Update from Oct 10, 2013

I spent a good deal of my recovery in Hot Springs downloading the free classics on my audio book AP. The days before hot springs I listened to the first three chapters of a bunch of classics. Not realizing they usually do 3 chapter down loads at a time. I listened to the first three chapters of A Tale of Two Cities, Alan Quartermain, The Count of Monte Christo, Sailing Alone Around the World ( read by a quaint New Englander in that down east voice about a Downeaster sailor), Dracula and Le Morte de Arthur.
At the last two or three miles before Hot Springs I caught up with a couple of women I had overtaken the previous day they had somehow gotten in front of me and the stepped aside to let me by. I said if they didn't mind I'd like to hike with them . If I had not placed myself between these two, I am not sure I would have made it to Hot Springs yet. At the end I stumbled off to the hostel and only now really appreciated the help I received whether or not they knew it.

Cherokee National Forest, Greeneville, TN, United States

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Late Entry: Oct 7, 2013 - How sick DO dogs get?

I stumbled into hot springs sick as a dog thinking its trail fatigue. Now that I look back I was a hurting puppy for two days and all I could think about was getting to hot springs. Let's see I was nauseous, light headed, and my mouth was dry as sand. I remember trying to eat an almond and having it turn to sand in my mouth and barely chocking it down with water. Although I was moving ok on the trail I had to be careful about bending over and standing up too quickly. My voice became the hoarse sort of rasp and I have a feeling the drenching sweat I was in for two days was not just from hiking. And my damn bowels they didn't give a shit for days. They are cooperating again somewhat but a Christmas card is definitely out! The first people I met were Homemade and Short Leash. They had come to hike but SL had thrown his back out so they were just hanging out enjoying the place before they head back to home in China Town Manhattan. This Hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge is the best place I have stayed so far. Clean with linens, option of bunk house or single double or triple rooms kitchen and cooking available and best of all a refrigerator full of left overs from the wedding held yesterday at the lodge there just across the law where you can spend a couple hundred dollars for a room if you'd like. The hostel goes for about 15$ a bed. The place is also walking distance to town and all the amenities of a couple taverns a laundromat and a fairly well stocked outfitter a bank and a post office and a diner all on Main Street and all within about a 10 minute walk of the hostel oh and at the other end of town there was the Spa where the actual hot springs are. Built on the grounds of what was once a grand hotel (it burned down) and also the sight of a German internment camp from WW1. Apparently whe we declared war there were some German ships in our harbors and the crews were "interned" some families came to join them and some never left and settled in the area. The other unique thing about hereabouts was that there were soldiers from nearby NC and TN who fought for the union and confederate armies. After I decided you could have knocked me over with a feather when I got here and I allowed myself two days to recover I partook of the spa and enjoyed a wonderful soak in the rejuvenating mineral baths and then yes I had a massage. I cannot begin to describe the incredible joy my body experienced. My apologies to my CFO as this was not in any of the previously submitted budgets. The conversation was pleasant about aligning miz hoes and loosening joint about waters running through crystal caves in Brazil and flux bands of energy surrounding planet earth… The masseuse was snarlingly spiritual. I could hardly get off the table at the end.
At the hostel my bunk room mate was an ex ranger with a mission to get to Maine on the AT. He had his dog Shelby and everything he owned on his back. He said if winter got in the way he would just stop where he was, work in a restaurant until spring and pick up the cause again. He is so committed he even cut down a hand me down fancy down sleeping bag and pad for Shelby. Shelby of course had her own doggy back pack and on the morning they saddled up to head out the dog acted down right giddy when Mike strapped that pack on her.
Short leash and Homemade were wonderful. The day before they left they realized they still had hiking supplies, food, that Homemade had prepared, hence "Homemade" ,and they were not going to use. They wanted to give it to me. Yes that would be great ! There were two meals of Dahl, two meals of spaghetti and two meals of breakfast granola. Now remember that cooking on the trail entails heating up water, pouring it over your food in a bag and waiting 15 minutes. I can't begin to describe the culinary taste sensation of the Dahl or even the spaghetti , probably both un recognizable for the treasures they were until they reach your palate. And granola really does not do justice to the two breakfasts I enjoyed. I may never eat oatmeal again and my eyes have been opened to the possibility of no cook breakfasts in the future. One of the secrets is finding dehydrated WHOLE milk, and of course all the other grains and goodies. Homemade tried to explain the recipe but I can recall only bits and pieces. It would be a tremendous boon if she would repeat those recipes here… Please Homemade?
Hot Springs, NC, United States

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Day 34 - A Face to Fone [sic] call

No post, but Judd called form Hot Springs!!!  He had a hot spring soak, a massage and a bunk house to himself.  Unfortunately, his package I sent 2 days ago, isn't there yet because of the weekend/holiday.  So, he needs to decide about hiking on and letting them forward him the package to his next stop or hanging around til Tuesday when it arrives.  He's probably going to hike on. We're shooting for meeting in Damascus, VA. Here he is "skyping with Malindi and me" just moments ago.  

Damn auto-spell-correct: what does "fought shape" even mean?

I wasn't really alone tonight after another 13 mile day. A father and son SOBO team were camping on the hill--both engineers. The wind had blown like stink last night and I had repositioned my bed roll to the other side of the shelter I started at to be in a bit of a lee. Another fellow camping up on the hill had a tree limb fall on his tent. He was ok. I was glad to be in the shelter even if it was built by the CCC and in pretty fought shape.
The owls were out last night there must have been about 3 different kinds all talking back and forth. Sounded really cool
United States

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Day 33 entry from when?

13.1 mile day up and over a place called max patch. Max must mow about 100 acres of a couple of hill top balds and their gap fields. It seems to be a popular destination for local day bikes and classes. It was a wonderfully sunny day . I lay in the grass for about an hour.
When I roll in to a shelter or lately a campsite the procedure goes like this: open up my pack and pull out bags of stuff. If it's a shelter I want to stake out a wall berth so I take out my pad which is rolled up inside my tents ground clothe. If there is a broom , and there have been a few, I brush off the rack then roll out my pad on the ground cloth- my territory thus defined I can pull out my sleeping bag. The bags stuff sack gets laid out close at hand and this will define where my glasses headlamp toilet paper iPhone and hat can be found. Next. I find my stove but inside the cooking pot is a bag of line. It's supposed to be what I can hang food from a tree so the bears don't get it. Now I use it for a cloths line mostly. I had some grey stuff that I threw over a tree once after dark and I lost it for 10 minutes . I could not see that rope to save me. So during my lay over in hot springs I went into the outfitter there and asked for some line that was like my tent lines, they reflect my headlamp in the dark very cool. So the guy gave me this rainbow colored stuff and I mailed the gray stuff home. The first night out of hot springs I realize this stuff doesn't glow in the dark! Bastards!
Anyway I get a cloths line up and put my wet with sweat shirt and put on my smart wool long undies shirt and down sweater. Then I take my boots off hang my socks on the line put on the one pair of thick socks and crocks. Pull the insoles out of my boots. Strip off my wet shorts. I have decided that hiking in shorts is the way to go. I wear my haters [do you mean gators?] to keep my socks dry and crap from falling I my boots. It also keeps my boots dryer. So the question is do I wear under wear. I tried not for two days and my saddle sores, where my hip belt is secured around, really acted up so I put my ex-officious underwear back on, pulled them up just as high as I could and greased up my sores with lube and we are pretty good so far. So i put on the bottoms to longies and and my pants and we are ready to do chores. And really hanging anything up to dry is a dream. Especially in the smokies and especially if it's towards the end of the day-nothing dries much until you put it damp and stinking into your sleeping bag . It All will dry a little from the heat of your body. I sent my sleeping bag liner home because the longies were doing a nice job of keeping wet clammy body parts from sticking together in the bag.
Water is next. I sent my pump home even tho I have my pack bladder all set up with a QD so I pump right into the bag. Anyway I sent it home it was big and and heavy and am now using aquimira, a two part chemical treatment. It's a little more involved. A chemical death to any living dodo's but you get to have the silt that your kerchief doesn't filter out. I ususally get about 2.5 liters that gets me supper and breakfast and about a liter to start the days hike
75° Sunny
Cherokee National Forest, Del Rio, TN, United States

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Leftover entry from Oct 4, 2013

I seem to be at the north end of the smokies! And the camera function of this AP is onthe fritz. It's on the fritz numb it's because I have too many aps open. Tonight. Is I think the second night I've had alone at a shelter since I started. I think this was a 17.6 mile day to get here to ground hog creek shelter. All the shelters still come prepared with bear cables to hang food and garbage at night. Color is just coming to the trees. But I notice the trail is filling up with brown and yellow leaves
72° Sunny
2393–2499 TN-32, Cosby, TN, United States

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Day 32- no blog post but one parcel post

Got a box from Judd in the mail. For a $12 Priority Package he can pack anything that will fit in the box for a flat rate.  I received a pair of pants, a shirt, his water filter/pump and 2 postcards --not ONE of them to me?  

I guess he must be finding enough clean water along the way.  But how does he know he always will??