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Austin Texas Domination and submission

Presents

March 29, 2009

i am making final preparations for my adventure on the Appalachian Trail.  i am hiking from Springer Mountain in GA to Mount Katahdin in ME.  The trip is 2178 miles (3500 km) and will take me from 4-6 months to complete.  i'm not only going on an extreme hike, but i'm giving myself extreme restrictions and limitations, as a proper submissive would.  Most notably the size of my pack is going to be much smaller than normal (of course there's room for my corset and rope).  The average hiker has a 50 pound pack full of what they consider the essentials.  i will be carrying a 25 pound pack including food to start.  my pack size will decrease more as time goes on.  i will be what is called an ultra-light hiker.  This arrangement, obviously, puts strict limitations on what i will be able to bring.  i will have to use my intuition and feminine wilds to improvise in the event of bear attacks or hillbilly fetishists. 

April 2 - Gainesville GA - Well, the pack weighs 28 pounds per the scale at the approach trail at Amicalola Falls. I hitched a ride with a good guy named Steve all the way to Springer Mountain and the beginning of the Appalachian Trail. His only stipulation for the ride was a challenge that I keep my toes painted on the trail. He gave me a bottle of chrome colored polish to do the job. I promised to keep them nice and shiny. I got to the top of Springer Mountain and the start of the trail. I laid down my challenge to the trail. I'm very determined. I'm gonna win.

April 3 - Hawk Mountain - It's been raining all night. I trekked through the mud all day and went 7.6 miles. I got lots of raised eyebrows when I told them about my blog. There was some genuine interest from a girl with the trail name Guerra. She may be helping me out along the way. 

April 4 - Justus Creek - Left Hawk Mountain shelter in the morning. I met a guy at the top of the trail back to the AT (Appalachian Trail). He pointed up a path and said that was where the trail continued. 3/4 of the way up, I realized I was following a creek bed up Hawk Mountain, not the AT. I came back down the mountain ready to beat that guy for sending me up a mountain and a mile out of my way. Bastard! Lucky for him, he was gone before I got back to where I last saw him. Maybe he was some sort of mischievous trail gremlin. Who knows. So, I get back on the right track and hike up a mountain and down a mountain. Repeat as necessary until I make my way to Justis Creek. I decide this is a good place to camp. Across the creek was a group of Boy Scouts. They were doing something with ropes, so, naturally, I was curious. It turns out they were learning how to tie knots. I volunteered my services and knowledge on the topic to help the troop out. Later that night after the scouts had gone to bed, their leader came over to my tent. He said that he liked my work earlier and wondered if he could practice his knots with me. I couldn't decline his request, so I asked what he had in mind. He brought me to the campfire, sat on a log and placed me on my knees at his feet. He placed my hands behind my back and pulled out the red and green nylon rope we used earlier. He tied my hands behind my back with a perfectly executed square knot. He told me that I had been a very bad girl interrupting his lesson like I had. I told him that I was merely trying to help and had not intended to disrupt. He said that I was a little know-it-all and I needed to be punished for my disruption. Then he unbuttoned my brown hiking pants and brought them down to my knees exposing my white cotton bikini briefs with little red hearts. He pulled me over his lap and gave me three sharp swats with his hand on my bottom. "What do you have to say for yourself now, Miss. Smarty Pants?" he said. I replied with the only thing that came naturally, " thank you, sir. May I have another?" Immediately after saying that my cheeks flushed as red and hot as my backside. He replied with three more sharp strikes to my bottom and then three more. He then sat me back up on my knees and stood up. He went to his first aid kit and got me some salve to put on the hand marks that were starting to swell under my skivvies.  "Always be prepared," he said, smiling as he slowly lowered my cotton panties. He smoothly rubbed the salve on my bare behind. He finished the application and pulled my panties back up. He untied my wrists and sent me off to my tent with a warning not to be such a know it all next time. The next person you run into may not be as nice as he was. I thanked him for his kindness and raised my pants over my sore, slightly throbbing bottom. I made my way back to my tent naughtily
giggling about the events that just occurred. I was going to sleep well tonight.

April 5 - Dan Mountain - I woke with fond memories of the night past still fresh in my mind. I packed up camp and went hiking again. My mood allowed me to get 12 miles, even with the slightly sore posterior. The sun was starting to go down and the chilly wind was picking up. I could smell the rain in the air. I wasn't to the shelter yet, but if I didn't want to hike in the cold rain, I'd better set up camp. So I did. A 12 mile day was good enough, especially with bad weather on the horizon. 

