Date: 2012-04-20
From: Spring Mt. Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Like I said in yesterday's notes,I do have something to write about: the two hikers who have no tents. This morning I woke up again around 0630, and last night was a lot like the night before, but this time everything was just with one of them; the one who went to bed in front of the shelter. The weather last night was windy,foggy,and somewhat cool. Several times during the night he made noise rolling, moving etc. Sometime around 0300 he woke everyone up. At the time no one knew why, but all of suddden out of total quietness he jumped up making all kinds of noise, and started dragging his bed roll, pack, etc. as close to the sleeping floor in the shelter as he could get it. Some hikers flashed their lights to see what was going on, but no one said anything. For the next several minutes he continued the noise while he re-situated himself back into his sleeping materials. As for his companion, I never heard anything from him during the night. He had rolled out his gear behind the shelter and slept there all night.Not too long after the hiker finally settled down, everyone was awakened again by loud noises of pots and other cooking gear being knocked around on the table. Lights were flashing and one hiker said he saw a raccoon on the table. The lights and movement scared the raccoon away. Finally it was quiet and all went back to sleep.Why did the hiker jump up and move all of his gear? Soon after I got up the hiker who slept at the rear of the shelter came around and woke up his companion and asked him about all the noise, moving etc. The other hiker told him that he felt water hit his face and being half asleep mistakenly thought it was raining. I ate, packed up and left. The hike today was mostly uneventful and the most interesting places along the trail to me were the fields and pond at Mills Ridge. See photo of sign telling about the area - the views of the French Broad River from about 1,000 feet above on the cliffs. What was most interesting to me today was meeting and talking with several hikers who had left from Hot Springs today. They ranged in age from 11 to... I'm guessing 70. The 11 year old was with her father. Both were through hiking. Last year both completed a through hike of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). Their trail names are Balls & Sunshine. I asked the father how they were able to have all the time that was needed for the trips. He laughed and said, " We don't like work or school". The father gave me a card telling me I could keep track of their adventures on Trail Journals, and I will do just that. The views from the top of the cliffs near Hot Springs looking down on the town and the river were great. After making my way down the cliffs I walked for about a mile alongside the river. It was up, and the sounds of the rapids were loud. I was just north of town and all along the side of the river other hikers were tent camping. Some were putting up tents as I walked by. Other sites looked as if they had been set up for several days. I made my way to the highway, walked out on the bridge, stopped for a few minutes and just took in the beauty of the river. Back in Hot Springs; this trip is finished.