Date: 2010-05-09
From: Braemar Castle Hostel

To: Braemar Castle Hostel
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

09 May 2010, Braemar Castle Hostel   When we got up this morning Bismarck was not feeling good so he decided not to do the slack pack with us. Chicken Feathers and I were the only ones doing the southbound slack pack. It was very chilly when we got out of the car. Reverend offered a stocking cap to Chicken Feathers and a rain coat to me for extra warmth. We both accepted and we did not regret it one bit later. It got very cold with the wind blowing across the ridge. We were walking along the ridgeline most of the day. We picked up the pace to try to raise our body temps. I just could not keep my hands warm enough; they were on the verge of feeling numb. What I would have given for a pair of gloves. We made the first shelter after 4.6 miles I signed the registry and told Chicken Feathers I could not stop because I had to keep moving and pick up the pace because I was too cold. I left the shelter in almost a jog. I still could not manage to get warm. I was really starting to worry. My body was warm but I could not get any warmth in my hands. I would tuck my hiking polls under my right arm and hold my hands together to try to get them warm. That helped a little but not much. I finally started to warm up when the sun came out around 11 am.   I passed many people heading northbound that I knew and did not know. Those I knew were, Core Girl, Seven D's, G-Hippie, Natures Own, Noah, Buzz, Skywalker.   We passed by the Nick Grindstaff monument in the morning. From what we heard was this guy tried to make it out west with no luck and came to these mountains to end up as a hermit. He was well visited though and it would look as though he was liked because they spent the time to make a monument for him and bury him out in the middle of nowhere.   I passed Core Girl and Seven D's about 15 minutes apart and they related the same story about a raccoon that got into everyone's stuff at the shelter last night. They did not realize it was getting into their things until it knocked over a pot and woke someone up. When they found out they all started chasing the raccoon around except Core Girl because it had stolen one of her crocks. She said it was funny watching everyone chase the raccoon. They did manage to get all their stuff back.   I stopped to take a break at Watauga Dam and have a snack. While I was there Zendog came up and started talking to me. He had thru hiked once before and was hiking again this year but did not know if he was going to thru or not. He was just hiking until he got tired and if he thru hiked then so be it.   I also ran into Phil from Maine. I knew Phil before I left and we met and exchanged a lot of emails. He had previously thru hiked the AT in 1978 (I think). He was using the same pack he used back then and it was humongous, I wished I had taken a picture of it. We chatted for a brief couple of minutes. I could not chat for too long because I was still too cold and he stated that he was doing 30 mile days and was trying to make it to Damascus today.    While at Watauga Dam I was taking a break at the dam and Zendog stopped and talked to me. He said he through hiked last year and was out hiking this year. He said he was not planning a thru hike this year but if it turned into one then so be it. He also talked to me about eating and nutrition, he was a vegetarian and when off about that. He warned me about some local kids hanging around the lake with guns that seems to be the skin head type of people and to be careful. When I got to the lake I saw the people he was referring to. As I was walking one of then started walking up behind me and I felt a little nervous and picked up my pace and was soon out of site of them and the guy that was behind me.   I ran into Buttercup and Red Oak just before the shelter today.   I ran into Skywalker today at Watauga Lake. I had heard that he was hiking the AT again. He is over six feet tall and he wrote a book about his first thru hike. He is in the process of writing another book now about being tall. He told me that he was not thru hiking this year and was just doing sections.   Reverend was making a run to Johnson City, TN to take Paco to the bus station. Paco had enough and was getting off the trail. Reverend asked if we wanted to tag along and get a bite to eat at one of the restaurants. We told him if they had a Golden Coral that would be great. We found a Golden Coral and pigged out. They have an all you can eat buffet and they had steaks to order tonight. We struck gold.