Date: 2013-06-04
From: Cow Creek Shelter

To: Priest Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: light rain

Day 84: Woke up to my sleeping pad hanging over this huge picnic table. I must have been on a slope however it didn't feel like it and I slept super good. Anyway, off we went around 10am. Today was a lot of ups and downs, affectionately called PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs). The woods were especially bright and beautiful today. The ferns are really covering the ground cover and when there is sun shinning down through the trees, it is especially beautiful. We also began to see FBI postings for a hiker who turned up missing in 2011 from the Cow Creek Shelter. I guess his gear was found there and later he was found dead in a nearby town. These postings are sad to see. Throughout the day, we kept seeing Orion, K2, Davy Crockett and Tex. About four hours down the trail, there were two huge ice chests filled with gatorade and the other filled with moon pie, oreos, M&M, trail mix, nutter butters, oatmeal creme pies, etc. We had a huge downhill and then we had to climb Priest Mountain. We passed Spy Rock and then up to Priest Mountain to the shelter. This shelter was really nice. There was the best spring right next to it (we don't have to filter or treat our water with springs) and a great tent area. Already in camp were Regina the Ridgerunner (completed the AT 2007), Mudbut, Zipper (completed the AT 2011) and Kokopelli. I just met Kokopelli about 30 miles back. He carries with him a wooden flute and plays it beautifully. He is a Vietnam vet who has had two hip replacements. He also hiked the AT last year and fell and broke his knee just 60 miles from Katahdin. Can you imagine that? This shelter felt unique...maybe because of the name. The journal was set up as a confessional journal. So hikers would write down their confessions. They were hilarious. An example of a few confessions: I confess ... that I pee on the trail, I have been wearing the same shirt for three weeks, I steel TP from restaurants, I am bad at "leaving no trace behind", I hate nature and camping in the woods, I throw rocks over cliffs without knowing what is below, that the only thing that motivates me is going into town, I put a granola bar in my friends backpack so the mice can find it, etc. Also in the shelter was a little bible and two long white candles with a wooden holder. Of course we lit the candles and talked about how nice it would be to have candles with you. Hmmm, I sure would like to take them but that would be stealing and I would have to confess in the journal. So, the shelter was empty for the night, so I decided to give it another try. There was only going to be four of us (Tex, Alex, Bluegrass and me) that would be in it (this shelter hold six people) so it shouldn't be crowded and maybe I can get some sleep. About an hour after we all stopped talking, all of sudden, both of my feet felt like they were on fire. I had socks on and I was in my sleeping bag so what was attacking my feet? It was excruciating and very uncomfortable. After the fire feeling, they began to itch badly. So I ripped off my socks and just began digging the heck out of them. I couldn't get any relief. I turned on my headlamp and all I could see was redness. I must have itched them for about an hour with no relief so I just had to make myself not touch them. I must have fell asleep only to wake up around 2:30am to hear mice chewing on some confessional paper next to my head. I still had my headlamp nearby so on it went as I found several mice scurrying all over the side of the walls. Unfortunately, I woke up a few, only for them to chuckle and go back to sleep. All in all, I did sleep very good so I may try it again only if the shelter is small and only if our group is in it.Regina the Ridgerunner was about to leave and was cleaning up around the shelter. She picked the bible and started to grab for the candles. I asked her what she was going to do with them and she said pack them out and throw them away. I said that I would take them...Salsa