Date: 2016-03-14
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Near Whiterock Cliff
Miles today: 23.0

I'd like to start by saying we had a great stay at Laughing Heart Hostel. Annie filled you in on the details of our day and the kindness of Forward and Brave. Once again, a big thank you. We highly recommend the hostel. By the time we got back to town it was late in the hiking day, so we decided to stay at the hostel and resume our hike in the morning.But first I had to get down to the outfitter to see if they could repair my trekking poles. I had cobbled together a pair of old Leki Super Makalus but after about 250 miles the locking system was no longer working on either pole. We stopped at Bluff Mountain Outfitters and picked up a few supplies while they worked on my poles. I was totally blown away. They basically gave me two new bottom pole sections on both poles. Unbelievably at no charge. Nada. No labor, no parts. Where do you find service like that. Only in Hot springs NC. Highly recommedn Bluff Mt Outfitters. They also have a nice natural food section in their store.Next it was on to Iron Horse Tavern where we each got a half pound Angus burger and I got to watch the final five minutes of the Big 10/14 championship which my team, the MSU Spartans held on to beat a tough Purdue team. Let March Madness begin.We walked through town in the early morning darkness and began a long day of climbing. I can't say that there was anything unique about our day. It was just like all of our other days so far. We climbed and then we went down and then we climbed some more. We did have some rain midafternoon, so we got out our rain gear and pack covers and hiked on to Little Laurel shelter where a group of thruhikers were congregating. Speedy Gonzalez and Medic both from Jacksonville Florida were there. Later Scorched Heels came rolling in. His trail name means just what it says. He hiked his first four days in ill fitting shoes and ended up with holes in his heels. He is obviously better now. We have seen SH several times along the trail. He is young and fast. The most memorable time was near Mt Albert where he blew by us in a snowstorm on the way to a shelter but not without first thanking us for laying down fresh tracks in the snow. Otherwise he told us he would have gone the wrong way. Glad to be of some help.Well wrong way Riegels might be a good trail name for SH because the next morning leaving the shelter he got disoriented and hiked the 3 1/2 miles back to Mt Albert before recognizing he was going wrong way southbound. So he walked an extra 7 miles that day. I don't know but if that had been me, I would have had serious thoughts about quitting then and there. Tough kid though, he ended up hiking 25 miles that day.We headed out from the shelter and got stuck on a ridge near Whiterock cliffs. We have found a little nook in the trees which will have to do because it is getting dark. We have kind of jerryrigged our tent tying it to a few trees; as long as the winds don't blow too hard we should be good for the night. We are in the midst of our first thunderstorm. The lightning is crashing and flashing overhead and the thunder is rumbling over the cliffs and canyon. I'm just going to bury my head in my sleeping bag like a little kid hiding under his bed from the bogeyman and hope that I wake up in the morning. The rain is pelting down on our tent. But we are dry and warm. Pleasant dreamsWill