[at-l] "And, another one bites the dust...."

[AThiker at smithville.net (Felix)]

The day after the day I call the best day of my life (5 years ago day before yesterday)I hiked to the Fontana Dam. I hitched a ride to the motel with a guy who was stoned. The ride would have been scary enough without the added element of drugs in the veins. I made it. It was Sunday and I wanted to watch NFL football and take a shower. The black and white Philco (I'm serious) wouldn't pick up anything (I'm also serious), so I took showers. Lots of showers. Showers became my hobby.

When the guy that runs the motel dropped me off at the Trail the next
day, five years ago yesterday, it started sprinkling. It soon began pouring, and did the rest of the day. 'twas a miserable day. Ask the group of young boys that were
there with their fathers. I passed them, about 12 in all, in little
groups. They weren't having much fun. I hiked on to Stecoah Gap. I was
very pleased as I began to cross the highway, rain still falling, to see
a large, hairy man emerge from a small, steamy car. 'twas my good buddy
Pittsburgh there to see me, and take me to more showers. (Seperate
showers, mind ya.) After hiking all day with cold water pounding me, I
couldn't wait to spend a few minutes with hot water pounding me.

Pittsburgh and I watched the Steelers get beat on Monday night football. We had a very nice room in Robbinsville, NC (is that right, pittsia?) and it had a nice shower. The next morning (five years ago today) he dropped me off at Stecoah Gap. The day was drizzly, overcast, chilly and uneventful. It was Tuesday. I called my mom from NOC. It's always good to talk to your mom. I took a break at Morgan Shelter and it was dark when I left there for Wesser Bald Shelter. Somewhere in between, it started to snow. Temps were dropping and it was unpleasant. After I got to the shelter, I
walked around in the wind-blown snow, looking for a non-existent privy.
No, I would not have looked had I known it didn't exist. It got very
cold that night. Cold and windy. My sleeping bag had snow on it the next
morning. That will be five years ago tomorrow, however. And, it appears I'll be going to 'thru-hike' the Knobstone Trail starting tomorrow...so, you may not hear from me for a few days...

-- 
Felix Navidad
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/