Sunday 4/5/9

The plan for last night was to go to bed early. Then an english/history teacher named Eric started a fire outside of the shelter. I decided that I'm not out here to do miles for miles sake I'm here for the experience so I stayed up and talked with people. The spanish cowgirl (I cannot spell the word she used) played a harmonica for a while and then Eric recited some Shakespeare. We talked for a while and it was a good night.

I decided that I like shelters, no bugs, wind or moisture and with earplugs I didn't even notice the mice.

Sunday was my biggest AT mileage day yet of 12.4 miles. I went from Gooch Mountain Shelter to Woods Hole Shelter. My knee is killing me and today was some really hard work, I now understand why so many people leave the trail at Neels Gap. In the morning it was freezing and then as the day went on it got really sticky and hot. I climbed three mountains today, Ramrock, Big cedar and Burnett.
Until today I hadn't seen any animals except for some random birds and chipmunks. Today however I saw a snake, raccoon and turkey.

About a mile away from the shelter I met "One Track" a female hiker out by herself. We talked for a while but then I sped ahead of her so I could get my leg elevated and rest. At the turn off for the shelter there was a machatte stuck in the wood. I got to the shelter shortly after 2pm and elevated my leg and quickly fell asleep. I woke up at 3:30 and still noone was there. I walked a quarter of a mile to get water and was in immense pain, elevating my leg definetly did NOT help. After I got water and there still wasn't anyone at the shelter and I started to think about what I was going to do if noone else showed up by dusk, I was tired, with a sore knee and no cell service and someone with a machatte was out there. Around 4:30 "sailor jay" showed up and told me there were others behind him. Then "solar", "the scarecrow", "birdbrain", "rochester bob" and "miami jeff" (the two guys from the first day) all showed up.

The forecast for the night was rain and pretty much for the whole next week. Its supposed to get into the 20's Monday night and Tuesday night.

I unwisely only packed 4 advil and others have been kind enough to give me theirs, four at a time three times a day. That along with 2 shots of Jack from Julian(a camper up for the night from Atlanta) made my knee feel pretty good.

Sunday night I stayed in a shelter again and I'm starting to like them, I don't have to mess with my tent and my sleeping pad doesn't slide around.