Date: 2011-04-12
From: Day 33 Hot Springs NC

To: Day 34 Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

My alarm went off at 6:00 and I was up and running. A quick trail breakfast of scrambled eggs & bacon, oatmeal, hot chocolate and a cup of coffer in my room, then it was out the door by 7:00. I don't know if I mentioned this but the AT runs right through town, Bridge St., and is marked by placards in the sidewalk (see pics). So it was out the door and right onto the trail I went. Crossing the French River,  the AT makes a sharp right turn and down an embankment going right through a campground. At this time of the morning kids are waiting for the school bus right where the trail turns so of course they stand right in front of the AT turn blaze (probably on purpose is my guess) so I don't see it and continue along the highway. Within 100' I notice there are no White Blazes meaning this is not the trail, about that time the bus comes and the kids get on. Checking my AT trail app on my iPhone I see where the trail went so I walked back and since the kids had left I could plainly see the turn blaze, so it was going to that kind of day.  Of course it's uphill for 9+ miles going up 2077', then a quick down of 600' in a half mile only to go back up 600' in 1 mile. From there I dropped 1322' over 4 miles. Then it was back up 1436' over 6+ miles and home for the night Little Laurel Shelter. But that is only the trail, two other things need mentioning. I was looking to a great day of hiking and it started out that way. The sun was shining, temps around 60*, forecast was for a brief thunderstorm around noon. That ain't what happened.  Yes the sun was out and everything seemed fine as I climbed the mountain. (If I have said it before please forgive me but it warrants repeating, I Hate Roots, Big Roots, Small Roots, Wet Roots, Dry Roots, New Roots, Old Roots, even Dead Roots just laying next to the trail grabbing and holding on to my hiking poles, Any Roots, I Hate Roots) About 3 hours in my left achilles tendon started telling me it had problems. Soon I felt like my left foot and lower leg were in a cast and I was dragging it up the trail. If that wasn't enough it started to rain and the temps started to take a dive. It stayed that way for about 1 hr and then got worst. Temps now in the lower 40's, rain much harder and the wind really started blowing, I'm guessing 20-30mph. At 11 miles in I come to the Spring Mountain Shelter. I stopped in to get out of the wind & rain, have lunch, give my left foot a rest and start taking Advil.  It was only 12:15 but the nasty weather had me considering staying there for the night since there were only 2 of us there and it only holds 5.  After resting for 45 minutes I felt much better, my leg felt better, the weather I felt would let up so a couple more Advil and off I went down the trail.  It never let up only got much worse. When, 8.6 miles later, I got to the Little Laurel Shelter (4:45) it was already full so it was tent time once again, only this time I would be setting up in a storm. I worked quickly and had it up in record time, only I forgot that last time I used my tent was 14 days ago and it was wet when I rolled it up and I had forgot to open it up during the sunny days In Hot Springs, so it smelled quite damp and a little stinky and I had to sleep in there, O Well that's the way it goes I'll get over it.  Since now that I've stopped hiking and hiked all day in my shorts, I'm wet and getting quite cold so now I have to move fast and get dry warm clothes but first, get water so I can make dinner. Then it was get in the tent and get warm. I ate dinner, actually 2 dinners,  in my tent and worked on this journal waiting for the rain to let up so I can hang my food bag without getting my dry clothes wet. I'm not opening my sleeping until I need it so it wouldn't get damp. I also found out that my new boots I bought in Hot Springs, waterproof boots, aren't. For the very first time my socks are wringing wet, but, my right foot felt fine all day no pain at all. By 9:30 the rain hadn't stopped so it was out into the rain to hang the food bag and do it quickly. Tomorrow will be the first time I have had to put on cold wet clothes, o joy I can't wait.  Tonight I  am  absolutely miserable.Total miles today 20.