April showers...

4/2/08 - Bring soggy hikers - 6 days in a row with rain! Can't a guy catch a break!??

• Don't count on it. It's supposed to rain Thurs, Fri & Sat, too...
• Long day - 20 AT mi (+1 extra mile down an old forestry road). Especially since he & his new bunkmates (Half-brew & his dog, Spock & Twiggy) stayed up till midnight the night before giving each other relationship advice. Twiggy's a psych major who wants to be a marriage counselor someday - free help!
• Hiked with Half-brew part of the day & had lunch with him (& his dog) on top of Beauty Spot. It was a grassy knob flooded with sunshine - very peaceful.
• Climbed up Unaka Mtn. & then back down.
• Left shin started hurting really badly today - maybe the early onset of shin splints... Also, legs are getting more & more tired earlier & earlier in the day. Knees are: "Predictably sore. It's the new stuff I don't like" - Amos said.
• Staying at the Greasy Creek Friendly - owner seemed to be a peculiar elderly woman (with lots of cats...) who forced Amos wash his hands 3x in the span of 2 hours and has grand plans of making her own thru-hiker reality tv show! (Lyn - I'll get you her digits!) She mentioned having or wanting to use a web cam, too... Someone get the Google search started for any raw footage that might be out there of Amos brushing his teeth...
• Something to look forward to: The equally eccentric hostel owner claims her neighbor is "schizo" & HATES hikers! Apparently he owns a few vicious dogs & revves his Harley on his way to get his morning paper & after breakfast he rides his lawnmower around & beats on the hood to wake them up!! Should be an interesting rise & shine...