April 6 - Woods Hole - I woke up to a blustery, cold day. I hiked only 2 miles...to the nearest shelter. The word on the trail was that there was snow coming. Boy, was there. I got to the shelter, which had three closed in walls, got into my sleeping bag and hunkered down for a rough night. On the trail going from south to north and leaving when I did, I should only have two weeks of bad weather in my five month journey. I was hiking with as little weight as possible, as I had earlier mentioned. I am also on 1/2 the budget, if not less, as the other hikers. So those things in mind, I have no coat just layers of clothing. I also have no hiking boots just my Chaco sandals. In the cold weather I have to wear sandals with socks (I know, faux pas!), but at least my toes are cute and polished. :) The plan for when it gets cold is to just get into the sleeping bag in the tent and wait the weather out. Therefore, I'm in the shelter and not moving till the snow stops at least. Word is that tomorrow is the day I get to go back out. *crossing fingers*.

4/7 Woods Hole Shelter - Not able to go out today. 2" of snow on the ground. This Texas girl is going to keep her little bootie in the shelter.

4/8 Tesnastee Gap - I was able to go out today. Yay! Hiked up Blood Mountain, how daunting. It was the steepest hike yet.  As I was heading to the top in the snow, I could see red, yellow and orange stains in the snow. I look closer and see the stains are M&M's. How could anyone leave M&M's out here stranded? I walk on puzzled. A bit further up the mountain I see where the M&M's came from. I see a bag of trail mix torn to shreds. I'd heard there were some problematic bears that raid hiker's food bags in the area. No, I'm not talking about Yogi Bear. I'm talking about the real thing. Looks like some unfortunate hikers got their pic-a-nic baskets stolen by some hungry guys that aren't fans of M&M's. Pity. I continue up the mountain. I make it back down and up the next one and I continue for yet another day.

4/9 Chattahoochee Gap - I can't get that song out of my head. Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee... Ha-ha now you'll have it stuck in your head too! The snow has melted and the sun shined throughout the day. A beautiful time. I hiked 10 miles today. Yay me! Oh yeah, discovered 3 bumps on my arm. I think we've got a case of the old PI (poison ivy). Boo!

4/10 Blue Mountain - Woke up to the sound of pouring rain. In addition to no cold weather gear, I have no rain gear either. I'll be a trooper. I'll warm up if I get moving. I wait till the downpour stops and head out. It's still drizzling, but not as bad as it was earlier. I hike about 5 miles to the nearest shelter to seek refuge from the rain. The shelter is getting full of rain soaked people not wanting to venture out anymore on this lovely day. I hang out and chat for a while, but it's getting cold and I've got a long journey downhill in the slick mud and drizzle. I just past the highway that leads out to Helen, GA and about half a mile up the next mountain and the monsoon hits complete with hail. I run to the campsite within sight, rip open my pack, throw out my tent and quickly put it up. Of course I put it up on a slant because there are no flat spots in the campsite. As a result I spend the rest of the cold night fighting to keep myself from falling to the bottom of the tent. To top off this exciting day, the poison ivy is spreading. Ugh!

4/11 Sassafras Gap - Ok. I survived the rain storm. I found out later that even though I got rain and hail, there were tornadoes in Helen and her sister city Unicoi. Glad I wasn't there. Hiking today was pleasant. I'm spurned on by the thought of a hot home cooked breakfast on the day after tomorrow. This may not seem like a big deal, but after living for 9 days on dried fruit, peanut butter and oatmeal, it's very appealing. Hiked some of the tallest mountains yet. I swear the people that made the GA portion of the AT went out of their way to send us up and down every single mountain. There was a warm fire at our campsite tonight. A fellow hiker gave me a square off his Hershey's bar. It was gooooood. :)

4/12 hostel in Hiawassee GA - Only 6.3 miles till a bed and hot breakfast!! I can't believe I've gone 60 miles already. I've met a lovely boy that I plan to hike with for a while. His natural dominance compliments my submissiveness nicely. Last night he grabbed me by the waist and bit each side of my neck on the jugular. He delivered long, lusty bites and said that I was his. Swooning and speechless, I merely nodded in agreement. It was very hot.
But now it is time to sleep, so I'll bid you adieu and remember, if you hear banjos, hike faster!

