It's a quarter to 8 in the morning and I'm waiting for the little store to open; I want my pancakes and coffee! While the hostel accomodations are threadbare, it was beautiful listening to the river outside the window last night. Called Greg, too, on the payphone out front. Finally! So good to hear his voice. This morning my feet are swollen and my hip hurts like a mofo. Popped some advil which I'm chasing with a poptart. Gonna try for a shelter 10 miles away.
It's noon, and I think I'm near Snowbird Mountain, or about 3 miles from the shelter. This hill has a big buzzing white structure on top that looks like something Starfleet might build, but it's an aviation signal tower. Taking a short rest/lunch break. I am so glad I didn't go to Standing Bear Farm last night! I passed the turnoff for it this morning and decided to see if they had stove fuel and just check out the place. It's a nice-looking farmhouse, but I didn't see anybody around and, when i got to the driveway, an unchained Rottweiler started barking, so I turned around and went back to the trail.
Foxfire is aiming for the same shelter I am, and she said I could use her stove tonight. I've got about one meal's worth of fuel left so that should get me into Hot Springs okay.
Heh-heh, only hiked five hours today. I'm at Groundhog Creek Shelter (a pretty ratty-looking shelter if you ask me) and Nick and Foxfire are here, too. Who's Nick? I first ran into Nick when I walked into the Mt. Collins Shelter. I wasn't expecting to find anybody there, and I happened upon him when he was adjusting his backpack...he was bent over and fussing with his belt like it was a bathroom break. He later told me I had an I-just-found-an-axe-murderer expression on my face.
I got in around 1:30p, and I plan on starting early tomorrow to climb Max Patch 'cause it was pretty warm today, in the 80s (ah, the Weatherman said it was 83 degrees; record for the day is 85). Actually, I am hearing a lot from people about how great the weather is, how many flowers are out, etc.
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