Date: 2006-04-15
From: Unnamed campsite (just beyond Spring Mtn Shelter)

To: Another unnamed camp just past Flint Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 21.5

21.5 Miles. Trash-43.Woke up with Sheryl Crow's "Every day is a winding road" playing in my head, which seemed appropriate however I knew no more of the lyrics.In just over 300 miles of trail I had picked up over 502 scraps of trash.As I was still nervous about my left Achilles, I made sure to stretch well this morning along with eating another 800mgs of Vitamin I--as often heard Redneck call ibuprofren during my hiking with him and the rest of my old crew.Had oatmeal with a cup of coffee--the first sip of which was pure ecstacy and sent me sailing back to the 1980s to the themesong from "Family Ties." "Well I guess we've been together for a 1000 years...and I guess we'll be together for 1000 more..." I sang quietly to my steaming cup of instant Maxwell House doused with powdered milk. "...what would you do baby without us...sha la la la."Before starting the AT I had come to the decision that I wouldn't need any kind of device for listening to music and I'd be fine without it, but while I was on my 13 day hiatus, my good friends Chris and Merrit from the planet Neptune (where there IS intelligent life)sent me a lightweight MP3 player packed full of songs. So on my second day back, I found myself cruising down the trail, being propelled forward by the sounds of Lucero, Beck, Widespread, Dylan, Matisyahu, and many others. And it seemed as if my friends had gone out of their way to choose songs that were in some way related to what I was doing. As I strolled beneath the long cerebral limbs of trees, Dylan was asking me, "How does it feel, to be on your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?"Well, I'll tell ya. It feels pretty good, Bob. Thanks for asking. Met 42 at Little Laurel Shelter and after a snack, we proceeded up the steep, 1000 ft climb up to Camp Creek Bald. Passed "Wooden Sticks" (a guy that hiked with two wooden sticks) who had nearly ran into a three ft long rattlesnake the night before with 10 rattles.Big Firescald Knob proved to be a fun hike over a slightly exposed mountain providing awesome views. While atop Firescald, we met up with Marco Solo, Andy Dufresne, Slick B, Moe. and Ponch. Ponch was named because he wore sunglasses just like Frank Poncherello from the TV series "C.H.I.P.S." Ponch knew all about Sanford and Son and was immediately saying the tune a loud."Yeah," I told him. "Both of us have our own theme songs.""That's right! Theme songs--wow! That makes me feel like a superhero."And when I asked his girlfriend about her name, I was pleasantly surprised: "Is that M-O-E, just like the band?""M-O-E, just like the band," she answered.The next hour of hiking between Firescald and Jerry Cabin was gorgeous, full of white wildflowers sprouting up through the fallen brown leaves, and narrow strips of green shooting grass growing from out of either side of the trail (I believe its from the trekking poles used by all the hikers, tilling up the earth and aiding with the removal of the leaves).Right before Jerry Cabin, 42 and I passed by what would have surely been an Ent in the land of Middle Earth. Thick, crazy branches and knots. The works. Can't wait to see the pics.Ever since reading a register entry in the Spring Mountain Shelter, 42 and I had been trying to catch up with a group of thru-hikers who were planning on having a 300 mile party at the Flint Mountain Shelter. By the time we'd reached Jerry Cabin, 42 and I had already hiked 16 miles, but we continued on, hoping to meet up with them. However when we arrived at Flint Mtn, the shelter was deserted, and the register informed us that the party was to be at a campsite about a mile away. And so we continued on. But apparently the campsite had been way too small and passed over.And so we continued on.Finally after another half mile and the onset of dusk, a small smattering of colorful tents came into sight and we both let out sighs of relief. 21.5 miles--my longest day thus far. We met up with Catch-Up who was filtering water. He told us that the party had moved on, but we were welcome to join them for the evening. So we did. Also there were Mule, Bud, Carnivore, and a girl named Jukebox. And Crake would wander in a little while later to join the party that never was. Random Register Entry: "Stopped in to use the privy which was disgusting, but the hoses were a cool sci-fi touch. I could pretend I was at the helm of some imperial war machine blasting the hell out of the Rebel scum with my pants down around my ankles. May the force be with you." Sleepy the Arab