Date: 2004-04-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: moderate rain

Attitude is everything! The Heavens opened up last evening about 8:30 and the rain gods didn't turn off the faucet until nearly noon today. It was quite a gusher! Poor Rooney: his tent leaked everywhere. Because T's tent was uninitiated to a downpour, he and Baby Blue set it up in the rain about 10 p.m. He still slept in the shelter. Too bad he didn't tell me it was a Nomad Lite. I could have told him it was rain-worthy because I have one. Ah, but it was good for a chuckle this morning when he had to pack up and then carry a wet tent! No thunder, no lightning so it was a good night's sleep .. IN the shelter.Once again I was on the trail by 8:30. The rain was merely sifting down gently at this point. As the morning progressed, my dialogue with myself went something like this:Swan: If I keep hopping rock to rock ever so carefully, I just might keep my feet dry today.Jan: If you keep hopping rock to rock, one of these times you are going to slip, turn an ankle or fall, and hurt yourself.Swan: Oh shoot! The rain is getting stronger and there's water running onto my sock from my rainpants.Jan: Your body heat will dry it .. watch your step!Swan: Dang it all, now the tops of my boots are getting soaked and my feet are getting wet after all. And every time I reach up to adjust my rainhood, water runs down my arm.Jan: Then quit adjusting your rainhood silly. Keep moving and you'll stay warm.Swan: I'm not sure my raingear is still waterproof. What if I soak clear through and get chilled?Jan: You have a tent, you have dry clothes, there are many people behind you traversing these same miles today. You are safe.Swan: Ugh! This is my ugliest day yet!Jan: Are you warm?Swan: YesJan: Are you hurting?Swan: NoJan: Do you have food?Swan: YesJan: Do you have water?Swan: It's pouring buckets -- what do you think?!!Jan: So your feet are soaked, but a hostel is only 10 miles (5 hours) away, right?Swan: RightJan: Can your feet get any wetter?Swan: NopeJan: Well then!! When was the last time you played in the rain, splashed through puddles singing at the top of your lungs, eh?Swan: Can't remember; childhood probably.Jan: Well, now's your chance! Besides -- you're a Swan. So .. go have fun!!Swan: er, well, um, hmmmmm ... yeah OK .. ALRIGHT! You've got a point!"I'm singing in the rain, while hiking in the rain. What a wonderful feeling, I'm happy again. I'm soaked head to toe, with 10 miles to go. But I'm happy 'cause I'm hiking in the rain!"And what a marvelous day this turned out to be. During the moderate climb up Mt. Cammerer I felt like a salmon swimming upstream. On the descent I felt like a salmon attempting to swim upstream but failing miserably! There was quite a river to negotiate on both sides but I sloshed right through the middle of it and didn't fall once. Later on the rain did let up. The forest floor changed dramatically. We were treated to newly-opened flower blooms which we had not yet seen in the higher elevations. The small iris were lovely; the bashful trout lillies were larger and plentiful; I saw my first jack-in-the-pulpit and my first mayapple blooms. The dogwoods are in full bloom and peppering the mountainsides. The blooms of the thousands of rhododendrum are popping out and I believe the purple lilac-looking blooms on small trees might be wisteria?? Descending to Pigeon River I felt like a living entity in a painting. Imagine a photograph with the most lush, serene and quiet forest imaginable, punctuated by a cascading mountain stream. Standing in the middle of this perfect scenario is a gentleman in thigh-high waders fly-fishing for trout. You've all seen such paintings or photographs. Take out the fisherman, insert a hiker with a backpack tripping along a path beside this fast-moving stream. It's one of those moments when time stands still; one of those spots in life which we try with all our effort to memorize to the minutest detail for a perfect recall in the future.But the day's suprises didn't end there. At the end of this most delightful journey through this painting sat a VW van. Two joys: inside sat Hippie Trails, Bones, Leslie and Eric, none of whom I've seen for several days. I've caught up with them and am tickled pink to see them again. And why are they sitting in this van? Trail angels!! Rigatoni and Angel Hair (the Noodleheads from 2002) have stopped to provide snacks and hot or cold beverages to thru-hikers. I enjoyed some tea and pretzels and some warmth and bubbly conversation. What sweethearts! Thank you from a nearly-drowned but happy singing swan!The day is not yet over! More to come. Six-tenths of a mile further and I'm off to Standing Bear Hostel. This was not an intended stop but I thought it wise to dry out before I continued on to Hot Springs. There are no words to describe this place so let me simply list the amenities, all for a mere $15. Bed, cabin, laundry, shower, library, internet access, full kitchen facilities, campfire, bunkhouse, cellar with all sorts of goodies, freezer with pizza and veggie burgers (all on the honor system). And for FREE: three boxes of fresh fruit and veggies, and a refrigerator full of salad fixings!! I could swear I died and went to Heaven!There must be 20-30 hikers here tonight. I wish Mr. T, Flint, Digits, Stickman and T-Bot had made it in. The circle would be nearly complete. They can't be more than 5 miles behind.New faces: Yola, Fancy-free, Grandpa Jim, Powderfinger, and Flash Hand. I think the rest are familiar faces from the past week. Rooney Tunes was going to move on, said the $ was adding up. I insisted he stay to dry out and I was going to pay the $15 to make certain. However, I had only a $20 and a $5 so I paid only $5, he did the $10 and stayed. I guess once a Mom, always a Mom, even if not my own. To all the parents of these great kids out here -- "You done good!" They are marvelous individuals and I'm very much enjoying their company. You can be proud. And now as I close my eyes, I can't wait to see what the morrow brings