Date: 2013-03-16
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 8.9

I ate my breakfast as planned on the trail to avoid spending too much money in town.I started the day off with a quick hop into the N.O.C. to indulge in my second breaks of a pint n' a half(someone else's half pint) of Ben n' Jerry's Ice Cream, yum. There was a nice reunion of familiar and a few unfamiliar faces and then into the outfitters I went. I printed out my $20 thru-hiker pass for the Smoky Mountains and checked out gear. I had to pick up a patch supply for my backpack(minor tear in the bottom material) and a sack for my sleeping bag to conserve room, I opted for a 13 lt. waterproof ultra-light sack that will serve many uses later on in the trail as well. This shopping spree took about an hour and then came the next meal. I'm not sure if it was techincally my third breakfast or my first lunch but those fresh trout patties were wicked amazing and filling. My first and second breakfasts certainly did the trick. Chickadee and her dad Travis showed up which was a great homecoming. It's always nice to see friends on the trail that you've been seperated from for a few days, her dad was a friend of the trail too. He hiked the better part of the first week just as my dad did(not that we had met them at that point). They had been hiking with a thru-hiker by the name of Carpenter(named by his trade proffesion), he's a great guy with excellent knowledge of the Smokies being a avid local hiker of them. I realized that tommorow is not only sunday, but it is St. Patty's Day. I cleared it with Chris' wife first, but I bought a beer for both Chris and I to drink atop the bald to celebrate the holiday and the climb. Chris and Cass pushed up the mountain as I upgraded some of the line on my tarp to a lighter and reflective choice. I was called in to join Chickadee, her dad and Carpenter for a beer and conversation. After their food had digested properly we attacked that approach of that mountain with a fierce determination only parelleled by our intense reflection at the scenic views that presented themselves. Those scenic view were at the top though, 3000 feet in 8 miles took a little more than just fierce determination. My two weeks straight of backpacking experience certainly allowed me to keep up with Chickadee's dad. He was fast and strong with the climbs. over a decade and a half of cycling, hiking and other such activities put him in clearly better shape than myself. I enjoyed and relished in the push. Just as the sun was dissappearing the four of us came into Sassafras Gap Shelter, which was our goal just before the bald. It must have had nearly 25 people clustered in the area, most of whom were planning on getting up before sunrise to see the sunrise atop the bald. With little hesitation we decided to push forward to be rid of the crowded shelter and wake up to the the sunrise with ease. That was not the easiest mile I've ever walked, but the night-hike was rewarded with a couple of fathers and sons sitting around a built campfire as well as my friend TallBoy who was thrilled to have his comrad Carpenter back. We set-up our sleep spots and joined them around the fire for our dinner. We were beyond hungry, we were ravenous. So much so that as soon as the food touched our pots it was vanished into our stomachs. Travis shared a beer that he had carried up, which hit the spot nicely. After some hilariety and winding down sleep came suddenly.The Rooster Sleeps