MadisonStar

>
> March 13, 2014...Rock Gap Shelter
>
> We got up again to freezing temps and quickly set out from the
> shelter. Because of the cold weather you either had to hike or when
> you got to camp you quickly found yourself eating very fast and then
> getting into your sleeping bag very quickly. So far out on the trail
> I was going to bed almost every night by 6pm or 7pm. That morning at
> the shelter I asked Blue Moon what he was planning to do and he said
> that he was going to hike 14 miles to the shelter just outside of
> town. There I had the option to do a Nero into town, which I planned
> on going to and so I was up to see him at the next shelter.
>
> That day is when I met K-Fox on the trail. She had been tent camping
> at the shelter I had stayed at the night before and was in her tent
> by the time I showed up at the shelter so I did not see her there. I
> was getting water and that was our first meeting. We continued to
> hike together at a pretty good pace that morning. I then got ahead of
> her on the hill, but stopped for lunch right before the big climb up
> to the tower. I am so glad that I stopped for lunch because I would
> not of wanted to do this rock climb by myself.
>
> We then got to the top where there was an overlook and tower. We had
> reached my first 100 mile on the trip. At the top we met a group of
> girls on spring break and a family that was out for the day. We then
> hiked down together to the shelter right before town. That is where
> we met another trail runner who was showing up at the shelters to
> tell us that is would get down to about 10 degrees that night. Blue
> Moon and DA-HI-GH were there and we decided to eat quickly and then
> get in our sleeping bags as usual by 6pm.
>
> Because we were only doing a 4 mile backpack trip into Franklin we
> stayed up late that night...9pm and talked for 3 hours sharing
> stories and having debates about the title "thru hiker" which does not get
> enough recognition like the title "Iron Man" which not to minimalize
> an iron man but a thru hiker will walk 2180 miles in the wilderness
> for 4 to 6 month, face weather conditions of all sorts and the title
> just does not sound big enough. I vowed that if I met another thru
> hiker again I would make it a bigger deal because I now had a small
> understanding of what that truly meant.
>
> A man and his stepsons showed up that night at the shelter also. The
> oldest son (16) asked to sleep in the shelter with us and he enjoyed
> our conversation and he told us that he wanted to hike the AT and he
> had hoped someday to do it. I really believe that there are people
> that are drawn to the trail, I can't explain it but it is something
> that just pulls you to want to hike the AT. Yes, it really is a crazy
> idea but once it starts to grow you have to at least attempt it in
> your lifetime. People I met on the trail attempting it this year
> shared similar stories to why they had to hike the AT.
>
> March 14, 2013... Franklin, NC
>
> It was a quick get up and we packed and raced down the mountain to pickup
> the shuttle into Franklin, NC. It would be a 4 mile hike first thing
> in the morning. K-Fox and I made it down and we happily got into
> Franklin for a Nero, where I stayed at the Budget Inn, got my laundry
> done, took a nice long hot shower and went to a wonderful buffet for
> lunch. Franklin, NC was a very nice little town nestled in the
> mountains and I walked through the downtown area in all of the little
> shops. That is where I ran into again the 3 students from NH. We
> chatted quickly and talked about the cold weather we were having so
> far.
>
> March 15, 2013... Wayah Shelter
>
> I left the next day and K-Fox was on the same schedule to continue.
> We would hike 11 miles to where we caught up with DA-HI-GH one last
> time in the first shelter. It was one of the best days and the night
> was really warm, probably 35 degrees, which was the best we had so
> far. So, weather wise we would have a great night, but that night we
> would be invaded by the mice of the shelters. All of the shelters
> have mice and some can even have rats.
>
> This is where the thru hikers eat and sleep so it makes sense that
> this rodents would take up residence. In the past nights I had heard
> them, but this was the first time that they actually were crawling
> all over us. Yes, that does freak me out. K-Fox said the mouse during
> the night bit her and she flung it as it attached its teeth into her
> finger. That night I vowed I would not sleep in another shelter, but
> to rather tent camp for the rest of the adventure.
>
> March 16, 2013... A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
>
> This day was a great hiking day. That next day K-Fox decided to stay back and I continued to hike further and made it another 16 miles to the last shelter outside of NOC. I had some work to do for my consulting job and had my computer
> shipped to NOC so I could work that next day. Yes, that is crazy but
> it would help fund my trip for the next 6 months and it would only be
> a total of 6 days of work that I would have to do. At this shelter is where I would meet Otto. I stopped and chatted with him after I went down to get water. He had a great tent and we talked about gear for a while before I went back up to the shelter to eat and get into bed.