Day 38: Rice Gap stealth camp to Sam's Gap

3.5 miles

Good news: my tent kept me dry.
Bad news: Peepaw, Rooster, and Rabbit are sick.

I really hate breaking down camp in the rain. I have a waterproof stuff sack for my tent, so a soaking wet tent does not get everything else in my backpack wet, but it is still a disgusting mess. Hiked in the rain and the fog. Of course OWL was ready way before me and left.

For whatever reason I had a really hard time with the hike today. I know the weather has a lot to do with it, but I was just exhausted from the almost 17-mile hike the day before, I was frustrated with not being able to keep up with OWL, and I wanted to go home. Called AWE when I had service and she reminded me that the "Appalachian Trials" book says - if you are considering going home, get off the trail as soon as possible and get into town to relax. So, I did.

I hiked to Sam's Gap, There was trail magic! And the legendary Miss Janet was there, to shuttle the sick boys to Erwin and some others to a hostel in the mountains. I asked if there was room for me in the shuttle, and she said "why don't you go enjoy the breakfast by Quiet Paul, and I'll come back after dropping these guys off to get you".

Quiet Paul has thru hiked twice - once in 2007 (NOBO) and once in 2009 (SOBO). Quite a story - he owned a business, and one of his employees came to him and asked if his job was secure because he wanted to buy a house. Paul said yes - your job is secure - no problem. And then the market tanked and there wasn't any work. So rather than lay people off, Paul took himself off the payroll and hiked the AT. When he got back, they had won a majority of the jobs they had bid and business was great. What a super guy.

He was cooking eggs and hashbrowns, and had sodas, muffins, and chocolate chip cookies. I ate my share, and sat on the hillside as the sun came out. Paul said that there was someone a few days ago who got off the trail and everyone was like, "oh that's so sad!". I almost cried right there, sitting on that hillside in the sun.

When I called AWE, P. (her mom) talked to me for a minute. She said she knew what it was like to be physically weaker and slower than others. But that she was stronger in other ways, and that when she did complete something physical she had a great deal of pride in doing it. Said I was the strongest of anyone in her circle and she knew I could do it, but I had to do it in my own time and she loved me no matter what I decided.

Just when I thought Miss Janet had forgotten about me, she showed back up with Peepaw and Rooster still in tow. She is a true angel of the trail - took us to the outfitters (to pick up maildrops) and then the grocery store and then bp and then the other grocery store and then to the post office and then to the super 8 and finally, to the holiday inn.

I talked with her just a bit. She is going to slackpack me tomorrow so I can stay on track with OWL. When I told her about having trouble keeping up with OWL she said - yeah, doing the AT as a partnership is hard. She asked if I was prepared to do it on my own - I said yes, but I didn't really want to. She said - if you're going to quit make sure you decide to quit on a beautiful day on top of the mountain.

So this I promise: If I decide to quit, I will do it on a beautiful day on top of a mountain.

I felt so much better just talking with her about it. I *hate* being on a tight schedule and feeling like we are so far behind (although, the reason we are behind is because we got stuck in Fontana for 4 days). I am so stressed out every day, wondering if I am going to make it. Knowing how hard I try, OWL is faster at getting ready, faster at walking, faster at everything. I will never be faster. I will always fail.

Except that, I am not failing. I am hiking the Appalachian Trail! I have hiked over 300 miles so far and I am still going. I am stronger every day, even if I don't feel like it going up these hills. I am stubborn. I can do this.

The trail always gives me what I need..

I need to talk with OWL about how my body is telling me to slow down. To take it easy. To enjoy my hike. I want to take breaks during the day instead of eating snacks on the run. I want to meditate every day, like I did at home. I don't want to worry about being behind. I mean, I am on vacation! No one is paying me to be out here.

And so now I sit in the Holiday Inn Express laundry room, waiting my turn.

Day 36: Spring Mountain Shelter to Blackstaff Cliffs campsite

11.9 miles

Another long day, as has become the norm. Left camp by 8:30am. Hiked uphill (how am I still so miserably slow on uphills?). It was so hot - and my shorts are in Erwin - so I stripped down to my compression shorts and was very comfortable. Sorry, fellow hikers.

Got to the Little Laurel Shelter and saw a note about the hiker virus: "puke and feces everywhere in and near the shelter". Yeah...not going anywhere near that place. The forest service had issued an alert that norovirus was affecting hikers between Hot Springs and Erwin, and that hikers should avoid the shelters, privys, and (generally) all contact. There were all sorts of hiker rumors about people getting sick left and right. So we got water (and treated it, as usual), and ate lunch nearby with Goat, BearCub, and Sriacha (who is on his second bottle).

OWL called with a surprise - the forest service had closed the trail a few miles before the Jerry's Cabin shelter (our destination for the night), and was shuttling people around to Big Butt Mountain. I didn't ask why - assumed it was because of the hiker virus. So after a leisurely lunch we had to hike hard to get to the shuttle point.

We got to the Jones Meadow campsite and I was surprised to see so many people there. They said that the trail was closed due to a controlled burn, and that the FS was allowing people to camp right where they closed the trail but there wasn't any water. They also said that the FS *was* running shuttles around, but that you had to hike 5 miles up Big Butt Mountain to return to the AT.

That didn't sound like much fun, but I wanted to catch up to OWL. So I loaded my 3L nalgene water carrier, and my 2L camelback, and my 1L nalgene...yes, 6L of water at 2.4lbs per L...and started the 1.5 mile hike. Got to a trail intersection and saw a walkie talkie on the ground. So I stopped and waited for a few minutes - sure enough a ranger came by and said the trail was closed. They actually brought up a bunch of water for the folks who were camped there...ah well, I would rather be prepared (with extra water for my friends) than dependent on the kindness of rangers.

Set up camp next to OWL, Old Goat, M80 (who received his name when he threw a firecracker at a bear...the bear dropped his food bag and ran away), his wife Trooper, and their dog Willow. Took forever to eat my dinner...I wasn't very hungry but food is fuel. Had a celebratory nip of scotch for our 300 mile mark. Watched the sunset and went to sleep.