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[at-l] we're gettin' there...



so, let's see...6 years ago Dec 27th...

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, Dec. 28th, 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 and it had a nice shower. 
The next morning, Dec 29th,  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 next morning was Dec 30th, if my math is rightly. I made good time 
to Cold Spring Shelter. Again, it was too cold to stop anywhere. It was 
15 degrees at the shelter, according to one of the college students that 
were taking up far more than their share of the room. I ate a quick 
snack on the table next to the shelter, and was on my way. It didn't 
snow or rain any on this day, but it never did get above 20?.  I ate 
lunch inside the restroom at Wayah Bald. (Hey, I was 'resting' in the 
'rest'room. Alright?) There were lots of dayhikers out on this day. As I 
neared Winding Stair Gap, I made a deal with myself that if somebody was 
at the parking lot and they offered me a ride, I'd take it. I was 
thinking it was time for another series of showers.
Before I even got to the road, a woman offered me a night at her house. 
(Well, her husbandido was standing there, too). "Do you have a shower?"...

This is where I met the guy I named 'Tank'. That deaf, dumb and blind 
kid named Tommy could have Tuckerized Tank's pack. All I shall say is he 
had 13 MREs with him. He was the nephew of the people who had given me 
the ride and place to stay. The next day, New Year's Eve, they dropped 
me off at Winding Stair Gap, and dropped Tank off on Springer. It was 
well past dark when I got to Carter Gap Shelter. There was a Marine on 
leave there. He had a great fire going. I stopped for a snack and warmed 
myself by the fire. He was amazed when I put my snack bag away and 
strapped my pack on. "Where you going?" I told him I had to get to the 
next shelter. "That's 7 miles." "Yeah, I know. Happy New Year to ya." I 
said as I walked away.

I had a blast hiking up Standing Indian Mountain. It was a beautiful 
night and I was listening to a great college football game. (The folks 
who put me up the night before were at this game in Atlanta. OrangeBug 
knows who was playing.) It was about 10? when I got in bed for the last 
time. I woke up at 11:30 to a group of flashlights shining in the 
shelter at me. When they saw me, they turned and left. I never saw them
again. I'm guessing it was a group going up to the summit for the New 
Year's countdown. This was the first New Year's that I was asleep at 
Midnight since the early 70's. I didn't mind. Btw, it was cold and there
was snow on the ground.

New Year's Day was damp and chilly. Not raining. Not cold. Just damp and 
chilly. I met two guys at Plumorchard Gap. We were talking about 
football for some reason.  I said "Hey, did Boomer (Esiaison) say 'No 
shit' on the Monday night game?" One of the guys said "See, I told you" 
to the other. Pittsburgh and I had watched the Monday night game 
together and I was sure that he had said it. I got to Dick's Creek Gap
in mid-afternoon. I was trying to hitch to Hiawassee when a guy in a 
truck pulled over. I was just about to the truck when he drove away. The 
back of his head is hopefully still burning from the stare I gave him as
he pulled away. I got a ride and checked in at the jacuzzi-roomed 
Holiday Inn Express. A hot soak and steak dinner later, my buddy 
Pittsburgh was there for more football watching.

The next day was horrible. It was raining or sleeting most of the day. I 
had to get on my hands and knees and crawl across the summit of some 
rocky mountain (Kelly Knob, maybe). I believe I was in Sassafras Gap 
when I took this picture (http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/AT/frozface.jpg) 
My eyelashes were covered in ice.  I trudged on in the muck. I got to 
Unicoi and was glad to find my buddy Pittsburgh there. I wasn't certain 
he would be there. We went to Helen for more showers and pizza.

The next day was just cold and no rain. I cruised along pretty good.  I 
stopped at Blue Mt. Shelter and talked to three kids from Alabama. I 
said "Ain't 'Got You Where I Want You' a great song?" One of the kids 
said "Hey, I saw them in concert New Year's Eve." I thought that was 
cool. The more we talked, the more I found out about them. I actually 
have met their grandmother. she lives in Bloomington. Small world, of 
course.

I hiked on. When I got to Hogpen Gap parking lot, a man there asked me 
if I was 'going camping'. I said "Yup. Couple more days anyway." The 
Trail was covered in chunks of ice for several miles through this
stretch. I had this picture taken on Cowrock Mtn 
(http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/AT/cowrock.jpg) It was about 5:05 January 
3rd, when I got to Neel's Gap. The store was closed. I looked in and 
somebody came over and opened the door. There were three people inside 
counting money and prepping the store for closing. They let me warm up 
and drink coffee. It was FREEZING out. My beard thawed. They gave me a 
can of pop. I started up Blood Mt. right at dusk. There were people, and 
fires, all over the rocky summit of Blood Mt. I was listening to the 
Packers/Niners game on the radio and didn't even stop at the shelter. 
Did I mention that it was cold?

I got to the shelter turn-off for Woodshole. I almost passed it because 
there wasn't a sign for southbounders >:-|   I walked for what seemed 
like miles down the blue-blaze. I stopped two times and nearly turned
around.  When I got to the shelter, I was amazed to find two other 
bodies inside. One was awake. We talked a bit as I was setting up for 
the night. Did I mention it was freezing? I asked if they were just out
for the weekend. The guy I was talking to said "Naaah. We're 
thruhikers." "Northbounders?" I asked. "No."  "Who the hell are you?" I 
asked, thinking that all the southbounders ahead of me were long gone.
"I'm QP. That's Windbraker."  "No F***ing way. I've been following you 
guys for 5 months." We had a nice chat that night. I felt like they were 
my long-lost brothers. (I knew that they weren't, however, because my 
long-lost brothers are both in prison) It got down to 5? or less that 
night. 5? is cold.  That, my friends, brings us to a 6 years ago yesterday.

Six years ago yesterday morning brought me the most excruciating pain of 
the 5 month journey. I had left my boots out over night. They were 
frozen. They were frozen. It took 12 minutes to put them on. Then, there 
was the trip to the privy (stainless-steel-seated privy). It was about 
16 minutes of physical inactivity. My feet were frozen. It took over an 
hour to get the circulation going enough to warm my feet again. They
hurt so bad that my stomach hurt. Somewhere in that first mile and a 
half, I passed Tank. He was definitely struggling. He said that I was 
right about a lot of the weight he was carrying. I told him to make it
to Neel's and have Jeff go through it. I hiked most of the day 
leapfrogging with QP and WB. I liked them and liked having someone 
around for a change. Especially someone who was excited about the same
thing that I was excited about. We spent the night, 6 years ago last 
night, together at a fridged Hawk Mt. Shelter. I couldn't find the 
spring. Again, it was 5? or less. This time, my boots were in my bag. 
(Footnote: QP's pee bottle from Woodshole S. froze and he had to carry a 
bottle of frozen urine all day. We laffed. Well, not QP)

Something I shant forget about that night at Hawk Mt. is this: The 
Tennessee Volunteers were playing for the national championship. QP and 
WB are from the Knoxville area. They both had walkmans (walkmen?) and 
were listening to the game. QP's radio wouldn't pick it up. So, WB broke 
his headphones and gave one earpiece to QP. They snuggled up together 
and cheered as I slept, dreaming of the next day...

Was this long enuff? I could add more...

-- 
Felix Enero
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
ALT '03 KT '03
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/