Date: 2010-04-02
From:  Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up everyone around me this morning at sunrise. It's funny how you can lose things in a tiny back pack. I was looking for my tent sack. Oh, I slept soooo well last night for the first time on the trail. I took a benedryl and wore ear plugs. I was munching on granola when "Postcard" walked past on the trail. Not long after, "Shaky Britches" came up. He had left Low Gap shelter because someone was snoring so loud, he couldn't sleep. I think maybe the cure for snoring might be to wake the person up. That always worked for my Dad. But then again, he never would admit to sleeping. He was "just resting his eyes". Anyways, I met an ATC employee who was out taking photos of random hikers. When I got down to Unicoi gap, "Postcard" had his "Hiker To Town" hitchhiker poster ready. He'd decided to go to town early and get better food. I was sorry to see him go, but I'm not sure that my feet are ready for his fast pace yet.Hiking up Rocky Mtn. wasn't remarkable. There was an old decrepit guy carrying a Winnebago of a pack downhill. Ridiculous! I flew up Tray Mtn. where I ran into a group of 10 young boys from some Mormon church thingymabob. It was immediately apparent that they had no idea what they were doing. I thought correctly that they'd serve many comical purposes later on. I decided to take a break from the sun at Tray Mtn shelter. Oh, Tray Mtn's view is unmatched. Wow, I'd love to see that sunrise! I met Brian at the shelter there. He's from Alah-BAM-ah! Nice chap! He was a cardiac rehab physiologist. He had the same back pack as me so, he can't be all that bad! I put my foot in my mouth immediately by telling him how to stretch his hip muscles that were sore. We chatted for a while, when the mormon fellas showed up. They immediately dumped their asininely huge packs on the shelter floor. Then their chaperons proceeded to attempt burning the shelter down with their MSR whisperlites. They had two. Just in case. With paper instructions in one hand and a flaming mass of aluminum in the other, they boiled water for at least 1.5 hours. Oh, in case you're wondering. Yes, I did move my highly flammable clothed butt far away from their pandering.LB showed up just as I was exiting the spring below the shelter. His name is short for "Last on the Bus". I immediately liked him. Nice guy! I told him, I use to sit in the back of the bus with the hooligans. He's from Minnesota! Oh, and he knew a ton of Paul Newman quotes. Told me about "Kelly's Heros".Whatever, I hiked out behind Brian. Trying to go slow. His pace is even slower than Lish's. This is a good thing. I'm always hauling bananas! Gotta pace myself. He poked along. I tried not to hike to close. At one point he'd stopped to pee and I got uncomfortably close to him before realizing. People on the AT don't really follow the behavior I've been taught. As far as, "Leave NO Trace". We hiked to Sassafras gap to get water. There was an old fella camped there already. His right leg was swollen. Oh, I didn't tell you I saw a guy hiking down Blood Mtn. that looked like he had a wooden leg or something. Like a broomstick in his pant leg. Hey, that's what she said! HAHA! Another kid had a softball size knot on his knee right in the same spot. Broomstick guy went home at Neels. Well, back to the story at hand.Brian, Alah-BAM-ah, hiked down to the spring while I shot the crap with Old Fella with Swollen Leg. Two younger boys came up and talked. I was sitting behind a tree in it's shade. They told me that the local jails will take a less than honorable, but not entirely evil convict and set him free on top of some mountain in the area. Then the Army Rangers in training start at the bottom of the mountain. If the delinquent jailbird gets away, his crimes are forgiven. I'd like to try that...no, not being a jailbird, I'm talking about getting away from the Rangers. Whatever.Brian comes back from the bottom of the spring with a picture of some wild boars, or feral pigs. So, I take off down the hill looking for a photo opportunity. Brian yelled, "It's a bit of a climb back up!" When I got down to the spring, no pigs. But I could hear the buggers off in the distance. Well, I filled up my water bottle. I