[at-l] AT Hike Report: Day 16

[ARTCLOUTMN at aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@xxxxxxx)]

Monday, 03/24/03            NOC             0 miles today

    Beautiful day.  Visibility is nearly perfect.   Temperature around 65 
degrees.  We did laundry and prepared breakfast using the coffee maker in the 
common room.  We did a little shopping at the outfitters for small stuff.  I 
bought some Esbit tabs as a backup for the Zip stove.  We ate a lot of food.  Took 
a nice nap.  Hung out near the Out Fitter store to talk with hikers.  We 
walked along the road to the convenience store, got picked up by the owner of 
Hiker Inn at Fontana.
    We had another lunch at the River?s End restaurant.  It was only open 
from 11 - 3 because it is too early in the season.  They open full time the first 
weekend in April.   We met Butch Cassidy and his dog Sundance.  Butch is and 
older gentleman who hiked the AT back a few years but because of health 
problems can no longer hike.  So, he does the next best thing for him, provide trail 
magic.  We?ve been seeing packages hanging from trees near road crossings 
left for hikers by Butch.  Today he is helping a young hiker named Cheddar who 
moves fast and long miles each day but is not going to make it into town before 
the office closes.  Butch rented him a bunk in the bunk room.  Sure enough, 
Cheddar came out of the woods about 5:30, 1/2 hour after the office closed.  
Butch gave him his voucher for the bunk.
    We ditched a lot of left over food.  Picked up our mail drop at the Out 
Fitters and talked with hikers near the bench outside.  Some hikers have seen 
Regan about two days back.  
    It was nice to not walk any trail miles today.  Our bodies needed the 
rest.  John seems to have a mild case of tendonitis.  The front of his right 
ankle is swollen.  I hope this will improve over night.  I love taking showers and 
sleeping between sheets. 
    Our room is very nice.  It is a corner room on the top floor.  There is a 
loft with another bed in it.  Suitable for kids or a couple more hikers.  We 
are each using the double beds.  The walls of the room a pine paneled.  The 
panels are set diagonally.  We are in a corner room so we have windows on two 
walls.  We have a balcony that over looks the NOC.  It is a great place to spend 
a couple of days if you have the money.  It would be reasonable for four 
hikers, or more with the loft but a little crowded.  Perfect for two.