4/13 Plumb Orchard Gap GA - My day starts off with the long awaited hot homemade breakfast. I won't bore you with the details, but it was yummy. Afterward I go into their bathroom, which is in a stand alone building, to clean up the poison ivy that will not go away. After washing for a while, I hear a click. I think nothing of it and keep washing. When I'm done, I try to leave only to find out I've been locked in the bathroom. I call out for help, but no one can hear me. I fear that I'm going to be sold into backwoods GA pancake making slavery or something. I'm stuck in the bathroom for a good 30 minutes. When my hiking partner, Munk, comes to see why I have been in the bathroom for so long. He unlocks the outside latch and I come out along with a barrage of four letter words. It turns out that when he left and I went in, he accidentally flipped the outside latch. Gee thanks. I kick him. Hard. We go to the grocery store to resupply and head back on to the trail.

4/14 Muskrat Creek NC - Today I left GA and entered NC! This felt like a big achievement. I don't think I've ever been this excited to be in North Carolina of all places. It's been cold and foggy all day.  I get to the campsite and decide that I'm tired of eating cold food. The problem: no dry wood thanks to the rain all day. I met up with a lovely guy, Eric, and his boys. I amazed the kids with my fire building ability, regardless. It was a small fire, but I did what I could. It was warmer and more interesting than an evening without a fire. Poison ivy persists. It's the scourge of the Earth, really.

4/15 Carter Gap NC - Standing Indian Mountain was the challenge du jour. Why is this place not called Sitting Indian or better yet, Reclining Indian? At the top I meet Eric and the kiddoes again and we all push on 6 more miles to the shelter, chasing the sun all the way. We make it just as the sun is going down. As we enter the clearing, a group of Boy Scouts watches us from their campfire like they're expecting us to do a trick. We do a great disappearing act into our tents, exhausted.

4/16 Rock Gap NC - Today I climbed Mount Albert. This was a challenge that I was not planning on. The mountain was 1200 feet tall including essentially a 500 foot rock wall for the last 0.03 of a mile. The only thing between me and a hefty plummet were my trusty hiking poles. I wobble a time or two, but I successfully make it to the top. My nerves are shot, but the view is spectacular. I am motivated to hike another 6 miles even though it's 4:30 in the afternoon. I make it to the next shelter. I also pass mile marker 100. Only 2076 miles to go.

4/17 Franklin NC - I didn't go too far today, just 4 miles into Franklin. I'm getting a cheap room and I'm taking care of this damn poison ivy for good. Today will be spent soaking in a hot tub covered in dish soap to cut the ivy oil and keep the menace from spreading. I really fucking hate poison ivy! Fortunately, Munk comes out of the woods to entertain me while I get cleaned up. Before I get to soak for the first time, he strips me down to my underwear and taunts me for a while. He has 2 bandannas. He binds my arms and legs and puts me on the bed. He takes his Swiss Army Knife blade and runs it along the edges of my rash. He taunts me saying, "it itches, doesn't it?" and " don't you wish you could scratch?" My skin itches so bad. I'm wriggling like a worm. I beg for some sort of relief from the torture, but he just taunts me more. "You had better not make any noise. I can keep this up all night." I shut my mouth, but plead with my eyes for him to stop. Beads of sweat form on my brow. Just as I am about to crack, he pulls out the calamine lotion and douses my burning skin. I giggle with relief and he dismisses me to go in for my soak in the tub.

4/18 Wayah Shelter NC - I woke up for the first time in a long time not itching! Yay! I'm in a great mood all day. I hike 11 miles and make it to the shelter with plenty of time to cook and socialize with the other hikers. There is a group of 4 20-something boys from New England and one 20-something girl that they are all showing off for. The act is very primal and amusing to watch.

4/19 Wesser Bald Shelter NC - Why is it raining so much? The hiking gods just want to see me slip in the mud and on roots. I take a break midday to chat in a warm shelter with some other hikers. Then I race to the shelter with the evening's thunderstorms at my heels. I get to the shelter and it's full. Great. Now I get to set up the tent in the rain. Perfect. Just think warm thoughts.

4/20 Bryson City NC - Happy 4/20! 6 miles and a hitchhike to a resupply. The weather conditions are still drizzly and slick. Today's hike is all downhill and I slip a few times, but don't fall down. I make the hitch to town with ease. It's weird going into civilization after being into the wilderness for so long. I feel like my senses are overloaded just going to the grocery store. I wander around in a daze and want to just try a bite of everything. I try not to over do it with food because I know that I'll just have to pack it around with me. It gets rough on my delicate shoulders. I do splurge and get some pretzel Goldfish and some cinnamon rolls that were on sale. Can't wait for breakfast. The rain is starting again and I'm getting chilly, so I'm out. Adios from NC!

