6/06/01
This morning the rain continued, then stopped as we were packing up to leave. Priceless, Thunderhawk, and Colonel bolted out early, then I finally got going around 9 a.m., leaving Gypsy to bring up the rear on the northward journey. Around 10 a.m. I was cruising down the side of a mountain into Ashby Gap in a deep dark forest. The sky got progressively darker, then the heavens opened and a heavy sustained downpour drenched me for the next half hour. It was so dark I almost took off my pack to retrieve the headlamp to see the trail. Soon the thundershower moved on but I was completely wet, including my boots for the first time since starting the trail at Springer Mountain. I knew this meant trouble, because wet boots mean wet feet and the skin softens. My feet love to blister when the skin is wet, so I sucked it up and kept hiking despite the increasingly painful steps. I stopped for lunch at the Rod Hollow shelter where Gypsy caught up to me. She was struggling too, so we decided to face the "Rollercoaster" together for the afternoon hike. The Rollercoaster is a series of straight ups and downs, 13 peaks to cross in 16 miles. It is famous for its difficulty and it couldn't have been a worse time than for me to have wet feet. Gypsy dragged me along and I pushed her along as we struggled up and down 8 mountains before finally arriving at the Bear's Den hostel around 7:30 p.m. We were both exhausted and wet and smelly, but the sight of the hostel (an old stone building with an immaculate lawn and driveway) rejuvenated our spirits. We checked in and were immediately greeted by a wonderful piece of carrot cake delivered by a trail angel to this awesome PATC hostel. After a hot shower I cooked up a trail dinner in the well-stocked kitchen, then scarfed down a pint of Ben and Jerry's double chocolate brownie ice cream and a half box of butter cookies. The scale in the bathroom registered 155 lbs., so I'm holding steady at 17 lbs. lost despite eating thousands of calories at every meal in towns and at hostels. Interestingly enough, Wingfoot's trail guidebook states that in an average day a thru-hiker burns 5,000 calories while hiking, which is equivalent to the calories burned running two marathons. No wonder I'm hungry all the time. After stuffing my face and spending time talking with Colonel, Gypsy, Terrorist, and Little Thunderhawk it was past 'hiker midnight" (9:00 p.m.) and we all went to bed. It was so nice to be in a warm dry hostel as yet again it rained all night long. Here are today's stats: low 58 degrees, high 72. Rain, then cloudy and fog, then rain. Today's mileage: 18.9; cumulative; 983.7.
