Date: 2003-05-08
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Campsite on the trail.
Miles today: 18.5

start Overmountain Shelterdestination campsite on the trail Last night was the worst night I have had yet for me.I cannot beleive how badmy heel hurt,even with the pain medication. Of course everytime the wind blew with a gust,I was afraid the shelter wouldblow over. I finally dozed off and was woke up by a loud scratching noise very close tome.Just from the light of the moon,I could make out a big white form,layingalmost next to me.I could not figure out what in the world it was.I rummagedaround for my headlamp,and turned it on to find Barley,a big light tan dog nextto me asleep.His owner woke up then and called him back over to him.Barley wentreluctantly,and I went back to sleep.Sometime later,here comes Barley sneakingback over next to me until he is laying up close to my feet.This does not botherme,as Ifeel like no mouse with any sense would get close to something as big asBarley .After a while,again Barley's owner calls him quietly to get back overthere by him.Barley refuses to move and finally the shunned owner gives up andgoes back to sleep.The next thing I hear are the sounds of hikers stirringaround.What is that light?Could it be?Is it really?Dare I hope?Yep,the sun isshining.Hotdog,it is going to be a great day to! day!The night was too short for me,although I did make it through the night witouthaving to go outside.One of my hiking friends,"Straw Bale"almost caused me tohave to get up, when he got up and went downstairs for a tree visit.But I talkedmy bladder out of the notion and for once I won! I am too tired to even fix a hot breakfast,and settle instead for a bagelusing the last of my peanut butter,and a glass of instant breakfast. The sun feels great as it beams down on me,warming both my body and myspirits.I am so excited about seeing Jerry this weekend.Our anniversary iscoming up.In years past we have spent time in Tennessee hiking for a week.He ismy original hiking buddy and I am looking forward to spending some time on thetrail with him.Besides,he is going to help me carry some of this stuff for acouple days! As I cross Bradley Gap,the wind is so strong that it is a challenge to remainupright.It is blowing across the trail and makes the pace really slow. I come across some Texas Longhorns.I get another hiker to take my pictureclose to them.This is the biggest wildlife I have seen to date. The trail has been rerouted in this area,to allow the old and damaged area tobe reclaimed by the forest.This reroute adds 4 miles to today's trip.That is 4miles I was not counting on,and it costs me dearly at the end of the day.Fourmiles does not sound like much,but at my pace of two miles an hour that is twoextra hours added to my day. Today's hike is beautiful.Over hills and across pastures ablaze withwildflowers.The wind is still blowing strong,but it keeps me cool as I hike. My feet are hurting badly and feel like they are on fire.Shortly after noon,Icome to a small stream running along side the trail.I grab my rubber foam squarethat I use as a seat,my food bag and plop myself down on the grass.I take offmy shoes and socks and slowly immerse my feet into the cold water.The water isso cold,it makes my feet throb after only a few seconds.But I persist and soakmy feet as I eat lunch.This morning,as I was leaving the shelter,a hiker askedif anyone wanted any peanut butter.So I have some peanut butter for mybagel.More trail magic. I finish eating then put my boots back on.My feet are screaming "No,please,not them again!"I grit my teeth and lace my boots up. I am coming to a section of trail that has had some problems with some of thelocals terrorizing hikers.Fishing line with hooks at eye level,fishing linestrung across the trail at ankle level,women hikers being threatened,things likethat.It seems like the government took some of this land away from the ownersand gave it to the Appalacian Trail Association,and there are some folks who arenot very happy.I do not know the real story,but I heed the warnings not to hikealone through the next 30 miles.I do not know what is true and what is rumor soI play it safe.Martha Graham,PushingUpDaisies and I hike the rest of the daytogether.We plan to camp with Bro.Ron and Sketch tonight.They promise toprotect us from the enemy. The new route of the trail takes me by two small waterfalls.The falls areawesome and the air is filled with fresh clean ozone and lots of energy.Bro.Rontells me that the campsite for tonight is .4 miles from the secondwaterfall,which is about three miles away.The three of us take off just behindBro.Ron.At his speed we soon lose sight of him,but he yells back and says hewill have a fire going when we get there.That is the last I see of him.I hike ondown the trail,and come to the second waterfall.I check the time and continue tohike.After 15 minutes there is no campsite and no Bro.Ron.Pushing UpDaisies hasfallen behind and Martha Graham is with me.There was a blue blaze trail back atthe second waterfall,but we did not think that was where the guys camped.Mosthikers do not like to hike very far off of the trail to camp,after a long day ofhiking,so we did not stop there,but pushed on. It was getting close to dark when I smelled a campfire.With what little bit ofenergy we had left,we whooped and pushed on,certain that camp was just aroundthe bend!Well,it was a camp,but not anyone we knew.The campsite was reallysmall,but we were too tired to be picky and the trail went up in front of us,sowe stopped.There was just enough room up by the trail for the three of us topitch our tents.I tried several times to get my tent up,but had no luck ingetting the tent stakes to stay in the ground.I pack up my stuff again,and godown closer to the stream.There were two other tents set up.One belonged toRoam, a section hiker,the other to Wounded Knee who is a thru hiker.I had notheard of either of these hikers.He is already in his tent.I fixed me a pot ofRamen Noodles.Some celebration dinner to celebrate hitting the 400 mile mark today.It is dark before I am through eating.I am worn out,my feet hurt,my tentstakes will not stay in the ground,so my tent looks like ! a pitiful green bush,all saggy in the middle.I am out of anything hot todrink.I have no idea how many miles I did today,or how many I will have totomorrow to meet Jerry.My hiking partner has had a bad additude for several daysnow,and I am in no mood to deal with anyone.Tonight,even as I lay in my tentlistening to the stream flow by,I feel like quitting the trail.I hope I feelbetter tomorrow.bumpkin total miles 18.5