4/21 Left the Nantahala Outdoor Center (the NOC) and a gorgeous river with white water rafting and fun stuff like that. Today was 6 miles of constant up. I'm gonna have a great ass by the time I get out of here. A definite perk of being up in these mountains are the views. Rhododendron forests are a plenty, but when they thin out you can see for miles! All the climbing sure takes it out of you, though. I'm thrilled when I see the shelter. I manage to make a fire with damp wood, again, and have a hot dinner. I found a package of boil in bag spicy Indian dhal from Trader Joe's in a hiker's donation box at the NOC and had it for dinner. I love Trader Joe's and I LOVE the hiker who decided it was too heavy to carry and put it in the box.

4/22 More hills. The terrain isn't too bad today, but I'm thankful for the sugar kicks my jellybeans give me. I'm not sure how far I went today, but I know that the incline was gradual till I was within 2 miles of the shelter and then 30 degrees went to 50 and, man, was it steep. Especially at the end of the day when all you want to do is get to the shelter and sleep. It seems like there are a lot more hikers out here than in years past. A lot of people are recently unemployed and have "always wanted to do this". Now they have the chance and they are out here. I've also met a lot of people who were going to Maine, but have gotten off for some reason already. This trail is as much of a head game as it is a physical game. It's hard for me not to let my mind go and to psyche myself out, but I will continue as long as my mind and body allow me. Tomorrow I enter the Smoky Mountains.

4/23 Beautiful. Lots of water, the trees are green and I'm loving life. I meet back up with Munk at the Fontana Hilton. This is the shelter at the south end of the Smokies. It's called the Hilton because of its spacious interior, holding up to 25 instead of the normal 10 and its indoor bathroom and shower. Wahoo. I caught up with Guerra and her crew. A guy in her group, Snack, inquires about my life back in Austin as a pro-sub. He's excited about reading the continued adventures of sub dot. His birthday is coming up in 2 days. Maybe something special can be arranged for his b-day. Who knows? *evil grin*

4/24 Today, the scourge of the Earth hatched. Black flies out here are larger are larger than gnats, more like the size of a small mosquito. They swarm, bite and love sweat. Today, of course is a nice hot day. We hikers are all plagued. i'm not a fan of bugs in the first place. Now let them swarm, bite and dive for your eyes, nose, ears and mouth. i'm grossed out and having anxiety attacks about them all day. i can just feel them crawling all over me. That creeps me out and makes me sweat more, bringing more flies...you see the vicious circle. i get to the shelter, because it's against the rules in the Smokies to camp in a tent, and everyone's thrilled that i'm here.  Not because of my sparkling personality, no. Because i attract the flies and keep them off everyone else. i feel like Pig Pen from Peanuts with my cloud of flies. i can't deal with it anymore. i put up my tent in the middle of the shelter and socialize in the comfort of my mosquito netting. i feel like a scientist in my protective bubble observing the other hikers.  i feel like i should be taking notes on their activities.

4/25 - What animal preys on these horrible flies?!? They should be called out for not doing their part to continue the circle of life. Another day of hiking with flies. One went up my nose. More protein, some say. My reaction is to blow my nose so violently and repeatedly that i almost fall off the trail.  i'd rather be protein deficient, thanks.  This is the mental game i'm talking about, though.  Just when you think you've got this AT thing and it seems easy another issue gets lobbed at you. Steeper elevation, rain, snow, flies. Bring it on!

4/26 - Halleluiah! The black flies' predators have finally gotten their butts in action! the flies are nowhere near as bad as they've been for the last 2 days. The hike today is clear and cool up to Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the trail till New Hampshire. Happy dance! And...it's Snack's birthday! Time for birthday surprise. Bears getting into people's food is a problem all along the AT. To prevent it from happening we "bear bag" or put our food in bags and hang them from tall trees out of reach of the bears. Shelters have cable and pulley systems set up so we don't have to string up our own bags. And for Snack's birthday, a bear bag cable suspension is in order. It's the first time since I've been out here to put on my corset. I'm thrilled. Snack and Munk tie me just above the knees and elbows and at the waist, then attach me to the brass cable hooks. They lift me into the air using the pulleys. I'm dangling above their heads and Munk gets that evil glint in his eye. Uh oh. He pulls out a Twinkie and a waterproof match. He puts them on a tray made out of birch bark. He lowers me down to be at eye level with him. He puts the edge of the tray up to my mouth. "open." he says and i comply. He puts the edge of the tray in my mouth and tells me to hold still. He lights the match and puts it into the Twinkie.  He presents Snack with his birthday cake and present. Snack is most amused. A round of "happy birthday" is sung and Snack blows out his matchstick candle.  i am released and we dine on impromptu birthday cake. Everyone has a good time. Though i hope i'm not too sore from the suspension tomorrow.

