Date: 2009-04-27
From: Campsite by spring, mi 654.2

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: clear sky

Mon Apr 27, Day 48: The General came strolling into camp at 2230 hrs last night. He said he took the afternoon off to beat the heat. Smart choice! He told me saw Smiley and Zen Master back at the Bailey Gap Shelter where they decided to call it an evening. I sort of figured Smiley would go short since he was was complaining about the possibility of not being able to make it here yesterday when I saw him last. The heat is taking its toll on everyone out here lately. I hope we're able to meet up again. Perhaps in Catawba, VA our next re-supply point.Today was another scorcher! I am constantly stopping at water sources to drink, wipe my face, and douse my head with the cool stuff. It feels so good. There has been an abundance of deer sightings today. I counted at least a dozen. Some so close you could throw a rock at them. Most of the sightings come during the morning and early evening. These are the traditional feeding times. I also spot a ground hog at one of the pasture crossings. Man was it a big one!I stop at the Laurel Creek Shelter for lunch and snag a cell phone signal to make some calls and check the journal guestbook entries. I am overwhelmed by the responses especially since my friend John O'Hare forwarded the journal link to an e-mail distribution list of my past co-workers. Thanks everyone for signing the guestbook!After a tough climb I make it to a ridge line that resembles the edge of a dull serrated knife blade. The rocks work my feet and ankles real good. This will be great practice for what lies ahead. The workout causes me to drink a bunch of water and before long I'm running dangerously low. I have no choice now but to stop at the Sarver Hollow Shelter to fill up. Normally I wouldn't even consider stopping at this particular shelter since it's .25 mi. off trail and down a switch backed hill- not good! I divert off anyway to find a pretty nice looking shelter. No wonder it rarely ever gets used by thru-hikers the location sucks. Besides water is another .10 mi away. No sense complaining. I need water. Off I go down a side trail to find an old stone well covered in brush. My guidebook says water is suppose to be here. I crouch down to find a hole covered in brush with barely a speck of "wet" inside. Plus, the well is full of mosquitoes! They swarm towards me. Now, I'm totally bummed. No water! What am I going to do now? Luckily I see a note penciled into a wooden sign nearby. Some other hiker has taken the time to announce there's another spring just a little further down the trail. That's what I call looking out for your fellow hiker! I take off and before long I hear the gurgling sound of another flowing spring. Yeehaw! Today's my lucky day! I take my time at the second spring giving myself a well deserved sponge bath to wash the days grime away (don't worry I was plenty far away and didn't foul the water source). After about 30 minutes I begin the climb out of the shelter and back to the AT proper. It takes 10 minutes of grunting to get back on the trail. Onward. I take my own sweet time navigating the rocky path. I follow the ridge line between two deep valleys. Eventually descending down to the Niday Shelter. I arrive at 1830 hrs. There are three section hikers there followed by two more. I decide to tent. There is a waterfall not far away which allows me another opportunity to wash off my body and rinse out my clothes. I'm filthy. I string up a clothes line to dry out my gear.Dinner is a favorite-Stove Top Stuffing mixed with Instant Mashed Potatoes, and Pink Salmon. Soothing green tea washes it all down. YUM YUM! I push fluids the rest of the evening trying to compensate for all I've lost during the heat of the day. Hmmm, still no Smiley(?). Well, time for bed. G'night....... Click here for audio journal