I began my Appalachian Trail Adventure March 29, 1992.
My journal from the AT consists of letters written to my children and grandchildren in such a way that they would feel like they were there with me when they read them.
We dropped my first food drop off in Suches then drove up the road I'll be walking down to where the trail comes out and crosses over. Talked to a girl that is on her 3rd day. I wonder just how long it will take me to get there???
I signed in on the hikers register located in Amicalola Falls State Park. The info/visitor center is closed so we had to go up to the lodge to register. I'm wondering where my ride will pick me up? Going to park by the center and wait.
Tomorrow is my start day. I'm really having mixed emotions tonight. Excited about starting the hike, worried that I MUST have too heavy a pack and sad that I must say so long for a while to Dad and wish him a safe trip home. Hope I get a good sleep tonight! This is my first entry in my journal to you about my adventures. Love, Mom.
Came down to the Springer Mt. shelter and it was full and also have 5 or 6 tents including mine.Have a bunch of old-timers here. Sat around their campfire and am hearing many trips have been taken and taken- over and over, must be something to this trail hiking that keeps them doing it over!
I'm just concerned I will stumble with my pack and not be able to get up- ha ha.
Rain is forecast for tomorrow but I hope I don't have to pack in the rain. Gonna snug up in my bag. Temp. is 50 in here at 8:05p.m..
Hiked most of the day with a young fellow. He stayed ahead of me but I'd catch him on the breaks. I just took more of them! Got into the Wolf Mt. shelter before 2p.m.-7.5 mi. today. I'm ready to stop tonight. Four fellows and me in the shelter. 3 tents and a tarp up already. Day-hiker came in and says there are 3 more people on the way. Another large group tonight.
I'm Very tired tonight. Haven't been very hungry-oh well no stove anyhow. At least my water filter pump works. Boy, hard to find a tree to hide behind with everything bare.! ha ha. Three more women came in. It's 3:45 and feels like 7:45!!! Started hiking about 7:30 this a.m. and by 10 a.m. had made it to 3-forks area then slowed. My feet are kinda sore tonight, rubbed on some liniment and gonna use some more. Took a picture of a rattlesnake orchid (fooled you huh?) no flower just plant. More tomorrow---
After I tried my stove and it wouldn't work AGAIN (that's two out of three folks) I "yogied" someone's leftovers and some hot water for some potato cheese stuff. But I couldn't even finish 'em. Just felt sicker.
One of the girls I met along the way (actually at first shelter) shared my tent with me. Kinda nice too 'cause it rained and blew most all night and it was nice to know there was another soul there!
The temp. was down below 40 this morning when we got up and so there I was-sick, sore, tired yet and cold with no urge to eat. I did get some hot water from fellow hikers and have hot jello water. Got a rather late start but it was too cold and wet to get everything packed up very quickly. My pack felt VERY heavy and I felt like a whipped puppy. So I decided when (not IF mind you ) I ever got to Suches I would call one of the hiker friends in the handbook and see if I could get a ride to Neels Gap. Outfitters there will fix your pack and equipment and also do a thorough overhaul of its' contents!! In other words help lighten your load. Also it's a bed and hot shower!!
YEHAW It's called trail magic, I think. About a minute after I saw this beauteous pair of bluebirds, along comes a young couple that had also been at the tent-site and had left MUCH later than I had. Bill took my pack and I took his lighter one. Well, after another hill climb they were waiting at the top and said "here, you take Maggies' pack, she's real light!". So we did another switch , what a difference a pack makes that fits well to say nothing of being light!!
Well we were trudging right along and here comes this fellow practically trotting up the trail towards us saying,"who's the GRAY GHOST? " I said, I'm "GRAY GOOSE and I sure feel like a gray ghost!"
He said he'd been told I needed some help! This was the first day he'd been out hiking in a month and there he was when Ohio Santa (Jim from by Cleve.) told him about me.
Somebody up there is truly watching over me!
