Date: 2003-04-24
From: Cosby Knob shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

start Cosby Knob Shelterdestination Standing Bear FarmWell today would be a day of varied emotions and tough decisions for me.It would also be a day that I would learn the true measure of hikers watching out for each other.I had tented in a way that the sun coming up would stream into my tent.This was purely an accident,as my sense of direction leaves much to be desired.I toasted my bagel and fixed my oatmeal.The miles were going pretty fast and we were making good time.Then came the descent,which was not as bad as some previous,but bad enough to cause my knee to rebel.After suffering for several miles,I passed 4 hikers who had been at the shelter with me last night.They showed concern and offered to take some of my weight.Of course I graciously accepted their offer.NOT! No, not me,proud me,stubborn hard headed me.I hiked on pass them and as soon as I am out of sight,I sit down and grab a handful of gorp,trying hard not to cry.It is a hikers worse fear to have his knees go out. A few minutes later I am passed by these guys who sense I am really hurting and before I realize what is happening,they all take bags out of my pack leaving me with almost no weight in it at all.They are asking me questions about what I have weight wise.I am struggling not to cry and I tell them so.One of the younger hikers" Prozac" tells me "Well if you don't make it I am going to cry".Pretty soon off they go down the trail.I feel very much threatened not to have my stuff with me.You have to realize that everything I have needed to exist these past four weeks was trudging down the trail at an alarming rate of speed. Mind you,I was not worried about them making off with my things,it was more just a feeling of being at the mercy of someone else.Or maybe it was just the feeling of not being in control.Hmmmmmm I will need to ponder that later.A few minutes down the trail,they are congregated on the trail,lying in wait for me.I am releived of my pack entirely then,and off the !trail they go,with my hobbleing behind them.These four are truly my trail angels today.TakeErEasy,Prozac,Rumbler,Prozac's Dad.We all meet at the road crossing that is the last of the Smoky Mountain Park and head toward Mtn.Momma's for those great cheeseburgers.We are on a lightly travelled gravel road,when Pushing Up Daisies announces that a car is coming.She proceeds to flag them down and makes them stop.Before I know it I am moving down the winding road at an alarming rate of speed towards Mtn.Momma's.Well, the speed was alarming compared to the speed I have been traveling the past several days. I waited for my buddies to get there before I order and we all had a great time chowing down cheeseburgers except for Maledrop who is a vegetarian.He orders 3 grilled cheese sandwiches and fries ,along with cheese sticks. He finishes them off and cleans up my fries. I finally breakdown and call a chiroprator in Newport.Then I call Standing Bear Farm and get us all a ride to his hostel and a ride for me in the morning to the doctor. This place,Standing Bear Farm is a hikers dream.It is fairly primitive,almost like going to Grandma's house,with a privy and primitive sleeping facilities.There are kerosene lamps in the cabin which sleeps 6 and the bunk house which sleeps 14.They are not heated,but are very clean and rainproof.There is a washer and dryer,a pavillion with a propane stove,a fridge, and seats and a table.There is a phone in the open laundry room with a laptop for internet access.We had a nice fire and Curtis ,the owner assured me that the next time I come, he will have marshmellows.There is a pretty little stream that meanders through the farm and even runs under the cabin where I sleep tonight. We all sit around the fire and share more stories about our hikes our families and our lives. I finally go to my cabin,and Seneca informs me she has killed a spider on her bed.This sends me into a panic because of my aracnaphobia.I have to realy psyche myself up to get into my bed,even though I know that the sheets were just put on the bed.I completely unmake my bed,checking for spiders. There are none to be found.I pray extra hard and fall asleep,listening to the creek as it babbles under the cabin.total 8 miles