Date: 2016-03-25
From: Hiker Paradise, via Rector Laurel Road 

To: Whistling Gap
Miles today: 19.3

The lights were on early at Hiker Paradise. Happens when you've got older guys staying at the hostel. They don't like to sleep in as much as people my age. A few of the guys bought biscuits and gravy from the resupply at the hostel for breakfast, but I wanted to get rid of pack weight, so pop tarts and protein bars it was for me. Jerry did make us all free hash browns, though, which was nice of him. Jim once again joked that the hash browns were only for AARP members. Jerry and I chatted a bit. This was the second time he's had five people since opening on the first of March. He says he likes hosting the older guys "because they go to bed earlier. And they're less demanding of beer." I gave him the idea of getting surge protectors or splitters for the outlets, as hikers always need recharges. Jerry shuttled the three other guys back to the trailhead at about 8:30, and Ghost and I waited for his return. We watched George play more Need for Speed on the Xbox. It seems sort of rude to say, but the biggest change Jerry needs to make to the hostel is to get George out of the equation. When hikers get to a hostel, they want to sit and have silence, mostly. And George is a ten year old boy. Which means he's loud and inquisitive and a handful. Hikers can't be bothered to entertain a child at a hostel, especially when we're paying for stay. Anyways. Ghost and I were on the trail by about 8:45. The weather was supposed to get nice later but the morning began foggy, humid and chilly. The day started with a climb up Lick Rock, which was pretty serious, but I cruised up it pretty fast, passing Ghost and the other three pretty soon. The fog made me focus on the short stretch of trail in front of me. And I think having a more full breakfast helped too. I need to start eating more at breakfast. The top of Lick Rock was a more overgrown bald than we've seen and the fog gave it an eerie look, like a Scottish moor. The next section was short climbs and descents for quite some time, a type of hiking that I actually very much enjoy. I ran into Andrew, aka Chickenfoot, just at the turnoff for Hogback Ridgr Shelter, where I had thought about staying last night (thank god I did not do that). Yesterday kicked his ass, too, he said. I pushed on ahead of him for the moment and made my way down to Sam's Gap. Right before the highway at a little break area with logs and a fire pit, I saw a hiker and said hello, and he wished me good morning back and said he was taking a short break. Then I noticed the pistol laying on the log next to him. Aaand the camo pants and backpack. I pushed on without a word, but I'd been told about this hiker back at Mt. Collins shelter. He goes by Skeebo and apparently brandishes his gun whenever he can. He claims to be a veteran, and may well be, but apparently, according to the ex-army guy I met at Mt. Collins, he cannot possibly have been at about half the places he says he was. As Andrew noted when he passed me and I told him to be wary of Skeebo, he cannot possibly have a license for the weapon in every single state the trail goes through. And jeezis, who "takes a break" and decides to take out his pistol instead of, ya know, snacks, or water. I had half a mind to call the police just to check his permit or something. Apparently he made himself quite a nuisance in the smokies. The next part of the day was spent all in climbing towards Big Bald, the highest point between Hot Springs and Erwin. I could see it from quite far away. The trail climbed along a single ridge the whole time, essentially. The trail was graded such that there were only two modes of hiking: basically flat and darn steep. Andrew and I leapfrogged a few times, but he pulled ahead of me. He wants to hike all the way to Erwin tonight and get there at like 10 pm. Again. I do not understand. The last push up Big Bald was tough, but he payoff was great. I was soon standing in a meadow of straw-colored grass mounds, and pushing towards the top of the peak. Andrew was there, as were a couple, day hiking. It was lovely and warm and bright, and I lay in the sun for quite some time just relaxing. What I had planned to do yesterday was just to make it another mile and a bit to Bald Mountain Shelter. Soon I was alone up on the bald and I sang "Soak up the Sun" and danced around. A few other hikers showed up as I was lying down, two thru hikers and their two friends who joined them in Hot Springs. The thru hikers names are Jeremy and Mara. Apparently they don't have trail names yet. I took their picture and hung out a little longer before making my way across and down the bald. I stopped in at the shelter and signed the log before deciding to move on 3.5 more miles to the next campground. It was all downhill with the exception of a short jump up Little Bald, and soon I found myself in Whistling Gap. I was alone. The water source here is pretty dire, just a tiny trickle that lets out into a small pool into which you can dip a bottle, but I caught a lot of debris in mine. I had to wait for the silt to settle before getting any water. Anyway. I set up my tent and cooked dinner and hung a best bag and began to journal in my tent. Ghost came by around 7 pm and said he was heading on to Spivey gap, a few miles on. A late night for him, too. Soon, three other hikers showed up: two younger hikers, Wee Gillis and his Dutch friend whose name I forget, aaaand Skeebo. I hung around with them as they cooked. Skeebo I believe has a stove, but he is trying to save on fuel and built a fire to cook on, something I haven't seen yet. He seems alright in person but I am still weirded out by him. He tells a lot of stories that don't sound true. The two youngins are friends from an international school in New Mexico, but one lives five minute from Devil's Fork Gap. I turned in as they finished up cooking.