Now here I am at the hostel at Neels Gap,
having gotten a ride first to the post office in Suches (got a letter from Jody) to pick up food drop. Feel better after shower. Actually ate and didn't have to choke it down! Have two room deal. Double bed in each. Over on the other side has bunks and all male hikers. Anyway the fellow in the other room is the boy from the Netherlands that we met at Amicalola Park! Well,thinking maybe not actually going to have all 2,144 miles in but better to get off the trail and "regroup" so to speak, than to get really sick and have to stop. It's 7:37 right now and I'm gonna try calling Pops again. Besides, I need his credit card#. Buying a few items to help eliminate a bunch more. Have a box to send home from my pack-lightened it a bit. Not sure yet quite what I'm going to do yet. Have food stuff to pack and need to consider my appetite is not what it will be later so can pack less food. Ahhh- even have a heater in my room and drying my hair over it. After being rained on while hiking and then getting more overnight and then wet and cold too, it really feels wonderful! The sun did come out as I was walking along with that lovely light pack on my back and it was truly beautiful. Oh yah, saw a pilieated woodpecker today. Well, back on with the jacket and out to the phone booth to call home. Oh yes, the outfitter here says "CONSIDER THIS TRAIL AS A SERIES OF 5day HIKES!" Helps to eliminate stuff you don't need to carry lots of and also sounds less overwhelming! Goodnight kids. I sure miss you all. Boy, I'm hard on glasses, lost a screw in my reading glasses already-ha ha. Whoops, somebody beat me to the phone. As I said, I do feel better. Guess I've been pushing a bit more than this Old Gray Gooses' body wants to or can be pushed. The mind is willing but the body says NO!! I guess that comes under learning patience--I knew that would be one I'd encounter! Well again-good night (yes-GOOD)
It's 9:20 and I'm here in the hostel again-bunk side. The people who run this are fantastic! Friendly, helpful, informative, caring hiker helpers!!! I can't say enough nice things about them. I have a lot of things out of my pack to send home to Dad. Had to invest in a new (lightweight!) tent and a couple of goodies for my pack to make it better. Speaking of Better--this Goose may be Old and Gray but she's More Better Today! yah! I was really happy to feel hungry again. It's sounding like the weather is going to get a tad nasty but I should be all set. I still have to see if they got my stove fixed. I sure don't want to have to get another one, this one is so very light. Still trying to think of things I really can do without. Even sent back half my writing tablet. Got tiny little plastic containers for lots of stuff and had some stuff he said I just didn't need -deodorant!. Well, it's 9:31 and I'm pretty tired from the 11 mi. hike. Lots of up and down and on and around rocks. It was pretty awesome. Too bad it was so hazy, I'd have taken a couple more pictures. Anyhow, gonna rub my feet with liniment and go to sleep. Only one other person sitting by flashlight writing in his journal. The other 6 are asleep. (myself and 1 other girl the rest are guys). I told Dad I was in a room with a bunch of brothers! I've met some really fine people on the trail. The first bunch looks like we'll be kinda splitting up. Have some behind now and a few ahead and part will be going further on ahead tomorrow and some are spending another night off the trail and then there is Ann from Columbus , Ohio and myself who probably will only go a short distance tomorrow. So, I guess it's goodnight for today and hopefully I'll write more of my adventures tomorrow. Love and miss you all. Mom.
Boy, it's nippy tonight and windy, 40* in the tent. After we got all the stuff done that we needed to get me ready to hit the trail again this afternoon, Dave (young man that started at Springer with me) popped in and asked when I would be heading out. He wanted to leave with me. That is a real treat, thought for sure I'd be setting up camp all alone. It was after 3:30 when we left so we only came up the trail a mile, to the first tent site (Bull Gap).
Glad it was close as we had to set up our tents and cook supper and hang our food up out of reach of the critters. As soon as the sun went it really started to get cold. We hovered over the map and books and discussed the next few days worth of trail so I guess we are going to stick together as trail partners for awhile. I'm real glad of that 'cause since I've started, I've not been alone and I find that it's real nice. Kinda like a family away from home. It's hard to explain the way we all try to help one another and inquire if anyone knows where they spent the night. It's really been an experience having all this caring help from strangers!
