Date: 2010-05-02
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.6

Getting up early this morning, seems to be routine now. We are all on the same body clock, 7:00 AM no alarm, no need. Rising up to get eggs, sausage, coffee from the supply house. For less the $6 we all ate good!!! Half Left fried the sausage, Low Key made the coffee and I fried the eggs. Wild Poodle said she would do clean up. The first breakfast, homemade in a month, except for restaurant food. It is so nice to cook your own, in a kitchen and all sit down to eat together. We talked over our day and decided to slack-pack to Max Patch. Well weren't we in for an adventure! We made it to Max Patch, on the way looking for Brown Gap, the ride had just begun. Curvy roads, pit holes, bumps, mud, just like the trail but only in a van. We drove for nearly an hour and a half, a hawk swooped down in front of the van for at least 500 yards, guiding us where to go, it soared in front of the van, maneuvering around the corners so easy. It soared off, then more mountain roads, more mud, rocks and yuck coming upon a lot of cars out in the middle of nowhere!!! Looked like a funeral procession, finding out later it was a baptism in the middle of Pisgah National Forest on a stream. Well these people were half blocking the small, gravel road. Only way to pass was to go off the shoulder into the ditch, away we went. As we hit the ditch, swish we heard, ssssssssss, Half Left exclaims "I think the tire is flat!" OMG sure is dang fire. We pulled a little past the procession, all got out and sure enough, flat as a pancake. Out in the middle of muddy, rocky nasty road a flat tire!!! Low Key and Half Left took charge, getting the jack, spare tire out. Wild Poodle and I noticed nice chairs in the back of the van, we proceeded to get them out and have a sit. Nice, but not really knowing the circumstances and all. About halfway into the tire changing, thank God the spare was pumped up, the Baptism people came out of the woods all dressed in their Sunday best, of course it is Sunday. Here we are, hiking clothes, sitting in the middle of the road where they had to go. Sorry but they did kinda cause this mess. Not a few minutes later, Low Key and Half Left had the spare on and we're off. Vinnie (the driver) took us to eat at little diner, of course all dutch though, no freebie. Half Left and Wild Poodle ate the "Fried Green Tomato" sandwich, complete with Lettuce, Bacon and Goat Cheese, quite tasty! I had the Jalepeno Cheddar Burger with hand cut fries, Low Key had the Turkey Sandwich. Although the service was sloooooooowwww, it was good.Now back at Hostel planning to go out tomorrow from Max Patch for a one night stay in the woods and then we will be in Hot Springs. We plan to cover the little over 20 miles left in 2 hiking days, then ahhhhhh, hot spring Jacuzzis!!! Low Key is leaving the trail for a few days to attend his nephews graduation, but plans to rejoin us afterward. Paula and Brent plan to pick us up near Erwin to go to Trail Days in Damascus May 14-16. Paula aka "Mrs. PMS" also plans to hike with us the whole month of June in Virgina. We are all excited to have her back and excited Brent will come for some hiker fun in Damascus.