Date: 2009-07-11
From: BIRDS NEST #3 HUT

To: GRAVEL SPRINGS HUT
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

WHILE EVERYONE WAS STILL SLEEPING I SLIP OUT ALL SILENTLY. I PACK MY THINGS UP ON THE SIDE OF THE SHELTER AND TAKE A FEW PICTURES AND HIKE ON. I ARRIVE AT MARY'S ROCK AND TAKE SEVERAL PICTURES AS THE VIEWS ARE AMAZING. I WOULD THEN HIKE DOWN 1200 FEET TO THORTON GAP AND THAT WAS A STEEP DESCENT TO GET DOWN THERE. I WOULD CROSS US 211 AND HIKE BACK INTO THE WOODS. I HIKE BY THE PASS MTN HUT ENTRANCE AND MEET SOMEONE WHO TELLS ME WHO STAYED THERE LAST NIGHT AND WHOS THERE NOW. I PROCEED TO HIKE ON PAST. I HIKE UP PASS MOUNTAIN AND THAT WAS A PLEASANT HIKE. I FINALLY GET TO THE ELKWALLOW WAYSIDE THE LAST CAMPSTORE IN THE PARK. I WOULD SEE CHARLIE THE CHEF AND SARGE AND JADE HERE. THEY SAID WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG. I WAS "WHAT THE" THEY HAD HITCHED A RIDE THERE. I LEFT BEFORE THEY GOT UP FROM THE BYRDS NEST HUT AND I HIKED 11 MILES TO GET HERE AND HERE THEY ARE. I WOULD GET A FEW THINGS AND MAKE SANDWICHES AND DRINK SOME MILK. CHARLIE THE CHEF AND SARGE WOULD DRINK BEER. WE WERE ALL SITTING AT A PICNIC TABLE WHEN A RANGER COMES OVER AND CHECKS OUR PARK PASSES. AFTER SHE LOOKS AT OUR PASSES SHE LEAVES. A TOURIST COMES OVER AND ASKS WHY THEY PICKED US OUT OF ALL THE OTHERS. WE SAID WE DIDN'T KNOW AND THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS WEIRD. IT WOULD START TO RAIN AS A CRAZY STORM WOULD COME IN OUT OF THE BLUE. WE FOUND OURSELVES AND DOZENS OF TOURISTS HUDDLED UNDER A LITTLE OVERHANG AS IT WOULD RAIN PRETTY HARD. WE WAITED IT OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I WOULD GET MY RAIN GEAR ON. AS SOON AS I FELT IT WAS RAINING LIGHT ENOUGH AND I THOUGHT THE COAST WAS CLEAR I HURRIED ON AND HIKED OFF INTO THE RAIN UP THE TRAIL. I WOULD STOP AND CHANGE OUT OF MY RAIN GEAR AFTER THE RAIN STOPPED AND I THEN FOUND MYSELF CROSSING SKYLINE DRIVE AGAIN AND I WOULD HIKE UP TO THE RATTLESNAKE OVERLOOK FOR A VIEW. I HIKE ON. HOURS LATER I START TO GET CLOSER TO THE GRAVEL SPRINGS HUT. I START SEEING FOOTPRINTS OF A DOG AND I THINK THAT CANT BE SARGE AND JADE AND CHARLIE THE CHEF. DID THEY HITCH AGAIN. I FINALLY ARRIVE AT THE SHELTER AFTER 17.5 MILES AND GUESS WHO WAS WAITING IN THE SHELTER. THAT'S RIGHT. CHARLIE THE CHEF, SARGE AND JADE. A GUY HIKING A SECTION OF THE PARK WAS HERE AS WELL. HE SHARED SOME TRAIL MAGIC WITH ME. WE START A FIRE. A COUPLE HIKE UP TO THE SHELTER CARRYING A BUNDLE OF SPLIT FIREWOOD. THEY OFFER THE WOOD AND CHAT WITH US FOR A WHILE. THEY SHARE SOME HOT DOGS WITH ME. I DECIDE I WOULD ATTEMPT TO SEW MY SHOE BACK TOGETHER WITH SOME THREAD. SARGE OFFERS ME SOME DENTAL FLOSS. I JUST USE MY THREAD. THE YOUNG WOMAN IS SO PRETTY, SHE ASKS ME SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY I'M HIKING THE TRAIL. I FEEL A LITTLE ANXIETY. WE ALL HAVE A GOOD TIME CONVERSING AROUND THE CAMPFIRE. THE PRETTY YOUNG LADY TURNS TO HER FRIEND AND SAYS THIS IS THE BEST. THEY HAD A GOOD TIME HANGING OUT AND THEN SAID THEY WERE LEAVING. IT WAS LATE. I THOUGHT THEY WERE STAYING IN THE SHELTER FOR THE NIGHT. THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE A TENT SET UP ABOUT TWO MILES DOWN A SIDE TRAIL. WE THANK THEM FOR THE FIREWOOD AND HOT DOGS AND SAY GOODBYE AS THEY HIKE OFF INTO THE DARKNESS. I THEN STARE INTO THE FIRE AND THINK TO MYSELF, HOW DO YOU GET A GIRL LIKE THAT?