I've had a full measure of trail magic right off the bat. It has been really neat! I couldn't have made it without them and I just can't say enough about the folks at the Walesyi Center. They're fantastic.
Well it's now 7:54. Wind is stronger, leaves are rustling (on the ground) and branches are creaking and I need to put some warm sox on my feet. Ah, better, I've been sitting here in my sleeping bag with my warm clothes on but no sox on my feet! By the way, my new stove worked great. It's quite different from my other one (I mean besides working!). Had a good hot meal of potato cheese thick soup and a Big cup of that good hot chocolate. By the time I get to my next food drop I'll probably be eating like a horse (goose?). My new tent is a lot lighter weight. Still really simple to set up and big enough for me AND my pack. I think it's "airier" but in warmer weather that will be a plus and I think It will do just fine even in nasty stuff. Have a tiny little front vestibule so I can leave my shoes out of the tent but under cover so don't have to dirty my floor!
Well we want to try for an early start tomorrow and see if we can hit the shelter before it's all full and then we'd have to tent it again. Kinda nice not to have to do that Every night. Expect some of the "old crew " to be there tomorrow night. Bill and Maggie got in to the hostel today (that was the couple who switched packs with me) so they may be heading to Low Gap shelter too.
It's 8:15 so gonna close this up and snuggle under (in) my sleeping bag and hope I keep warm all night. I should, I have on 2 long john tops, a wool sweater and my polytec jacket AND a hat, long john bottoms , shorts and warm sox!!! Temp. is down. Not gonna look again. Sleep tight. Love,Mom.
It's the earliest I've gotten to a shelter yet. I must be improving! Let me see, since I actually have some time to write before dark, maybe I can reflect back on this past week (yes, 1 week today!) and share some thoughts with you. To begin with I'm not sure how on earth I managed to get from Springer to Woody Gap with the pack loaded and set up the way it was!! As I look at that, I feel that I should be able to overcome any other problems that come my way. I sure can say that however you may call it - a higher power- a supreme being- the Lord- God or Jehovah-Somebody up there is truly watching over me and putting the people I need in the right spots at the right time. My little bluebird pin is on my jacket and when I saw that beautiful pair of bluebirds just before Maggie and Bill came and swapped packs it really gave me a boost. Helped me remember all the family I've got supporting me. Then, yesterday, after I fell in the mud going down hill (whoops forgot to write that yesterday) there was a dainty little song bird cheering me on and as I thought later on that surely this must be the last UP climb before the shelter , a little MOUSE jumped on the trail and ran across my boot! (ah come on ma, you can do one more hill!). Now, sitting here on this old log trying to stay out of the wind and in the sun, I have a beautiful eastern view of hills and mountains covered with trees and the shadows of the clouds drifting over them and changing the view even tho' it stays the same! I hope it's not cloudy in the morning. The shelter faces the east so the sunrise would be nice to see. I haven't gotten into any set routine yet actually. I'm kinda playing it by ear. I'm really sure I made the right decision to get off the trail at Woody Gap and then go back and hike the 11miles with a day pack. I would have been really sick if I'd have stayed on and tried to hike it with my pack the way it was and not eating and feeling so awful. I KNOW I made the right one about going back and doing the day hike. Really was an ego boost to do the 11 mile in just a hair over 5 1/2 hours. Even having to stop and catch my breath going up the hills. Also, I Know I have to stop and catch my breath With or Without a full backpack. So it doesn't make me feel quite so discouraged when I have to take many breather breaks and go uphill with half steps (goose steps maybe ? ho ho). Slow but sure---one half step at a time!!
When I sit sown for my break I wonder how the "mikkel-men" are doing (the workers at Mikkelsens's Greenhouse where I am on leave from). I think of Mart when I find some of these people hiking with a pack faster than I walk with no pack, she thought I walked fast, ha ha. By the way J.D. your gray ghost thoughts must have drifted down here. Could hardly keep from laughing when the fellow asked Who's the gray ghost!..Is A.J. getting his groceries ok? A walk thru the grocery store with him would be a treat right now--flat and warm! ha ha. Getting cold. Bye for now . Love, Mom.
Forgot to turn my watch back. Must remember now. Had a great day today. Left Blue Mt. shelter about 7a.m. and went the 7.7 mi. to Tray mtn. shelter by 2 p.m.. Felt good. Have met an Ohio girl that travels at about the same pace I do. Nice. Tomorrow I'll get my first taste of hitchhiking into Hiawassee for a "send ahead" food drop. Not on my list but cut weight by half doing that. Ate a big supper tonight. Had my turkey noodle dinner and mashed potatoes with cheese. Have sorta joined that crazy acting group. Guess the 18 yr. old that left today was the really goofy acting one. The rest are really looking out for one another. Even carried my tent the last 30 minutes of today! One of the fellows came back down the trail looking for Jessica (from Ohio) and I to see if he could give us a hand with anything on the last long uphill of the day. Nice of him huh?? Don't know if I'll catch up with them tomorrow night or not. Probably not??? Dave (my young friend) hitched into town today to see if he could phone his dad for $. Well, everything has worked out well so far, so I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. Love you all. Mom.==
and pulled my pack into my tent. I am thinking how nice it would be if I could at least talk to you all! Enough of that. I miss you all. Well, as of tonight I have covered 67.9 mi. of the AT. I'm on my way. Yes. Feeling good. Eating well, but still puffing my way up the hills. Ah yes, I did say I was going to learn patience on this trip! ha ha. I'm wondering if Dad got any pictures back yet?? Hope I can remember to ask him when I call him from Franklin--Probably be there Fri. the 10th. Don't know when I had planned, I brought the wrong sheet! DUH! Am wondering if I put addresses on the post cards I sent out at Neels Gap. Fine time to think of it now.
Well, it's getting cool sitting here with my feet out of my tent. Guess I'll get my stuff all back in my pack (books and paper stuff that is) and get organized for night even if it is still light! Love ya, Mom
p.s.. 8p.m. All snugged in for night. Sounds like it might be a sprinkle or two of rain on my tent. Hmmm wonder if it will?? Hope I am not on a "critter path". Don't really want to listen to the leaves rustling with unknown feet sounds. Will have a hard time keeping imagination under control. ha ha. Well, getting a bit dark to write, especially since I don't have my glasses on. They're in my jacket pocket -in the foot of my sleeping bag!! YIKES, talk about a rush..... I think I have an owl hooting near by. I 'bout raised right up. Thought it was a DOG when it first started! VERY CLOSE. Yes, it's going to be an interesting night!! Wish Pop was here beside me to hear THIS owl-tee hee. Well, guess I'll put this away again and snuggle down for some zz's.. Love, Mom.
oh yah, 1:30 p.m. crossed into N.C. today!
Well, tomorrow is our "hitch" into Franklin. Don't know if the two already in town are going to anchor a room for us or not. Possibly. The young man, Dave, that left for town a few days ago got back on the trail and left a note in the shelter register that he'd have a room and try to make it in tonight. But not me tonight.. It's been so nice to take it easy and enjoy the late afternoon and evening just resting and eating and visiting! Have a nice fire going here in front of the shelter and since it's now 7:40 I must lay out my sleeping bag and pad. Love ya. Mom.
