a winning horse
a tidy Mexican divorce
St. Mary's prayers
Houdini's Hands
and a Barman who always
understands
Hey guys!
Been about five days since my last post! I'm here in Erwin, Tennessee ('scuse me if I spelled that wrong, I'm on internet explorer and spell check isn't built-in-- so again, forgive any mispellings you might come across in this post).
I left Hot Springs on Saturday and it was a long climb up-- being the second zero day I've taken on the trail, it's become very apparent that the climbs after a zero day can be enfuriatingly difficult. About half way up, it started to rain. Fozzie, Bridgette (lady forward) and I were hiking together and we had to all put on our rain gear. I stayed dry, thankfully, at least for that day. We met up with Phil and Sam for about an hour and then they went off on their own path shortly after. I found out they relaxed back once the rain picked up and they hammocked by a lake we came across (the first real lake of the trail I suppose).
When we got to our first campsite at Spring mountain shelter, it was full-up already. It only slept five and shelters feel very quickly in the rain. I had to tent and I wasn't fond of it. Tents are great for repelling water but it must be remembered i'm out for three days or more at a time before the next town an drying out can be exceptionally tough. I met up with Pork Chop, a girl who I hadn't seen since my second day out on the trail and she was moving along quite well! I slept well, my tent didn't get wet but I woke up to some cold weather.
The day progressed to get cooler on Sunday until we came to Jerry mountain shelter where it was just too cold to go on-- it kept raining too. I got to Jerry cabin shelter and was frigid-- I couldn't even walk without shaking like a leaf. I got into the shelter which was of course full by 3:00 and was about to sleep under the sleeping spot when a guy named Pops from New jersey told me I should watch for snakes. He sounded like a mixture of Yogi bear and Fred Flinstone-- perhaps their love child...
I had to tent and while I was setting up my tent, my poor arms shook like linguini to the point I couldn't get my tent stakes into their respective spots. After much mental agony as well, I managed to get my tent up, I crawled inside, took off my shorts (which aren't rainproof and proved very cold), climbed into my wet sleeping bag and proceeded to sleep from 5pm to about 10am the next morning.
Through the course of the night it got much colder, I didn't realize the extent of the cold until I found the rain had stopped and in it's place, we had snow and hail. I woke up and my tent was covered in snow, the inner lining was frosty from condensation and my shorts and rain jacket were frozen solid. Fozzie left that morning and i would have gone but i was just too cold to go on.
Bridgette and i stayed at the shelter, unfortunately pops was still there and he liked to talk the entire time. I dealt with his constant yammering and found space in the shelter. Through the day, I talked to Bridgette more and found I had a bit of a crush on her-- she liked the same shows as me, she was cute and fun and quirky, there was just so much to like about her. I wasn't sleeping by her though so I needed a good excuse to get nearer to her for the night. A section hiker came in and said that it was supposed to get down too the teens that night and I told bridgette I was sleeping by her and snuggling. We laughed over it but I did get to wind up sleeping next to her. Maybe it is silly but I felt great that night laying next to someone who was a great friend and her warm personality made me feel a great deal better. I'm thankful for getting to know her that day.
We had a fire going and everything got unthawed and dried out. I zeroed at Jerry Cabin and then left bright and early in the cold on Monday morning. It was again exceptionally chilly and everything on Big Butt Mountain (yes, that's what it is called) was frozen solid still. I stopped to take a shit a few hours in and I didn't choose a good spot as some guy saw me. How embarassing!
I made it to Devil Fork Gap and everything was warm and sunny-- the plants were still alive there and everything looked fine. I saw a guy I call Tom Petty (he goes by Byline as he was a journalist) and he told me Fozzie was close behind-- he had hitchhiked out of Devil Fork Gap and gone to the super 8 motel in Erwin that night. Fozzie caught up with me and I was very glad to see him. We hiked together, meaning he kept my slow pace and we made it along the mountains to Sams Gap at the end of the day. The day had it's problems though, most notably snow. It would be sunny one minute, ten minutes later we would have horrific snow and ice storms and I had to keep pulling on and off my rain jacket. One time was especially severe and it was a whiteout for ten minutes-- by the time I got my rain gear on, the storm stopped dead and the sun came out. This happened at least five times during the day, it was wacky. towards the evening it began to rain. We found ourselves at Sam's Gap having covered 17 miles that day before 3pm and we wound up sleeping under I-26 under the underpass at the top of the ramp. Honeybadger, a guy who was in the army and is now a thru-hiker, wound up joining us.
