Date: 2012-03-29
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch
Miles today: 12.7

Wow what a night. Probably the worst sleep I have gotten on the trail. We had a section hiker come in late and set up. which is not at all a problem, we all get closer and fit him in. But he was the worse snorer I have met with horrible sleep apnea. I swear I thought he died just about every three minutes. At one point instead of just laying there unable to sleep , I got up figuring I'd go the the bathroom, looked across the 8 person row of sleepers on my shelf and every one of them was awake. I looked at Rocky and Sunshine, they stare at me, and one of them goes "night hike?" if there had been any moon out at all i would have said yes. instead after a good two hours incapable of sleep through the roar of gurgling choking flesh, I finally couldn't take it and bailed grabbing my sleeping bag and pad and going outside to sleep on the front porch bench. until I remembered the bear and thought maybe the early warning of an attack a tent would lend me would be wiser. so I go grab my tent and am looking for anywhere to set it up on this slope of a hill. In the pitch dark. 15 degree slope, possible rain gully, fine whatever, Must get sleep. ahhh sliding down the hill but finally silence. Until the rain storm, the big one that totally was sending rivers through my not quite perfectly set up tent. finally giving in I abandon the tent for the shelter where i just throw everything on the dirt floor and call the night a loss. I think I may have gotten two hours out in the tent. The second, and I mean as soon as we were able to see enough to claim semi morning, pretty much all the girls (8 or so) are up, outside and packing. sure it's 6 in morning but it's not like we will sleep. We all shared the same look, and pretty much everyone's first words were "oh my god"...so we're talking in whispers and packing up with as little noise as we can. First guy gets up and loudly proclaims, "I'm awake...blah blah blah." Yeah not a lot of consideration there. So the whole shelter is up and moving early all bleary eyed and sleep deprived. In general we all just felt really bad for the guy because we know there;'s no way he sleeps well either but it's so so hard not to be resentful.... Ok there's my whining. note to self, find ear plugs.At Breakfast we chatted more with Tray about ridge running, pretty cool guy. Today's air was so floral, just filled with all the smells from blooming flowers. It was simply amazing and so freeing. Heading down into Davenport Gap there was this great brook that got bigger and bigger with more cascades and waterfalls. the trail crossed over it again and again. Really beautiful and unexpected. The trail crossed under I-40 at the underpass which is really the first time that the trail has had to get by a major road. It was a little jarring to be dumped so unceremoniously into this world of concrete and made me realize how many more major infrastructure obstacles there will be to cross. Which really makes you think in awe about how great it is that there is a continuous trail heading up the east coast and all the work and effort that has gone into keeping it viable and unhindered.Got in touch with my Aunt in the one spot with signal and arranged a meeting time for tomorrow. She and my Grandmother who I haven't seen in a while are coming through these parts and we're trying to get together. Tentative plans, but I hope it all works out as it would be great to see them. Knowing that the pickup point would be later in the day, I slowed my pace and didn't go the 17 miles I'd planned for that day, instead deciding to camp with Huff and Puff and have time for camp chores rather than rolling into the shelter late at night. The hills still to climb might have had something to do with this decision as well.