That's Reno and David(Shamrock is his trail name) who met us at the P.O. and myself. The lady who runs the motel is a real sociable gal. She invited me to ride along to her sons' place and the K-mart with her- nice break. After we got signed in and paid our $7.00 each, the fellows came in and got their showers while I stood out or sat actually and visited with Lois. Then the guys left and I got a NICE HOT SHOWER and washed my hair, ahhhh. As I was finishing up on that, the other girl and guy who had hitched down with us came over to see if I'd go to lunch with them. I'd found out where the All You Can Eat Western Sizzler was by then so off we went to enjoy a Big meal. YUM. Came back and went to the laundromat. Spent my dryer money on a can of pop so I'm using the clothes line and pins here. It's a Beautiful sunshiny day here. Must be close to 70 and the only clean thing I had to wear for a top was a wool sweater ha ha . Oh well, the clothes will soon be dry and I'll put a light weight long john top on. Need to write a bunch of post cards tonight and make some phone calls. We need to be over at the other motel by 8:30 a.m. so we can get the shuttle ride back to the trail. It will only be 1 or 2$ apiece with all of us going together. I have to get my clothes down and finish packing up my food in my pack. I had way too much so I've shared with David. Still need to see if someplace has Coleman fuel by the pint. Shoulda checked at K-mart but don't usually see pints. Wonder if regular white gas would work? Hafta check with the Raisin Kid if they are around tonight. Guess I'd better get busy, it's 5:45 already. Day has gone quickly and it's been a nice break but I'll be ready to get back on the trail in the a.m. Love, Mom
Well, got about 1/3 of the way up and listened to the birds wake up and watched the clouds blanket the valleys. There was a large cloud bank over the last tier of hills and I figured it would take too long to wait for the sun so IMPATIENT ME I started back down and of course halfway down, behind the trees, up popped that red ball!!! oh well, it was worth the walk up there anyway just to hear the birds wake up and see how neat it looked so early in the a.m.! Today was sure a LONG day for me. It's not the miles, it's the hills that slow me down so much. I can only do what my "bod" can do and that's Very Slowly uphill. Tomorrow is an 11 mile day to the Nantalahala Outdoor Center/hostel. I guess Julie is going to get a spot for me 'cause if I do my usual I'll be the last one in and it'll probably be filled up by then. It's amazing the amount of people there are out here on the trail! This is a little bit smaller shelter than we've been in-we've had 8 lined up side by side but only 6 fit in this one with one across the front! There are at least 4 tents or /and tarps out and about also. It's a tree squat place with darn few to hide behind. Well, I'm sitting here on my sleeping bag in the shelter and it's getting kinda dark in here. Still light outside but gonna go find a tree then rub my feet and ankles and knees with liniment! Love ya, Mom.
picture looking back down at the river..Monday 4-13Tomorrow we start into the Great Smokey Mt. National Park.
Told Julie goodbye this a.m. It was sad to see her leave and know I wouldn't be seeing her tonight. I expect after she leaves for her week in June she'll catch up to me again. She and Jessica are very strong hikers. Guess I'll have to check my book again and rearrange my probable stops I have checked to make sure I get thru this section in 10 days (or less?) Just have to see what happens and take it one day at a time. More tonight, Love, Mom.
It was a great view all around from up there. Didn't think I needed to go up the two flights left, ho ho. I must be nuts to take a break and do that huh? Sat up there eating a slim jim and looking around , a nice breeze and sunshine too! Worth the climb.There was a lady and boy (well, he is 21 today) here that left from Fontana Shelter this a.m. They said they were heading here. Also Mr. Blister and Lone Fox (17 year old boy from Canada) were also here. Sleeping when I arrived. They were not feeling too well when they left this a.m.. but was surprised to see them here. I was really getting hungry around 3:30 so I fixed my supper early. I had those ramen noodles thickened with just a little instant potatoes and then I threw in some oleo and heated up a hunk of that "plum pudding" and THEN I boiled up some more water and made coffee-so- no pan to wash now. I have filtered my two quarts of water to carry tomorrow so am just boiling the water to cook with. I may even take time in the morning to cook breakfast again. Have to check my book to see how far I'll try for tomorrow. I really do want to try to be in Hot Springs in 10 days. That way I get to talk to Pops before he takes his fun trip.
Oh, I have been reading in the shelter registers a Bill, Kay and Billy! Today they came in here. Neat huh? They are pretty low mileage per. day folks they say. It did seem nice to stop hiking early in the day. Makes it much more enjoyable! I'm at my first "bear proof" shelter. It's pretty neat looking. Built out of stone and kind of into a bank. Has a stone chimney, small fireplace inside.
whoops, here comes a rain shower. It has a tin roof! A link fence wire front with heavy chain and snap to keep the door shut. And the mice don't even wait for dark to play around inside. Ha ha , bold little critters , wonder what they'll do AFTER dark?? We now have sun with our shower. Oh yah, shelter has 2 "shelves" that probably hold 12 or 14 sleepers. Guess I'll take a picture of it so you can check it out.
That's all for today. Love you lots and really miss you. Mom.
I took a picture of it-of course. ha ha. Well, tomorrow will be a little longer day. Have a couple of options so not sure exactly yet where I'll end up. Depends on time and how tired I am which one I stop at. It's going on 8p.m. and I'm sitting outside and getting chilly. Oh yes, we had a couple of deer mosey thru the door yard. No, no picture 'cause the camera was in the shelter! Going in, burr. Love, Mom.
Sure do miss you all! I ended up at the 2nd out of 3 shelters. 11.4 miles. Got here about 6p.m. Was definitely ready to stop. Good thing too, 'cause it started to rain not too long after I got here. A Sierra Club bunch from Cincinnati, Ohio is here and also Damascus is here. The boy that was hiking with her went on ahead so we are going to more or less hike together for a while. Sounds good to me. Had some really hard wind today. Actually had it push me off the path a couple of times. Hey, I was on Rocky Top, Tenn.. Actually have been back and forth the Tenn. and N.C. lines today and never quite sure which state I was in. I stopped at the first shelter at 1:15 and had lunch. Took me 5 hours for that first 6.5 miles or so. I am just glad I was able to do the 11.4 to day even tho' my goal was for the next one . That is probably a tad less than 2 miles further BUT my body said Sorry, you need to stop NOW! The mice are very bold in these stone shelters. I'm up on the top shelf again and my pack and boots are beside me (not a full house) and the little critter was IN my boot. It's damp and windy out there tonight and feels good sitting here in my sleeping bag with my wool sweater on. There is a large space (like 5 inches) between the roof and the top log so we are well vented with that in back and the open (well, with bear wire) in the front but the roof doesn't leak and the sides are solid and I'm sure glad I'm in here! Boy, Very active mice!! I sure do miss all of you. I think about you as I'm struggling up the hills and feel your hugs and kisses! Really do miss Pops a lot! If it's still raining in the morning, Damascus and I are Not going to leave. Different if it starts After you're out there but just don't like the sound of starting out in NASTY,WINDY,RAINY, weather. The rain on this tin roof should make good sleeping tonight. That is if it doesn't get too loud ha ha. Got the camera out for a mouse picture but they are not co-operating. Guess I'll put this away and try to sleep. Love you all Very much. Mom.
That is the highest point on the AT at 6,643 feet. It was all fog and clouds so didn't have a great view that could have been. Had a deer trot across the trail in front of me and kicked up a grouse earlier. Met some people sight seeing and one boy said the mountains are ugly and I should be home taking vacation. The man with him said "she is on vacation" and the boy says "too dangerous!" Mileage wise it was a short day but walking up-hill wise I was ready to stop. Did get rained on just a little, more like sprinkled on. After I got to the shelter and walked to the spring (long walk) and got supper and all cozy it rained pretty hard. Right now it's almost 8p.m. and it is not raining or windy. The weather forecast does not sound promising. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what the a.m. brings. The boy that had been with Damascus is back with her but we still will be stopping at the same shelters for a while anyway. (He's Peanutbutter Maverick) Nice meeting up with a gal my age. OK so she's a year younger ha ha. Anyway, it was a heck of a climb today. I really had to take a lot of breaks. You'd think my cardio-vascular system would be more co-operative by now. But, I just have to so slowly and be thankful that I CAN do it. It has been a pretty good day even with the "puff and pound" hill climbing. Tonight seems to be an early to bed night. An older couple and older fellow are down on the bottom all tucked in for "nite-nite" ,he asked for chit-chat to cease. tee heee. A couple of young fellows came a short time ago and they are trying very hard to make up their beds here on top Quietly and that is almost impossible. Oh well, such is life in the shelter. Life is Good. Love, Mom.