Interesting side note, we tried hitchhiking into a spot called Wolf Creek Market and little Creek Cafe about 3 miles away from the trail. Fozzie stuck his thumb out and a state trooper passed by and said he didn't have room, he came back a few minutes later and took fozzie in to the gas station where he got me two chicken sandwiches. I normally wouldn't eat them but I have quite an apetite now and they hit the spot. Cheers, Fozzie!
Bridgette passed by during this and thought we were in trouble and she didnt' say much to me, I suppose my heart is too soft but I interpreted that she didn't like me anymore or was mad at me-- she was just afraid of the state trooper.
We slept under the underpass and i got a great night's rest out of the rain. It was a cool night but I kept myself occupied reading The Three Musketeers for a while-- beautiful tale of adventure, it always keeps me occupied. I slept well but I woke up from a semi driving over the bridge and thought it was a Hagraven from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim-- I had to pull out of my mummy sleeping bag quickly and found it was not anything but a semi truck driving over a bridge.
My dreams on the trail are often strange-- i won't hazard exaggerating by saying I have at least 5 dreams a night, I wake up often and the morning sometimes seems to come too soon.
In the morning, I was getting ready to leave when my wedding ring fell out of my pocket (I haven't worn it) and it rolled down the bridge ramp on the interstate and out of sight. I searched for it, a bit apathetic, for ten minutes and Fozzie told me it was a sign. Strange to note it was exactly one month ago on the 25th that I last saw Jess, so what a strange way to mark that anniversary by losing my wedding ring! I found the ring three inches away from the drainage pipe, picked it up and put it in a more secure pocket. Fozzie, honeybadger and I headed on to little creek cafe and walked most of the way-- got a ride about .2 miles to the diner after we had already walked quite far. I had a great breakfast, resupplied at the gas station and then was off on my way to Spivey Gap-- we stayed there last night and had a decent day without rain. Once i had my tent set up, it started to rain though (thankfully I didn't get wet at all for the night). I had trouble getting to sleep, knowing I'd be in Erwin soon and I was excited to be getting in miles after my zero day back on Sunday-- perhaps it was the caffeine and chocolate I had during the day but I was way too pumped to sleep. Eventually sleep came but it was well past 10 when it did. I got up bright and early this morning and hiked for two hours before it started to thunderstorm. Hiking in thunderstorms can be scary but I really wasn't terrified-- I just kept going on my own, stayed along the high bushes and avoided exposed ridgeline as much as possible. The trail into Erwin was a fun descent, got in around 12 and immediately got a ride from a man in a red truck to Pizza Plus for their all you can eat buffet (also saw Bridgette at Nolichucky's hostel). I ate 16 pieces of pizza, a salad and a few cinnamon stick things and soon Fozzie and Phil joined me-- also a redhead I found quite attractive. I told her my story on Jess as she overheard me talking to Fozzie and Phil, she listened to all of it and congratulated me on doing something for myself. I talked to Jess on the phone, she talked about money and her woes back home and I felt indifferent-- just found myself asking why I had even called her. Left Pizza Plus soon after but the redhead is still on my mind... I wish more girls were like her.
Fozzie and Phil and I were going to super 8 to get a room but it wound up being 80$, I had to tell them I didn't have enough for it, even split three ways, so now I'm at the library deciding what to do next-- I think I'll try the shelter about 5 miles up the trail, just need to get out of Erwin and on my way. Might make a stop at subway for something to keep in my pack for supper but honestly I just need to resupply at IGA and get on. :p
Thanks for reading-- hope you all are well!
"
I teach selfishness. I want you to be, first, your own flowering. Yes, it will appear as selfishness; I have no objection to that appearance; it is okay with me. But is the rose selfish when it blossoms? Is the lotus selfish when it blossoms? Is the sun selfish when it shines? Why should you be worried about selfishness?
You are born - birth is only an opportunity, just a beginning, not an end. You have to flower. Your first and foremost responsibility is to blossom, to become fully conscious, aware, alert; and in that consciousness you will be able to see what you can share, how you can solve problems.
Excerpt from "The Book of Understanding" by OSHO.
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