Date: 2008-07-24
From: .5 past pole Steeple trail

To: .3 past Boiling Springs
Miles today: 16.4

I woke to clear skies and a lovely cool temperature. Last night I was cold! Had to put on my pants, fleece and hat (likely because my hair was wet). I have packed up my tent and am sitting on my ridge rest facing the rising sun, eating my breakfast of hot chocolate and cinnamon toast crunch. I am anxious to get hiking on this beautiful morning! Hoping to dry out my boots, clothes, and tent later today. 8:05pm I am so enjoying myself right now! The high of my day comes now, just after the low, a little while ago. There were some fields late in the day, cornfields and meadows and such, with houses and streets just beyond the fields. I walked through one giant field and there were few blazes, like one at the beginning and then one, all the way at the end of the field. So I crossed a road and saw the blaze on the other side, followed it into another giant field and started walking. And walking and walking. And of course, it being late in the day, I was tired and thinking about dinner. I was hoping to reach Boiling Springs in time to eat a meal at a restaurant instead of one of my camp meals. So I was hurrying, and it was hot in the sun, no trees for some cool shade. I thought nothing of the fact that I hadn't seen a blaze in a long time. Until I reached the end of the field, past a farmer plowing and there was no trail, no blaze. Hmmm? I really did not want to go back across the huge field, past the farmer in the hot sun. Surely the trail is around here somewhere I thought. And I knew it crossed railroad tracks, which when I peered through the trees at the edge of the field, I could see. So I bushwacked through the brush and went up to the tracks. Hmmm? Which way to go? I went left and walked and walked and walked, hoping to see a white blaze. Nothing. So then I thought, okay, must be the other way. So I turned and went back to where I'd started, and then kept going, on and on. No blaze. It was hot in the sun! I was dripping with sweat and hungry and not wanting to turn back. I walked ahead to a road crossing and what luck! There, just a few feet from the tracks was a parked pickup truck and a man getting ready to go fishing. "Hello" I shouted eagerly, as I hurried over. I explained my confusion and he informed me I was in the opposite direction as Boiling Springs. Bummer. This is surely the LOW of my day. I was thinking I would have to walk all the way back and by then it was nearing 8:00 so I would surely have to cook, would miss eating in town. But the guy--Gary, offered to drive me, and I took him up on it. Another trail angel! I am again, so grateful for the kindness of strangers. What an inspiration. Gary took back off the waders he had just put on and made some room for me in the truck and drove me to town, left me off at an Italian restaurant. Which brings me to my high of the day! I am sitting here at my corner booth, listening to the greatest mix of music! I can hear it perfectly, have loved every song, am sitting here, singing along and looking out the window, enjoying my warm bread slathered with butter, my salad and lasagna. And the nicest people work here! A wonderful dining experience! The owner came out to talk (he overheard me asking how to get back on the AT) and invited me to set up my tent out back in the grass next to the restaurant. By then it was closing in on 9. I thanked him. But knew I would go on. After my meal it was just about dark. I walked to the stop sign and turned left as per the owner's directions, and headed up the street. Saw a white blaze on a tree outside of the ATC office. Even though my blisters were screaming in agony, I booked up the road, hoping I'd be able to get into the woods soon. I did. And I wasted no time in finding a place to set up. So what if camping is not allowed! Another illegal night in my tent. Oh well. Only bad thing is I had to walk through a good healthy patch of poison ivy to get there...hope that will not come back to haunt me. Another day done.