Date: 2008-03-11
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm still in Franklin, NC, leaving in a few minutes. Ron just brought in a NOBO hiker who advised there is a big group of NOBO's a few shelters behind here. So the crowd approaches. I better high tail it out of here. I've re-supplied with four days of food and a full bottle of denatured. It's cold and overcast - a great day to hike. I hope to get to the new Wayah Bald Shelter then into NOC the next day, then two days into Fontana where I'm going to probably have to zero on the weather again. I will probably go into Gatlinburg after Fontana then to Standing Bear then Hot Springs. That's the plan for now dependent on the weather. Stay tuned. Thanks for the messages everyone.Day 12. I'm still in Franklin, NC, leaving in a few minutes. Ron just brought in a NOBO hiker who advised there is a big group of NOBO's a few shelters behind here. So the crowd approaches. I better high tail it out of here. I've re-supplied with four days of food and a full bottle of denatured. It's cold and overcast - a great day to hike. I hope to get to the new Wayah Bald Shelter then into NOC the next day, then two days into Fontana where I'm going to probably have to zero on the weather again. I will probably go into Gatlinburg after Fontana then to Standing Bear then Hot Springs. That's the plan for now dependent on the weather. Stay tuned. Thanks for the messages everyone. Victor the manager at the Inn called me at about 8:10 asking if I wanted to go to breakfast or back to the trail because Ron was here. What? Let me wake up first, OK? I will be right out. The day starts with breakfast then to the hardware store for some fuel then I'm ready to roll. On the way back to the trail Ron tells my favorite story again for our going away present. On my zero yesterday I was treated to the whole story and driven to where it took place. It was like a movie only I was there. This is the story I first heard last year when I came through with Taken, Pegasus and Caboose. Pegasus loved this story also and would entertain us when we had a special campfire. Most of the story is especially good because of the way Ron delivers it. It involves an old neighbor named Henry who was celebrating his 84th birthday. He was dressed in a clean white dress shirt, a black bow tie and an old felt hat like they used to wear back then when they dressed up. Now Henry had an operation where they reduced his stomach and he could only eat or drink small portions and had to eat 15 times a day. Well back then you had to drive some distance to get a bottle of store bought whiskey. (Some of this is edited and the identity of some friends and relatives is left out to further protect all parties.) A family member bought Henry a 1/2 gallon of Calvert Whiskey for his birthday. Well Henry could only drink a small amout of whiskey and then he would pass out. When he awoke Henry would say "That sure was some good whiskey, what did you say that whiskey was?" "Calvert!" Henry said "Well could you write that down cause I want to remember that cause it sure is good whiskey." (Henry couln't write or read) Henry finally says he could keep the bottle or tear off the label. This story took place on or near Ron's family farm and Ron was a boy. Ron and (others unidentified in this retelling) had been picking tomatoes and had separated the ones too odd to sell. They would use them at home. Well after Henry had a few drinks and had passed out a few times one of the (party) had just rolled up a big fat joint as big around as a finger and when Henry was sleeping with his mouth open this fellow took the joint and shotgunned old Henry while he was still out. Well Henry took in a big breath of smoke and when he exhaled he blew a big cloud of smoke about six feet in the air. Later after they had done it a few more times Henry wakes up and says, that was some good whiskey what did you say it was again because that is some very good whiskey. Well Henry is feeling very good and he starts to get hungry and asks Ron if he could have some of those tomatoes he had over there. Ron says sure and gets him some good ripe ones. Later when Ron is loading the tomatoes for sale he hears the ambulance (which also was used as the hearse back then.) Well they are driving fast down country roads with the cherry light on top flashing and the horn honking (back then they did not have a siren). Well it drove up to where Henry was sitting up against a tree and stopped then began loading him into the vehicle. Well Ron and the others ran over to see what was going on and found out an old neighboor had seen Henry slumped over with what looked like blood all over his clean white shirt. Well Ron says it's tomatoes. It was a big red mess all over his shirt. The ambulance driver says well he was unresponsive. One of the co-conspirators holds up the bottle and says this is why he's unresponsive. They left him and from time to time Henry would say, What is the name of that whiskey cause that was some good whiskey. So now I have heard and seen the story and each time he repeats it it seems more likely that it really occured, but who really knows. Ron can tell it long or shorten it to fit into a ride back to the trail. These are moments that make the hike special. Thank you Ron for all your special glimpses back into time. Well I depart the van, say good bye to Ron then head back into the forest with T-Man, Easy Skanking, Starbucks and Start. We hike together most of the way, break at Siler's Bald then continue enjoying the hike through some changing forest towards Wayah Bald where I find the vista very nice. I can see where I have been walking and where I will walk. The day is not as forecasted. It's cloudy, cold and looks like snow. It does flurry and rain lightly enough to gear up with pack cover and jacket. Reaching the new Wayah Shelter we all claim our spots and settle in along with a hiker named Loafy who has a special story to go along with his trail name. It has something to do with.. never mind let's just say it has something to do with a loaf. After gathering water and eating dinner, a fitting camp fire is crafted and fed to become a proper warming fire(bon). The stars are bright again. The crescent moon is visible from where I lay in the shelter. I hear the wind in the upper parts of the trees making them dance and crack their branches together lightly. There is some snoring. It is peaceful. That is what I need right now. Good night..