Date: 2002-04-09
From: Cold Springs Gap area

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 5.6

What a lousy day. It was raining lightly when I woke up, and continued forever. I cooked mashed potatoes just outside my tent door for breakfast - I had been looking forward to them all night. When hotspot took his pack cover off he found a bunch of acorns some little critter had stashed there. Just as I was putting on my pack and leaving, he said "You're almost a trail angel, giving me your fig newtons and lotion... but you'll have to buy my book to find out why 'almost'" I had gotten the feeling he was going to try to ditch me today because he gave me his daughter's phone numbers in NC 'in case we get separated'. I told him he'd probably be rid of me today because he'd do 8 miles and I'd do 4. I'm still wondering why I'm 'almost' an angel.Anyways, the day was wet, cold, slippery, treacherous and NO views. I didn't take but one pix of a snail. I slipped several times and wondered why I have to hurt myself before I can come off the trail - I'd get off at the next road and save myself the pain and medical expenses. I was all psyched to throw in the towel. I asked hotspot if he wanted to split a 'Days Inn room' with me. Luckily he said yes. He got ahead of me and left a note on a log just before I caught up with him again. We hitched to Helen, Georgia - the first car that passed us stopped - a young guy in a little red pickup who said he would take us to the Econolodge. Wouldn't you know (fate) he dropped us off at a Days Inn!!! I gave hotspot money, showered, did laundry, ate at KFC next door, and talked to Mom and Lil' Glenn on the payphone a long time. Lil' Glenn told me I could just go to the next state, then next year pick up where I left off. I told him I had had that exact thought today while hiking! So many things clicked today. He also told me that his teacher left 'for personal reasons' and wouldn't be back. Ms. Kay is running things now and isn't as slack as Ms. R was. I think he would've talked on indefinitely, but my feet were starting to hurt, standing at the payphone. I feel like I really talked to him this time, not just heard what his dad and grandparents think. To tell the truth, I didn't think I'd be going back into the woods. I even left 3 gallon-sized foodbags at the last spring, flung my water jug down the mtn, and didn't bother to filter the water. I thought I was leaving for good, since I'd already figured out what I'm going to do and I'm ready to go do it. I've been thinking about a wedding in Jamaica in December, a little catered reception at the new house, and being pregnant by January! But I still need to lose weight - a lot - and this is surely working my ass off. I noticed yesterday I have thoughts such as 'I can do this' and 'This isn't so bad' and 'What a pretty view' when I'm going downhill; but when it's time to go uphill, I have thoughts such as 'some vacation' and 'this is ridiculous' and 'this is not a trail - it's an obstacle course'. Today even the downhill mud-slolums were emotionally draining and treacherous. Toward late afternoon I came to a fork in the trail where one went almost straight downhill for water. There were boot skid marks 10 feet down and four finger trails slightly diagonal across them. Somebody slid 10 feet down the mtn. I almost crushed my tailbone but the bottom bar of my pack literally savedmyass by hitting the boulder first. I slipped several times but none fatally.Things I'm most thankful for: warmth. That was scary, getting cold out in the middle of the mtns.