Date: 2013-04-22
From: Stealth Camp in meadow below Big Butt Mountain

To: Meadow Stealth Camp
Miles today: 16.6

Good morning frost! Frost on everything. Frost down the entire length of my sleeping bag, frost on my shoes, frost on my pack, frost on my stuff sacks. Frost! And it just continued to thicken with the first rays of sun. I had breakfast sitting in the door of my tent because, you guessed it!, the ground, too was covered in frost. I got the water heated and the coffee and hot/chocolate granola made and suddenly realized that I couldn't find my spoon anywhere. I looked under and around anything. I had this sinking feeling that I had left it at the shelter I had dinner at the night before... Well, shit. So I looked through my stuff to try to find anything that might work. My toothbrush. More specifically my toothbrush handle. I was grateful that I hadn't cut it off (some hikers do to shave off extra weight). I used to to sort of shovel the meal into my mouth. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't eloquent, it wasn't ideal nor was it efficent (it took 3X as long to eat). But it worked. I did my best to lick the handle clean and get all the little granola bits and hot chocolate residue off the slip-proof rubbery part. And then I brushed my teeth. I packed everything up, and alias there was the spoon! It was under my butt the whole time!With cold frozen hands I packed up the tent and tried to shake the thick frost off my ground sheet. I headed down a gentle path into open woods with a thick blanket of fresh green vegetation and a healthy sprinkling of white flowers. I came into an opening and saw a gravestone. These folks sure know how to find peaceful final resting places. I passed the Green Ridge Trail, but if it weren't for the sign and yellow blazes on the trees, you'd never see it. A blaring juxtaposition to the AT. I stopped at the Flint Mountain Shelter long enough to take a few photos of the cascading waterfalls. I'm enjoying this 'no rush' pace. I stopped at a lovely hillside pasture for lunch. It reminded me of the hills in Switzerland, only shorter. I unpacked all my gear and laid it out on the grass to dry in the sunshine. I slathered on the suncreen and stripped down to my shorts and t-shirt. The weather is schitzophrentic. Blimy, Mouse and Sirahcha stopped for lunch as well, but opted for the shade. There was a long climb afterwards criss-crossing over a long cascading stream. Luckily there were switchbacks, but it was a doozey of a climb nonetheless. I played leap-frog with Blimy, Mouse and Sirhacha the rest of the day. it's funny how that happens, like were all magnets pulling towards one another. Right before there was a long sweeping view out over the landscape. I could easily see I-26 and the cars and trucks moving along it. None of them aware of me, but me aware of them. How often have those rolls been reversed? Curious.I decided to repeat last night's routine of an early dinner with a few miles to follow. Why eat a big meal and then go to sleep. It was nice to help with the digestion. The other group decided to follow suit, so we were all bunched again. But I enjoy their company I was an easy trail down and under the interstate, but again it is sort of a shock to the system. Also, I'm sure that Tom and I have passed along that strtch of highway when we lived in Tennessee 10 years (HOLY SMOKES!) before. Strange to be here under such different circumstances. The sun was starting to fall behind the hills, and I knew it was going to get cold soon. I crossed a stream with a hand-written sign warning not to get water there as someone with the norovirus had supposed gotten sick here. I tried not to get any water on my shoes. The trail got steeper, and just as I thought I had reached the top the trail turned sharply right and kept climbing. Stupid false summit. But I was climbing as the sun was sinking, so I felt that I was buying a few more minutes of daylight. Finally I reached the promised meadow! I got the tent set up with a few minutes to spare and did a little yoga as the sun finally slipped behind the mountains.As I got tucked into my bag, a new-comer arrived and asked if she could join my campsite. Of course. But she got to sleep before me and staring snoring up a storm. So much for a peaceful night...also, somehow I managed to develop a blister on the top inside of my right pointer toe. Up until now my toe socks seemed fool proof. I guess I'm the fool for believing such a thing!