Date: 2008-09-21
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Sarvor Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was so strange. I hiked a little over 16 miles and honestly don't even remember doing it. I got up at 6am and scrambled around with my head lamp on. I didn't actually leave camp until 8:30 because I was slacking around while the others woke up. It kind of defeated the purpose of getting up so early.Once I was on trail I moved quick. I just kept walking... I didn't stop for breaks and just ate snacks that I had packed in my side pockets of my pack. The only time that I stopped was to visit a WWII memorial for Audie Murphy. He was the most highly decorated officer of the entire war. Post war, his plane crashed near where the memorial was. I took a picture, paid respects and moved on. I guess I was in a sort of meditation all day. I didn't play the normal distance, time, altitude games with myself that I usually do. I thought about people in my life, my future and all sorts of things. Now that today's hike is over I can honestly say that my mind was completely separate from my physical body. I passed over fields of jagged rocks and climbed mountains but my body was on auto pilot. Even when I lifted my head to look for the next white blaze I wasn't consciously doing it.Basically I arrived at Sarvor Hollow Shelter after 16 miles and shocked myself that I was here. It was so bad that I actually got out my map and guide book and triple checked for a shelter between the one that I started at and the one I was supposed to finish at. I didn't unpack my things right away because I was sure there was a mistake. I was going to wait for the others to pass and see what happened. Then I thought about it and according to time/distance etc. I was in the right place. I hiked at just under 4-mph with no breaks and got to the shelter at 2pm. Once I was comfortable with being here I hung a clothes line and went down to the spring to filter water. I also did 125 push-up's, 500 ab exercises and my yoga stretches. The afternoon lasted so long! I really enjoyed arriving to camp early. Even though today was some strange mistake, I think that I will be waking up earlier and hiking faster than I have been.Also... I saw my first Copperhead snake today. It was/is at the shelter under our fire pit. I saw it trying to get back in to it's hole. For a Copperhead this thing is huge. It is probably 3-4 ft... if I could see the whole thing. Half of it's body was already in the hole. An older gentleman from Missouri is camping here in the woods behind the shelter with his friend and their wives. Cubby and I were admiring the snake and taking pictures when he offered to yank it out of it's hole if one of us would crush it's head with a rock... or he could just pull it out and whip it on a tree to break it's back. ABSOLUTELY NOT! Not only did I used to own snakes as pets, but I sort of took and oath when hiking the AT to leave only foot prints and take only pictures... this means that poisonous snakes have a place on the trail too. It's not my job or anyones to kill them, simply because they are dangerous. I scrambled to find words that would not sound defensive or rude to respond to the! guy. I told him that without the snakes we would have more rodents in the shelters. I said that snakes don't eat my food and chew holes through my gear. He offered one last time to destroy the snake and both Cubby and I said that we were not concerned about it and NO he should not kill the snake.~Santana~ "by myself but not alone"