[at-l] DAY ONE...

[yugrekih at yahoo.com (Richard Mann)]

DAY ONE...

I rolled into the parking lot near SPRINGER MOUNTAIN early in the
morning.  All of the little pebbles on the road really hurt as I
rolled.  I suppose getting a shuttle might have been more appropriate. 
I had brought a rod and a staff - one to hike with - one to beat the
brawling senseless drunken hordes of 25-year-old hikers...

Whilst I waited for my companion to roll in, I connected the dots on a
picture of JOHN KERRY.  The lines kept criss-crossing, flip-flopping
all over the place.  In the end, all of the connected lines spelled,
"THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED -
THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED -
THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED - THE CENTER IS CLOSED -
THE CENTER IS CLOSED, etc."...

SURELY, my companion, finally rolled in.  Her WHEELCHAIR was already
showing some wear and tear from all of the little pebbles.  I walked
(thank goodness) and she rolled to the top of SPRINGER MOUNTAIN.  At
the summit, we were fitted with our GPS MONITORING BRACELETS, which was
okay, but I didn't much care for the RECTAL EXAM.  FELIX had sung the
praises of the RECTAL EXAM, but that is FELIX...

We started our hike.  I had decided to visit all of the PRIVIES along
the trail, taking notes on each one, with the plan to write the
definitive A.T. WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PRIVY book.  The new PRIVY at
SPRINGER MOUNTAIN SHELTER is grand.  Unfortunately, it is not
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE - so it will not be in the book...

SURELY (my companion) opened the COMPANION to see what lay ahead.  Just
then, a fellow and his companion strolled by.  The first fellow  had a
COMPANION, but his companion had a HANDBOOK.  It was(unfortunately for
him), a SOUTHBOUND version.  He exclaimed to us "how easy KATAHDIN had
just been - not at all what it was cracked up to be."  And that he was
"hiking to ABOL BRIDGE tonight."  His companion (with the COMPANION)
hoped "to get to HAWK MOUNTAIN SHELTER by nightfall."  We wished them
the best in their "different publications" hike together...

We continued on.  The BENTON McKAYE TRAIL kept criss-crossing with the
A.T., flip-flopping all over the place.  It should be renamed the JOHN
KERRY TRAIL.  We heard the loud music long before reaching the STOVER
CREEK SHELTER.  We stopped in so that I could beat the hell out of a
25-year-old.  We continued on...

It was 2 o'clock when we hit THREE FORKS.  Four hikers had pitched five
tents, and were waiting for their other six companions.  Seven other
hikers sat and ate nine PB&J sandwiches.  We continued on...

We hiked into LONG CREEK FALLS, hoping to spend the night.  Ten hikers
had pitch eleven tents, and were waiting for their other twelve
companions.  After thirteen minutes, we continued on...

We stopped at HICKORY FLATTS SHED and CEMETARY.  There was a very nice
4-HOLER WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE PRIVY.  Life is good...

FRED and SURELY 


		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail