Date: 2005-04-21
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: broken clouds

I got up at 6:30 and I was walking by 7:30.Once again, I could not eat the grits.   I took a couple of mouthfuls and I just threw them out, they were not appetizing.The walk was pretty uneventful. There is a little item for people planning on walking this section. There's a nice, nasty, steep uphill that you look on the Elevation Profile Map called Lamb's Knob. You expect it's going to knock you out. It doesn't exist, there is no Lamb's Knob, they must have rerouted it and not update the maps. It was one of the times where the elevation profiles work in your favor. I was really happy about that.   There is an uphill right after the last shelter before Hot Springs, Deer Park Mountain Shelter. That one goes on quite a bit longer than the Elevation Profile Map shows. It's covered with so many dead leaves that you have to walk flatfooted and slowly, otherwise you slide back downhill. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. It just tired me out, trying to fight the leaves and sliding on them on the way down. Took about 25 minutes to get over that section. I hit the first road at Hot Springs at about 12:30. A guy named Just Bob flashed up behind me. I didn't hear or see him coming, he must have been hiking like hell.   We walked into town together.As soon as we rounded the corner, we got up to the convenience store, there was the Seattle Crew ( my name for them). It's 3 guys and a gal. I don't think they have Trail Names. Toby, Brandon, Heather and I don't remember the name of the last guy. There were hanging out under the tree next to the convenience store. They are getting a ride with Bob and myself to Asheville. They guy Spiff, that was doing the Trail magic at Max Patch, threw them the keys to his basement and told them to hang out there. It's just north of downtown Asheville. I walked up to Bluff Mountain Outfitters and there was Sam I Am on the computer.   Origami was there, they were together, still angry at each other but together.   I got my mail drop from the Outfitters. I had them replace the tips on my trekking poles, my 'luckies'. The day after I told Eddie his poles were crap, both of my tips wore out. I used the scale there, I weighed 161 pounds, which means I've lost 13 pounds since April 1st. I was not at all surprised. My pants are falling off, they no longer fit. I bought a few little things from Bluff Mountain.I ran across the street with Sam I Am and Origami. We sat at the pub and had beers jalapeno poppers. I called up Bob because Origami wanted a pint of Jack Daniel's. But he was already within 15 minutes of us. So no Jack Daniel's for him. Bob got there, we had some cheeseburgers outside.   Ray also showed up. He had come in the day before. We just sat there and waved to everyone going by. Hot Springs is full of hikers, hundreds of them, now. Maybe thousands, past and current through-hikers, will show up by this weekend for Trail-Fest.   It's pretty neat to be in a town where you know almost everybody. I know just about all of the people that are here that have been on the Trail at one time or another. Good comradery. At about 3 o'clock Seattle Crew showed up, we threw all the stuff into the back of Bob's truck and crammed into the front. We took off towards Asheville. We had to stop along the way, it started raining and we had to cover all the packs.I must be lucky, because the weather and the way that I'm taking time off is working perfectly. I'm off the Trail for a couple of days now, to be in Asheville.   Maybe take Carol on a leisurely hike and camp-out in Brevard to check out waterfalls and stuff. I figured it would be a great way to spend a weekend.By the time I get back on the Trail Sunday, it's supposed to be clear, but cold as hell. I'll possibly be walking through snow because they are talking about snow now. I'm sitting in front of a plate of crab stuffed shrimp and rice pilaf. I had the crab cake appetizer at Joe's Crab Shack in Asheville. They are watching the Weather Channel. The weather is turning nasty. They just flashed a warning across the screen saying that Greenville, just south of here, had tornadoes touch down. They were saying that people in that area should take cover and get in their basements because of the tornadoes. Wonderful stuff.   It's going to be interesting to see if we can get out and go hiking to the Falls this weekend. I hope so.   I'd like a casual hike for once this month.