should tell you now, that I've decided not to treat my water. At least until I get the runs or whatever. That steripen sucks. So, I'm gulping water from the spring at the bottom of a hill...where wild pigs roam. Uh, oh! I didn't realize my mistake until I'd hiked 2 liters of possibly contaminated water up that beast of a mountain Kelly's "Knob" (knob my a$$!)Typical journal entry warning:Today I hike up Kelly's knob. It was hard!Wow! What a view from up there. I could see and smell and taste Hiawassee from up there. I realized what those holes are on the sides of the trail everywhere. I also realized why grass grew on the sides of the trail like white lines on highways. It's those cheesy hiking poles people use. I can't tell you how many people have tried to get me to use them. No thanks! So far anyways.Deep Gap shelter was sweet. Matt with his dog McKenna was there. She's a good dog, everyone loves her, but she's made a name for herself amongst other hikers with dogs. She misbehaves around her fellow species. McKenna (the dog) is pretty tired. I can tell she's worn out. I think he's taking her off the trail in Franklin. She'll definitely be exhausted by then. I recommended feeding her as much as she could eat...every night.Fantastic sunrise! Woke up and saw it right before the glowing orange orb poked above the horizon. Made a whole bunch of racket packing up my camp and woke everyone up around me. Haven't gotten it down to a science yet. Saw a bunny! Didn't seem to care I was near him. My backpack liner is really loud and crumply when I pack/unpack it. Sounds like mylar. I'm really trying to be quiet...it just doesn't cooperate. Couldn't find my tent sack for the life of me! Old farts in the shelter were stirring before the younger crowd I camped with. Postcard was out before me. Shakey Britches showed up right as I was throwing my pack over my shoulder. They left the last shelter at 4am because someone was snoring and waking everyone up. Slept so great last night! Took a Benedryl and applied ear plugs. Ran into ATC photographer and had my picture taken. So quiet this morning! Only the sound of my breathing. The noise my backpack makes. The wind blowing through the leaves. The crunching under my feet. It's nice to hike alone. To be left with only my thoughts. I can fart when I need to. No buildup! Just let it rip out there! Spent the first three nights holding back because I was with Lish. Had one day alone...and no gas. The first day I start hiking with someone again. Bam, I've got gas. Well, Postcard hitched into town at Unicoi Gap because he's sick of his food. Sorry to see him go.Made it to the top of Tray Mtn. by lunch. Beautiful view up there! Slight breeze. Deer flies everywhere! Spent lunch hiding from the sun at the shelter with Brian, LB, and a group of Mormon teenage boys. Thought they were boy scouts, but they're definitely not qualified for that honor. Their leaders didn't even know how to use an MSR stove. Their chaparones were patient and enthusiastic though. At least they're spending time with todays youths. That's nice I guess. I met Compass. Former Thru-hiker. Stayed behind Brian for the whole way to Deep Gap. Trying to pace myself as much as possible. Brian's from Alabama. Former cardiac rehab physiologist. He quit his job of 6.5 years. He poked going uphill...so I stayed behind to pace. Got water at Sassafras. Brian showed me a picture of a group of boars at the bottom near the spring. I realized that those boars probably contaminated the 2 liters of water that I hauled all the way to the top of Kelly's knob. Pouring the water out made me want to cry. Better than water coming out somewhere else! Met Shovel. His leg was swollen from usage. Kelly's knob was tough! Wow. Hardest mountain so far. Caught Matt and Matt w/ Aussie named "McKenna". I'd been chasing him ever since day two. Deep Gap shelter tonight. Beans and Turkey and Gravy = GOOD!!! Saw an Old guy on Rocky Mtn. today with the biggest pack I've ever seen on anyone. Trail magic at Unicoi Gap turned out to be a box full of candy wrappers and snack cracker trash. One snickers bar was still in there...half eaten by something...thought really, really hard about eating it! Felt tired today...bones feeling okay, and spirits A+!