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[at-l] 1997 SLACKPACK OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

1997 SLACKPACK OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
also visit website "www.geocities.com/yosemite/trails/4404"

APRIL 26, 1997 - SATURDAY

	two additional things worth noting happened yesterday.  PACK MULE
has decided that he would rather be called PANTHER FAN, in reference to
the CAROLINA NFL football franchise, AND we picked up an additional
SLACKPACKER.  her name is SHAMROCK, and she will be with us until
DAMASCUS VA...
	today we hiked into the GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK.  it
has been said that the four favorite words for a thru-hiker are ALL YOU
CAN EAT.  we have discovered the four least favorite words:  COLD, WET,
WINDY and STEEP.  SUNSHINE, MYSELF, SHAMROCK and CINDA (trail name TIMMY)
experienced these conditions in various combinations all day long.  with
the EVIL BACKPACKS on, we somehow made it to RUSSELL FIELD shelter, after
an extended stop at MOLLIES RIDGE shelter for a hot lunch...
	there were thru-hikers, section hikers, and weekenders in the
shelters.  we ran across ACHILL JACK, LAZY BOY, TIM, SHAMAN, HAIR BEAR,
LADDER (whose dog, named HOOK, is not with him in the SMOKIES).  a few
new names were GRASSHOPPER, WEB CATCHER, PUSHCART, STICKS, DREAM CATCHER,
TORTOISE and HARE, and many whose names i forget...
	the highlight of the day was a malfunctioning stove (or
malfunctioning stove operator), that flared up and took a couple of
inches off of my beard.  i had not moved so fast in years...

APRIL 27, 1997 - SUNDAY

	same thing, different day.  made it to DERRICK KNOB shelter...

APRIL 28, 1997 - MONDAY

	we struggled to CLINGSMAN DOME (the highest point on the entire
AT at 6643 feet), where GILAMAN, PANTHER FAN, and AL WILLIAMSON (TIMMY's
husband, aka PETER PAN) were waiting.  golly gee, were we ever happy to
see them!  22 miles later, we were at the STONY BROOK MOTEL, in
GATLINBURG TN.  we took showers and went to RUBY TUESDAYS for supper. 
today was TIMMY's birthday, and a celebration, with CAKE and CHAMPAGNE,
was planned, but we were just too darn tired.  maybe tomorrow...

Rick Mann, aka Pittsburgh
slackpacker@juno.com
www.geocities.com/yosemite/trails/4404
800-803-2767
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