[at-l] Re: fw: this just in-- barefoot sisters shoe-blaze GSMNP!

[Slyatpct@aol.com (Slyatpct@aol.com)]

If I had a foot fetish, these are the feet I'd like to meet!



>      Hi everyone -- this is jackrabbit the nobo checking in. I hope you are 
> all well, and that you're managing to stay warm, dry, well-fed, and happy, 
> wherever you may be. At the moment I've got all four covered, so I'm happy 
> as a clam.
>     Our northbound hike has been an interesting experience so far. In many 
> ways, it's been a lonely hike. We've met a lot of really great people, but 
> right now we are moving much faster than most of the pack (12-20 miles a 
> day, trying to average about 13 including town stops). Hopefuly this will 
> change when other hikers get their trail legs under them, but for now it's 
> meant that almost every day on the trail brings a new set of 
> "goodbye-for-now"s. We've also been camping out a lot when the weather 
> looks 
> good, so we're not as much a part of the shelter social scene as we were on 
> the southbound leg of our journey.
>      The weather has not been as great as we could have hoped for. We got 
> absolutely dumped on our first day out, and we've had four or five days of 
> pouring rain since then. The first day of Spring greeted us with 10" of 
> snow 
> on the ridgetops. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that we were 
> sleeping 
> in the Wayah Bald fire tower. We woke up with about 4" of the snow on top 
> of 
> us, because we had been in such denial about the possibility of snow that 
> we 
> hadn't even put a tarp over the door! We've also had to "shoe-blaze" part 
> of 
> the Nantahalas and the Smokies, because our feet just can't handle deep 
> snow 
> or ice. We have had some great times going north as well, though; enough to 
> more than make up for the hardships of starting this early in the season.
>      Our first town stop was in Hiawasee, and we stayed at the Blueberry 
> Patch for 2 nights, meeting a fun crowd of fellow nobos and enjoying Gary's 
> marvelous breakfasts. We slacked from Unicoi Gap to Dick's Creek Gap during 
> the day. It was good to be actually slacking! (On our southbound hike, we 
> carried full packs over that section while attempting to keep up with some 
> friends who were slacking. We made it to the shuttle almost on time, but my 
> knees haven't let me forget that day yet!)
>      We took a zero day at the Tellico Gap Hostel to dry out and get out of 
> the snow, and it was one of the best stops we've had along the trail. Ron, 
> the hostel manager, is a triple crowner. He reminded me of a young Rusty in 
> some ways -- he was so knowledgable, friendly, and unassuming. Isis, Ron, 
> two fellow nobos, and I sat by the woodstove and talked all day long. The 
> conversation ranged from deep intellectual discussions to the usual silly 
> hiker banter. By the end of the day, it felt like we had all known 
> eachother 
> for years. That's one of the things I love about the trail-- the way people 
> who would hardly exchange two words in "real life" can connect almost 
> instantly and relate to eachother. It reminds me of the common human bond 
> we 
> all share.
>      Right now we are staying with friends of friends near Cherokee. 
> Another 
> instance of trail serendipity-- we met a young couple named Luna and 
> Six-string on our second day in the Smokies. They really cheered me up when 
> I was having a hard time. It was bitterly cold in the mountains -- back 
> down 
> into the single digits -- and it looked just as frozen and forbidding as 
> the 
> last time we hiked through. The sky was crystal-clear and the views were 
> terrific, but I was having a really hard time. We were carrying what would 
> have been enough food for a warmer season, but it wasn't enough to keep me 
> happy in the cold. I just had no energy. On top of Rockytop, I just about 
> collapsed in the middle of the day. I felt like I couldn't go on, as though 
> I'd given the trail every ounce of strength I had and it could never be 
> enough. I felt beaten. If there had been a Greyhound station on Rockytop, I 
> would be in Maine right now. But as I leaned against a rock, savoring my 
> last handful of gorp for the day, Luna and Six-string came up and started 
> singing "Rockytop." They know all the verses, and the song was so hilarious 
> it lifted my spirits immensely. We hiked together for the rest of the day, 
> trading stories and songs, and the miles seemed to fly past.
>      When we got to Newfound Gap, we heard from people in the parking lot 
> that another storm was moving in. We decided to hitch down to Cherokee and 
> look for a place to stay. Luna and Six-string called some friends in the 
> area, and they offered us crash space. So we are warm, dry, and well-fed, 
> and eternally grateful, once again, to people who were strangers just a day 
> ago. I hope that some day we will be able to repay the kindness that has 
> been given to us on the trail, and pass on the magic.
>      Good luck to all of you, and may your journeys be safe and full of 
> good 
> surprises at every turn.
>      Peace -- jackrabbit




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