We went over to the other side and checked the view. Really neat 'cause the clouds were cleared up and the air was really clear and you could see a long way. We only (I say only?) have another 3 miles (uphill yet) to get to the shelter but it was so beautiful I didn't mind. I took a good "view shot" part way up the hill. Had some wrens or warblers or some kind of beauteous birds escorting us uphill and up overhead were three large dark birds. I don't know what they were for sure but they sounded just like the Eagles in the movies so, I'm just thinking Maybe they were? We got here to this shelter and proceeded to hang up our sox and shirts to try and dry out some. Pretty hard to keep dry feet when the trail looks more like a creek bed than a path!! I hope my boots dry by Hot springs. I may have to invest in some water proofer. I was thinking that Hot Springs was right after we got thru the Smokies but it's yet another 3 days. We passed our 200 mile mark today!!! How 'bout that. All in all, today was a very good day. I'm now snuggled in my sleeping (well, my bottom half is). Had Reno come in and also a young couple so there are 6 of us here. Looks like the roof leaks lots so a good thing nobody needs to occupy the upper shelf. We have plastic spread out up there so if it rains we won't get wet on the bottom shelf. Hoping for a nice day tomorrow as there are a couple places that should have good views. Hope to check 'em out on our way to our next shelter. By the way, this shelter is supposed to have resident skunks-Elvis and Pricilla. The shelter last night had squirrels that entertained us during the daylight hours. Sure hope it's not raining in the a.m.. We want to try for about 12 miles tomorrow. Well, it's kind of cool around the edges here so I'm gonna close this for tonight and put some liniment on the old feet. Love ya all, Mom.
Stopped at "Charleys Bunnion" to check out the view. Wonderful! When Pop gets the pictures from today there should be one of me up on it. We had several places along the trail that had just outstanding views. Even tho' we came 12.6 miles today and my feet and legs felt like "pinocchio" when I finally got to the shelter it was an outstanding day! I can't say more than that. Love ya all very much, Mom.
Free food today. 11 miles today. Damascus and Maverick only went ahead of me the last 1/2 mile or so and when they got here to the shelter there was room for two if people squeezed over so, they left Reno and I at this shelter and they went on. If I expect to get to Hot Springs tomorrow that means a 15 mile day. Finally got warmed up and a bunch of us pooled our food and made a big pot of "stuff" for supper. They had a nice big fire here so really enjoyed standing out there after the snow stopped. Well, I made it thru the National Park without getting snowed on but did get a good enough dose of it today. Hope it is cleared up tomorrow. Really don't want to hike in nasty weather for a long days hike. Almost 8:30p.m. Using Reno's light, mine finally gave up. Hope to get this mailed Tue. Even if I can make it in to town Mon. Love Mom.
Stopped for a break by a quiet little pond that had a couple of fellows fishing. Yes, they actually were catching fish. Not sure what kind. Must be a popular place. Had benches here and there around it. Got here to the shelter around 3:30. Nice to arrive kinda early and not have to hurry around doing stuff to get ready to eat. It's a little after 6p.m. now and there are 5 of us here. 3 females and 2 males. Wow, what a switch! It feels as tho it's going to be a cool night. The sun is fading and there is a breeze, a cool one, so it will be nice to crawl into my cozy sleeping bag. This shelter even has a picnic table, hooray, and a spring that is piped and I don't have to filter it. And a privy with no roof that looked like a throne! ha ha. The trail register says this shelter also has MICE. Lots of mice. Someone wrote they were from BandB circus. They jump very high to reach your food bag and also bungee jump! ha ha .. Another one wrote -the mice hold a 5,000 mile road rally between the double roof- starting at sundown and going till dawn! Gee, sounds like I should have earplugs and a metal food box for this one. Well, I can't find my spatula. The only thing I can think is that it fell out when I was repacking at the hostel. Boy, only used it twice and it was light weight and metal too. Bummer. Maybe I can find a Cheap one in the next town. My bannock pancakes go good with supper. Bread and butter, only better. Borrowed a flipper tonight. Not sure how far I'm going tomorrow. It depends on how I feel and what time it is when I get to the next shelter whether I go on to the next one or not. Well, guess I'll get my stuff put away here and start thinking about getting warm and out of the breeze. Love you, Mom.