Date: 2010-06-08
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Bolden Hollow
Miles today: 18.4

Woke up and got an attitude from Kit about how loud everyone was last night. I told him that we were excited about having music. Michigan had gotten his mp3 player and speakers. I told him that I was sorry that we disturbed his sleep, but we were having a good time and he should have joined us. I could have slept through that noise with ear plugs and a tired body. Kit just worked himself up and felt like his toes had been stepped on. I do feel badly about it. I make that fact known by being as nice as possible. Actually as Readyman left, I thought he'd forgotten his water bladder. I rushed out and ran to catch him, only to find out it belonged to Fuzzy, who was still in the shelter. I still feel guilty about not telling them to keep it down.Talked to Wildcat for a little while and found out that they might be coming to Chapel Hill soon.Late start, but whats the rush?! Ate some Mulberries that were fully ripe and delicious! They were falling on the ground already. A section hiker gave me a slice of bread to enjoy my berry good lunch! The hiker couple seemed strained a little bit. The guy didn't want to share their remaining food supply even though they were less than 5 miles from their finishing point. We were disappointed that the gas station wasn't closer. The section hiker guy looked like John Belucci and he was determined to keep his banana. Mulberries were fantastic! Reminded me of the tree I use to climb for them in Oxford, NC. The berries here aren't as long as we have in NC. My hands were stained blue!Saw a wolf! No, it was a Husky, but for a second, I wasn't so sure. The owner of the wolf, I mean Husky, was pretty far behind. It was as if the dog was all alone for a while. The owner told us that the dog had hip problems and I noticed that his back legs were contorted and twisted medial.Stopped for dinner at Rod hollow Shelter. Felt exhausted and my feet were killing me! My shoes are completely falling to pieces. I tried duct tape, but they don't stay on when it's wet. There's practically no soles at all left, and the air cells are deflated from puncture wounds. When I thought about staying here at this shelter, I realize that I might not camp with the gang ever again. So, I butch up and keep going. Well, not yet, we're still eating dinner with Eddy, Fuzzy, some guy named after a character in the Lion King, and a bunch of section hikers with lots of questions. We were listening to Bob Dylan and Eddy told us about the 60's in Germany. He likes AC/DC. Michigan pcked on him saying he didn't know who Bob Dylan was. Lots of typical questions from the sectioners. Felt like the bugs were swarming us. Turned on our lights and walked out into the darkness.We didn't walk to far because this is the beginning of the Rollercoaster. A section of the AT that's renown for it's many up and downs. We camped out by a stream and started a small campfire. Yes, we cheated and used alcohol. It's rained every day for weeks. Everything is drenched. We shared snickers, cookies, chewing gum and skittles while talking about the last 1,000 miles. The light from the fire died away and it got completely dark. The only remaining light was the red blub from the speakers on the mp3 player. It was hard to get a frame of reference because it was pitch black. Just voices in the darkness. Laughing between the chirps of the bugs, birds and frogs. We talked about how we felt about the next half of the journey. We talked about the things that could prevent us from making it, but not with a since of dread, mostly apprehension. Cricket has a problem. His insurance company double drafted his account and overwithdrew his limited savings. I explained to him that it was illegal for a company to double cover anyone. That more likely than not, he'd get his money back. The fight would be in getting his overdraft charges returned. I told him I felt confident that he'd be able to overcome this obsticle. See, I'm optimistic sometimes!There's a good chance I'll never see these guys again after tomorrow. They're hiking 26 miles to get picked up for an early run at DC. I'm not going so I'll be pressing on before them. They're not starting until Monday. I'll be back by Sunday at the latest. The way I feel now, sitting here by this fire, is exactly what I'd hoped I'd feel like. I hoped that I'd get the feeling enjoying the wilderness better than the city. To prefer firelight to fake-lighting. To feel almost like a real life gypsy. I shared a great journey with three great friends that I'll never forget. Tomorrow might bring an end to the whole thing and that temporary feeling makes me feel the way I wanted to feel. We've been covered in sweat together. Drenched in pouring rain. Doused with mud. The fact that we all still smiled and joked through it all made for a great communal adventure. I like skippy through towns and only staying in the woods with them. They're doing this trail the way I wanted to do it before I started, without modern society being our main focus. I like camping with other people, the ones that I like, away from shelters. I kept thinking today about the movie, "Stand by me". As corny as it sounds that's how I've been feeling lately. This summer feels just as fleeting as their journey into life long memories and friendships. Friendships are a passing phase here just like when we were kids, people quit, people move on with the passing of time.As the light fades from the firelight I can feel that tugging sensation like the last time I saw Fun Dip on the roadside. Glad to tie off yet another loose end. I'm glad that I'm here!