Date: 2007-05-30
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night was the first night I had camped out completely alone. I must confess to a slight eerie feeling, at first; but, it mainly proved out to be fine. Well, the only thing that was uncomfortable about it, likely could've/would've happened whether or not I was alone. And what happened? Well, a damn mouse decided to bite my right small finger while I was sleeping!I awoke to (no pun intended) biting pain, and immediately pulled both of my arms into my sleeping bag, thinking, in my hazy state of mind, that I must of brushed my finger up against an exposed nail. So, my first endeavor this morning, is to locate said nail, and to make sure I don't puncture my ThermaRest sleeping pad on it!This search doesn't last for more than one-minute, as I remind myself that despite the primitive nature of these shelters, they are made quite soundly. In other words, it is highly unlikely that the Trail maintainers would overlook exposed nails, especially on the sleeping platform! It then dawned on me that the only other thing I could've felt last night, was a mouse! I look down at my hand, and see dried blood on my finger! The little bastard must've been mad at me for not leaving any food out for him!Today, my goal is Hot Springs, NC, the first official Trail Town. I eat my lunch for breakfast, to avoid cooking, as the water-source for the shelter here is at least .1-miles north and south on the A.T. Since I went to bed so early last night, I'm up earlier today, which is hard, as the air is rather cold again. I'm still amazed by the chill in the air, despite it's being almost June!Just North on the Trail, I cross a series of streams, and I stop at one to fill up my Camelback, and drink a Nalegen's worth of water. I begin walking, and after several hundred feet, I realize that I'm not on the Trail! I backtrack, coming back to the spring, and realize that I've likely walked up the old Trail, as I can see the "new" Trail, clear-as-day, winding up the mountain-side.There aren't many vistas between Roaring Fork and Walnut Mountain Shelters, but the forest and the sounds therein more than make up for it. Several old logging roads are crossed over, also, and I wonder if these roads were once the Trail, traversed by Earl Shaffer back in 1948, before the ATC acquired the land it today possesses, thus rendering the A.T. a ridgewalk, almost completely, from Georgia to Maine. Earl Shaffer, I'd read, complained about this ridgewalking, missing the abandoned roads, as they led through more towns and neighborhoods, where he was able to meet more of the people along the way!I cross through a grassy field, and right back into the trees, and there's Walnut Mountain Shelter. My plan has been to stop here for a short break, gather water at the source, and to prepare my breakfast here. My mind is constantly on bears, as this is the shelter notorious for the perniciously tenacious bears, having stolen at least 11-hikers food bags from the trees! Before gather water, I feel the call from nature again, and I trail blaze, looking for a tactfully secluded spot to take care of business. I curse the Trail maintainers for being too "lazy" (this is what I think at the moment) to make privies at the shelters in this section. After burying my scat and toilet paper, I walk back to the shelter, only to see a privy on the opposite side! Again, I curse the Trail maintainers for making a wooden mileage sign, a wooden sign pointing towards the water source, but NO wooden sign directing towards the privy! Oh well, and go figure. One final note on this area: behind the shelter, being the direction I trail-blazed to go to the bathroom, I can see numerous downed tree branches, presumably from hungry bears hard at work to ensure that hikers brave enough to sleep here leave very hungry the following morning! This is confirmed, as I read pages of stories in this regards in the register! Boy, am I glad I opted to not sleep here last night!I press on, knowing I have just over 13-miles more to cover, before calling it a day; I have already hiked 5.7-miles to Walnut Mountain. Again, the Trail North of here doesn't provide many mountain vistas---a few can be spotted through the trees, to be sure, with "few" being the operative word---but the forest and thriving live within more than makes up for it. The terrain is very intense, it's just kind of rocky in some places, and there are a few steep descents. It is primarily downhill from here: I started at an elevation of 3,630' at Roaring Fork; the highest point today will be 4,686' at Bluff Mountain; and the Trail, for me today, ends in Hot Springs, at an elevation of 1,325'! The difficulty with these sections, even if it's not very steep, is that it is much like a roller-coaster! This can take a toll on the legs just as easily as steep inclines, such where you can touch the Trail merely by extending your hand in front of you!I arrive at the last shelter before town, Deer Park Mountain. Wingfoot says it is 300' off Trail to the shelter, but I think it's at least 500'. I'm not complaining, per se, I'm just noticing a trend in what my body tells me is incorrect mileage. How long is the Appalachian Trail, really? I'm pretty tired, and rest for a few moments before pressing on. I know it's all downhill from here, so I know that, with the help of gravity, I will be in town before I know it!Well, it turns out to not be all downhill from here, with at least two more climbs before the long, steep descent into town. This is one of those moments that remind me that the Trail is not my friend, but is much like one of those high school teachers or college professors whom you only appreciate in your later years.The sound of traffic below is like a tease, as I can see the town far below, and the Trail seems to be taking its sweet time, meandering down the slopes, to the valley below.Upon arriving, I first spot a bronze plaque on the Trail. It's not as nice as the ones in Georgia, I think, but it has a quote from John Muir: "The nearest way to the universe is through a forest wilderness." Next, I notice that in the Appalachian Trail crosswalk, across the main drag in town, are AT emblems, painted! Then, the sidewalk, every 20-30' has A.T. plaques on it! Wow!I've been planning to stay at the Sunnybank Inn (aka: Elmer's), but I don't know where it is. So, I fish in my backpack for my cellphone, and call the number, so graciously provided by Wingfoot. Gabrielle, one of the workers, meets me outside. Apparently, this hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places, due to Jane Gentry's once living there, and her contribution to the collecting of balladries, in an effort, I think, to trace the cultural roots back to Europe, where the majority of Americans, it seems, trace their roots to, eventually. I'm a history buff, so I find great pleasure in staying here!The Sunnybank Inn easily has the nicest accommadations so far, and, as a hiker, I only pay $15 for my stay! Regular "stay-ers" pay $60 a night, I believe! What a deal this is, what a financially feasible thing it is to be a long-distance hiker!Elmer, the owner of the hotel, cooks breakfast and dinner for those staying, $6 and $10 respectively. The meals are vegetarian, and primarily organic, coming from Elmer's own nearby farm. This man has just turned 70, and I am already amazed by how busy he keeps himself still! Today, however, Elmer isn't cooking, so I head down to the Paddler's Pub, where I treat myself to a nice, juicy hamburger with onion rings, and two pints of Guiness!Back at Elmer's, I met High Life, a flip-flopper from West Virginia, and run into Keith again, whom I hadn't seen since Winding Stair Gap, where I hitchhiked into Franklin! I invite any and all of them to the Pub with me, if they feel so inclined. High Life shows up, along with another hiker named James. The two of them had just been soaking in the natural hot springs which give this town its name. Keith shows up, and, per my offer, eats half of my onion rings!I head back to the Inn, and make a few phone calls before chanting my evening and night prayers, and retire for the evening, in a real bed. While lying in bed, I look at some brochures that are on the nightstand, one of which is on the actual hot springs. I wasn't planning on making a zero-day tomorrow, but the prospect of soaking in the springs and having a massage afterwards is so appealing, that I decide to take tomorrow off!Sleep comes easily, as I know that tomorrow will be quite nice!