit to continue hiking, and knocked on the door of someone's house, asking to use their phone to set up a ride to get to Kinkora. I don't remember what her real name is, but she said that most people on the Trail simply call her Mom. So, here I am with Mom and Midget Mom, taking a zero day!This proves to be a lazy day, and I lounge around doing a lot of reading. Reading is one of my absolute favorite things to do, yet something I haven't been doing on the Trail. I started with a book that I found in a shelter during my first week, but I left it in the hotel in Hiawassee as I rarely read at night, due to my extreme tiredness. After reading a few chapters of one book I find on the bookshelf, I pass out on the couch, napping for who knows how long (and, on a day like today, rainy and all, who cares for how long?).After a good while, Mom, Midget Mom, and I head into town with Bob Peoples. Bob is a good, devout Catholic, so I opt to go to Mass with him this evening (it's a Saturday). We drop the two ladies off at a grocery store, and he and I head off to the Church. By the grace of God, I'm able to go to confession beforehand, also, which is really nice. As always, it is nice to get to Church along the Trail, also!After Mass, we head down to the grocery store to pick up the ladies. I grab some ice cream and oatmeal cream pies in the store, the ice cream to eat tonight, and the oatmeal cream pies for the Trail, as I hope to press out tomorrow morning. Bob stops at a pizza place, where I grab a large pizza, and at Arby's, where I grab a reuben sandwich. I'm going to bed fat tonight!Along the drive to the hostel, Bob is telling us about his families heritage from Scotland, how he is second generation (I hope I'm remembering this right!), as we're winding our way up Dennis Cove Road, with the many steep, severe switchbacks. Unawares, Bob begins driving on the left side of the two-lane road as we wind our way up to ear-poppingly high elevations! Mom kindly says, "Bob, just a reminder that we're not in Scotland, but the United States of America, and that we drive on the right side of the road over here." He laughs, and changes lanes.Back at the hostel, a plethora of other hikers have shown up, from Grace and Buffet to Dandelion, who says that McCray and Mr. Burns should be showing up today, too! Curse my damn leg, but it's nice to see familiar faces! McCray and Burns do show up, eventually, and I offer them some of my pizza, as they're obviously hungry!Bob Peoples comes onto the side porch to hang out with us, and he invites us to slackpack tomorrow. He said that Watauga Lake is 9-miles North on the Trail, and that he can drive us to the lake, allowing us to hike South, back to his hostel. He has plenty of day packs, he says, and that as many or as little as want to go, can! I opt to do this tomorrow, making it another easy day, but a day to "test" out my leg, my shin, seeing if it's ready to be hiked on again.As the day is winding to a close, and I'm catching up with my newfound acquaintances, I realize that I've eaten waaaaay too much food! My stomach feels like 9-months pregnant woman surely must. I resort to lie down, and it proves to be the best move. I drift off into sleep, hoping against hope that my stomach feels better in the morning.