Date: 2006-04-05
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Wow...lots to write today--twas a long one!Last night was lousy--I slept really badly, up part of the night because of dehydration and nausea. Woke up to say goodbye to Underground, who unfortunately has to leave the trail ecause of tendonitis. Soon after I started walking I met up with Jon and Lilly, passed them when they were filling up water, and came to a sign inviting thru-hikers over for food! I went the 300 yards off the trail after much agonizing--I was planning on a 20+ day, and this would probably take an hour...but meeting trail angel types is one of the best parts of the trail! The sign directed me to the home of F.A.C. and Hercules, a couple who thru-hiked and also sectioned about half of it. They had a spectacular menu--belgian waffles with pecans and real syrup, fresh bread with butter, breakfast burritos, pork stew, brownie sundais, German chocolate cake, peach cobbler with ice cream--all homemade stuff. I had a waffle and some cobbler with ice cream. Unfortunately halfway through the waffle I felt another wave of nausea, but F.A.C. got me some water and that helped a ton (I guess my body's not used to coffee anymore...). Very nice, very generous folks. A little weird though...told us all that for the rest of our lives we should search for the Truth--not like what is your true favorite flavor of ice cream, but whether or not there is a heaven--and then how to get there.Because, they said, there is one absolute truth in this world, and there's only one right answer. F.A.C. even said that she had a friend who passed away who believed in reincarnation...and she said she'd miss her in the hereafter, won't be seeing her again--and she wanted us to think about this, because she'd love to see us all again later...much later...Oh and when we came in they told us 'welcome home' because we are all family, thru-hiker family. So. That was interesting and gave me plenty to think about for a while.What next...I saw another little snake and another hog print, and went over some great cliff areas--there was one climb over an exposed ridgeline that at the top opened to views of mountains on one side and a huge valley filled with houses on the other. A rough climb down though--long and rocky.At Jerry Cabin Shelter I saw 365, Milkdud, Monk, Jon and Lilly, Switchback, Tex, Snickers, and one guy I can't remember the name of, all headed for the next shelter. Nobody staying there at all! By then it was 5 pm, and we had 6 miles to go. But they were mostly flat, so I flew over them in 2.5 hours. Climbed my second Big Butt, which was a quite pastoral bald, followed a long weird old road for a while that was poorly blazed, saw 2 grave, made one last big climb, and there it was, 1/2 hour before I expected it. I'm here iwth 365, Snickers and Pondwater, Tex, Red Dog, Milkdud and Monk. I had Calumet's Mountain House in celebration of my 1st 20+. Thanks Calumet, wherever you are! Now, 9:45--latest trail bedtime ever. Normally I'm asleep by 7:30. I love these longer days since daylight savings! Tomorrow, perhaps an 18.8. Maybe much shorter. We'll see.