Date: 2012-04-29
From: Snake Den Ridge trail

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Orai laikosi puikus, todel ir nuotaika gera. 12inau, ¡iandien - netolimas ir pa34istamas takas ¢ tik 16-ka myliu iki Standing Bear Farm hostelio ir visa laika tik nuokalnen. Stovyklaviete palikau ¡e¡ta ryto ir apie devynias u34sukau i Cosby Knob u34sipilti vandens. Ties ¡elteriu radau ne tik haikerius, bet ir raitelius su arkliais, besiruo¡iancius i kelia. Cosby Knobe labai galingas ¡altinis ver34iasi i¡ po 34emiu, todel vandens u34tenka ir arkliams pagirdyti. Gal todel cia eina takas raitiems keliautojams. Man bevalgant antrus pusrycius, tapau liudininku ivykio, kuris vos nepasibaige nelaime. Vienas raitelis bande apsisukti labai siauroje vietoje ties ¡elteriu, kai staiga arklys suklupo ir, besiversdamas auk¡tielnikas, prispaude raiteli po savimi. Blogiausia, kad ¡laite arklio kojos atsirado auk¡ciau galvos ir i¡traukti 34mogu, nepakeliant pacio arklio, nebuvo jokios galimybes. Tada su¡okome keturiese ir, kiek turejome jegu, kilstelejome gyvuli. Pajutes kad ji kelia, arklekas pa¡oko ir atsistojo pats. Raitelis gavo gerai apibrozdinta koja, o a¡ nesmarkiai patemtus kaires rankos pir¡tus.Netrukus a¡ jau buvau Standing Bear Farm hostelyje, kuris buvo jau pasidares mano kelioniu kertine poilsio vieta. I¡ cia a¡ 2009 metais nuejau iki Damasko, i cia 2010 metais atejau nuo Springerio, i¡ cia 2011 metais rugsejo menesi ejau Benton MacKaye Trail iki Fontana Dam. I¡ cia mudu su D34ord34u gruod34io menesio pabaigoje ejome darydami kilpa: prad34ioje - Appalachian Trail pietu link iki Fontana Dam, o po to 2012 metu sausio prad34ioje - Benton Mackaye Trail ¡iaures link, taip gri34dami atgal iki hostelio.Tada mes skubejome namo ir nebeturejome laiko papietauti pas hostelio ¡eimininkus: Kurti ir Marija. Jie tapo mano draugais ir a¡ tada pa34adejau jiems, kad kai cia busiu vel, tikrai papra¡ysiu padaryti man koki nors namini patiekala.Pavai¡ino Marija mane netikru zuikiu, salotomis ir paskrudinta duona. Lauko virtuveleje atsisedau prie stalo, pasidejau lek¡te, tyliu ir valgau. Vienas toks pilnokas haikeris nei¡sikentes klausia: ar skanu? Oi, sakau, skanu! Vel tyliu ir puse akies seku, kokia reakcija dabar bus. Klausia vel: ar geras maistas? Oi, sakau, geras maistas, labai geras! Tiesa, dar truputi gri34tant atgalios, klausiu Kurcio, kur galiu pavalgyti, kad neerzinti chebros? Ko tu cia pergyveni, sako jis man? Tu juos padarai i¡ F raides ir valgai. Klausiu ar galima? Galima, sako. Tada, a¡ i¡did34iai, letai ne¡iausi savo patiekala per visa hosteli, o de¡imt alkanu akiu (haikeriai VISADA alkani) seke i¡ paskos. Ot, geras buvo jausmas!Dar kuri tai laika sedejome prie lau34o ir ¡nekejomes kol sutemo. Smagu kai susirenka i viena vieta skirtingu profesiju, ivairaus am34iaus 34mones. Ir juos vienija haikerio dvasia, o ne pinigines storis.                                    ---|---Weather is pleasant, and so spirits are strong. Today - not a distant and easy trail - only 16 miles to Standing Bear Farm hostel and all the time just downhill. On the sixth in the morning, I left the campsite and on the ninth dropped in Cosby Knob order to fill up water. At the shelter, I found the hikers, and riders with horses, preparing for the road. At Cosby Knob flowing very powerful spring out of the ground, so it is sufficient watering horses. Maybe so, here runs trail for mounted travelers.When I had a second breakfast, I witnessed an event that just did not end with disaster. One rider tried to turn around in a very narrow spot at the shelter when the horse suddenly stumbled, fell and pinned a rider underneath. Worst of all, horse legs appeared above his head, and there was no chance to pull the man without raising the horse itself. Then four of us jumped and as far as we had strength, lifted the animal. Feeling that it raises, the horse jumped up and stood up himself. Rider got good bruised leg, and I ¢ mildly sprained left hand finger tendons.Soon I have been in Standing Bear Farm hostel, which become the basis hub for my tours. From here I went in 2009 to Damascus. In 2010 came here from Springer Mtn, from here in September 2011, I went to Benton MacKaye Trail to Fontana Dam. From here the two of us, me and George, at the end of December we went doing a loop: start - Appalachian Trail south to Fontana Dam, and then in early January 2012 - Benton MacKaye Trail toward the north, returning back to the hostel. Then we rushed home and no longer had time to have lunch with hostel owners: Curtis and Maria. They became my friends. I then promised them that when I will be back here for sure will ask to make any home-cooked meal.Maria offered me plate with meatloaf, salad and toasted bread. In outdoor kitchenette, sat down at the table, placed the plate, ate my meal quietly. One such large hiker after prolong time watching my feast asked: Is it tasty? Oh, I said its delicious! I continued to eat, and half of the eye follow what the reaction will be now. He asked again, is it good food? Oh, I said good food, very good! Of course, later I told him my story about winter time hike. If my memory do not failed, his name was Bison. He is a terrific guy.Still a little way back, I asked Curtis, where I can eat my glorious food not to irritate friends? Why worrying about, he said to me? Made them in the letter F and ate yours glorious food. Is it possible, I asked? It can be done he said. Then, I proudly, slowly carried dish at the hostel, and ten hungry eyes (hikers are ALWAYS hungry) followed. O, it was a fantasic feeling!Yet by this time, we were sitting around the campfire and talking for as long as it grew dark. It is fun to meet in a single place people of all ages, different occupations. Just because they united by hiker spirit, rather than the thickness of the purse.