Date: 2015-03-15
From: Nantahalah Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.3

Woke up at 7am without any alarm. I slept through the entire night, though my bed was like a sponge that sucked me into the middle like a black hole. Despite my complaints about the cost, you really can't put a price on a good nights sleep. I just can't sleep at all well when I'm camping. I also spent ages plastering all my toes up. But I didn't have to take ibuprofen for breakfast! (And Happy Mothers Day!)Then, I packed up and went down to the outfitter to return the valve that wouldn't fit, then had breakfast at the open restaurant. I was disappointed to find that they didn't have pancakes, so that'll have to wait for another day. After that, I went to buy more blister plasters. Axom and Shrug, as well as the Rhode Island express boys, were waiting outside of the outfitter. They had stayed at the shelter nearby the night before. They will probably catch up to us again soon. The weather today was really beautiful, and we had the sunshine that we have been promised for a while. It was like putting on glasses and suddenly being able to see everything clearly again. The sun was hot enough to strip down to shorts and tshirts, and quite a few hikers got sunburnt. The hikers law of motion is like Newton's law, but instead, what goes down must go up. And yesterday, we did nearly 6 miles down to 1700 feet. So today, we had to go right back up again to 5,000 feet. But it was really worth it, even with the steep and rocky climbs, because I could actually see more than just fog and mud. It was the kind of day that makes people happy to be alive. The kind of day that we don't see in England until mid summer, let alone mid March. Brightside and I had decided yesterday that today would be an easier day, so we took a couple of longer breaks at the view points and for lunch. Brightside charged ahead again with remarkable speed in the heat, and I slowly made my way up. I definitely don't have my trail legs yet, just trail abused toes.The heat wasn't too oppressive, but the sunlight just made the entire trail so alive. I saw plenty of bugs and even a butterfly. I'm hoping that the biting bugs will stay asleep for a little while longer. There was a point where I had no idea what happened to the trail, since it vanished across some large rocks. Luckily, I found it after looking around very confused for a while. The sunlight also means that I could camp comfortably without worrying about the rain putting a damper on my night. By literally dampening my tent. My tent is dry for tonight and will hopefully remain that way for a little while longer. I'm definitely worried about the Smokies, since the rain is due to return and the space in shelters is very limited for hikers. Tonight there is a large group of us at a camp ground, including Luke Trailwalker, Chip, Roadside, Hermit, Four, Five, and Ben. The camp ground has literally no trees anywhere suitable for bear hanging so no one is hanging their bags. I really hope that my food is still there in the morning. Speaking of food, today I tried my first Baby Ruth. It's basically just peanuts covered in chocolate, like a Snickers. I also had 'biscuits' with egg for breakfast, which was like a scone crossed with a muffin. One of the best parts about coming from another country to hike here is that all the food seems wonderful and new. Although of course I've tried some American foods and snacks, it's really been great to try all these new things that I have never heard of before. If I ever write a book about my experience on the AT, it would probably be "how to eat across east America the hard way". This is definitely just as much of a food journey as it is a physical and mental one. Today was just a really perfect day. I wish I could have more days with this kind of weather.