Date: 2012-12-10
To: A Trail Town, a SoBo, and a Prediction
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

I had such a beautiful ride up 209 into Hot Springs Yesterday! I went to the outfitters to browse around and met a SoBo named "Piper". She doesn't have a tj but I enjoyed talking to her for a bit. I'm going to be very candid here....she smelled really really bad and the hair on her legs was at least an inch long!!! I was soooooooo jealous!!!! I can't wait to smell...ummmm..."woodsy" like that! I got a taste of it when I did Shenondoah for a week but Piper was fuuuuunkkkyyy!!!! The other thing that struck me about her was that she was soooooo happy!   She had been hiking with her dog for the last 100 miles...Her parents brought him to her and were now there with her to take him back home. She was in great spirits and very much looking forward to the Smokies. When I asked her what her favorite section was so far, she said that Maine was her absolute fav. I haven't hiked the AT up in Maine but her description of it sounds awesome!! She was resupplying before hitting the trail the following day so I didn't want to take up too much of her time. I told her my tj name and asked her to visit my guest book and let me know that she finishes safely. She said she would and wishe me luck in 2013.   I was hungry so, after buying 3 bandanas (I have a fetish for bandanas), I walked down the sidewalk that had the AT symbol embossed in the cement and arrived at the Iron Horse around the corner. I love this particular place because I have eaten many a meal here after a butt kicking hike or backpacking trip in the area. The beer selection is pretty good too. It was a pretty slow day in Hot Springs but there were quite a few people having a late lunch. I went and sat up at the bar to see if the Bears were on TV...Thank God they weren't...they lost-again >:0(    I ordered their garlic parmesan fries, which I highly recommend, and a Highland Gaelic ale. While I was sitting there I thought about the beautiful drive I had taken and about how great it was to interact with another thru hiker. We had talked about her tent which is a Lighthearted solo-same as mine. She needed to get the zipper on the door fixed and I told her that Judy (the owner of said tent co.) was in Asheville and very accessible. I don't know...It just felt like I was already becoming a part of the trail community. It felt good...    Now, I know I have made up my mind to do the trail in April and am busy getting everything in order so that I will be able to do just that. I KNOW I will do the trail in 2013, but, as I was sitting up at that bar I noticed an "8 Ball" on the counter. You know...the one we all grew up with...at least all of us older folks! :0) Do they still make them? This one was pretty beaten up. Anyway, I couldn't help myself...I reached for that black sphere and gave it a good hard shake. My hand was covering the display while I asked loudly (in my mind of course...not really out loud) "will I thru hike the AT in 2013 and will I finish it successfully"???? I removed my hand slowly from the display and there it was plain as day!!!.....                                  YES                              DEFINITELY   Well....that put a huge smile on my face and I giggled a little for relying on a childhood toy to determine my future!! I then thought to myself, next year...probably around the last weekend in April...I will come back to this very seat, have lunch, and smile back at this moment! That gave me butterflies and kinda made my heart soar....   My thru hike is feeling more real every day now. My little drive to HotSprings helped with that. I hope Piper makes it to Springer safely and I hope to hear from her here on my tj when she does. In the meantime, I'll be busy figuring out the financial logistics to make everything go smoothly and also looking at the remaining equipment that I will need. Lots to do that's for sure...but I'm having a blast on this journey so far!!!!