4/27 - Gattlinbutg TN is today's destination. This looks like it's the result of people wanting something like Vegas in the southeast, but on a much smaller budget. It's one long strip with 5 mini golf courses, 2 or 3 Ripley's Believe it or Not type museums, lots of restaurants and hotels and a ski resort. Lots of tourists are all over the place and every once in a while a bear comes out of the mountains to cause a commotion. i bypass the tourist stuff and go to the grocery store for a resupply. i also need to pay a few bills, so i ask the store people where the library is so i can use the internet. They tell me it's on the other side of the strip.  i take the bus to the other side of town and go to the site of the old library which has since moved...across the street from the grocery store...3 months ago. Now it's after 5 and the library is sure to be closed.  i break down and get a room in town.  i use the hotel's internet, get a shower and treat myself to a bottle of wine for all my effort.

4/28 - Another perk of the hotel is the Krispy Kream doughnuts in the morning.  i grab 2 and hitch back to the trail.  i hike to the shelter 3 miles in.  i can do better than that, so i keep going.  i run into Munk and we hike together.  Remember that in the Smokies you must sleep in shelters and it's getting late, so we're hoofing it to get to the shelter.  We're about 2 miles or so (you never can really tell) away and night is falling, so we say fuck the rules and camp on a hill.  If a bear tries to attack, just punch it in the nose.

4/29 - Munk wakes up feeling terrible.  i help get him to the next shelter (the one 2 miles away) and leave him there.  Get well soon Munk.  i press on to the next shelter.  i make it there with lots of daylight to spare, but shouldn't go farther because the next shelter is 10 miles away.  One of the guys in the shelter is celebrating his 70th birthday.  His friend brings a dehydrated blueberry cheesecake mix for them to share.  It sounds disgusting, but i watch them make it and it looks tasty. Guerra is at the shelter. She is licking her lips. She may be about to pounce on it. i munch on my dry Ramen and hot sauce trying not to be jealous that my birthday is in December.

4/30 - 15 miles. My longest day mileage wise yet. No big deal. The map says it's all downhill. Why didn't i learn the other day that the map is frequently wrong? Oh well. Guerra and i walk up hills and down. At this point all the downhill we're walking is making our feet, knees and ankles hurt. We're very happy to get to the shelter.

5/1 - We have less than a mile left in the Smokies. Yay. Now we can legally camp wherever. No more loud snorers in shelters! Remember the long downhill yesterday? It's been followed with an equally long uphill today. Of course. Then when i get to the top of the mountain, there's a wide field left to cross. No biggie. But wait, there's more. i get the joy of walking across this field with thunder and lightning all around me. Needless to say i'm walking very quickly to get back into the woods. Then the rain starts...again. 4 mile walk in the rain to get to my stopping point.

5/2 - Today i get out early because of reports of afternoon showers.  i'll have to count all the rain days on this trip. They're just too frequent and I'm curious. The rainstorm of the day peaks as i'm crossing beautiful, scenic and noteworthy Max Patch. It's the weekend and lots of people are camping on this lovely green huge field...in the rain. And here i am walking quickly across another field in the rain. While walking down a muddy i executed a perfect gymnastic move ending in a proper split in the mud. That was fun. At least i get to do laundry tomorrow. The rain stops and i have a great hike around waterfalls to where i'm camping for the night.

5/3 - 1 month Anniversary - i feel like this trip is just rushing to hike when it's not raining. Today i'm pushing to get to the next town, Hot Springs, NC for a resupply. While i'm washing my clothes at the Hot Springs laundry mat/convenience store/pool hall I notice that my feet and ankles are very swollen, probably because of yesterday's gymnastics routine. I sleep with my feet elevated tonight. It seems to help.

5/4 - Every time I leave a town, I get a 1000-2000 foot climb back up to the mountains. Why don't they just put towns at the top of the mountain? It'd be more convenient for me at least. :) i camp near an old fire tower that happens to have good phone reception. i make a few calls and set up camp. There is a purple tent near me. i greet its inhabitants. No one replies *shrug*.

5/5 - Cinco De Mayo! Another rainy hike, but my metabolism is picking up. i'm learning that when you get hungry, stop and eat. When you get thirsty, stop and drink and when you get tired, stop and rest. There really is no rush. I'm out here for 5 months. The problem is having to continue hiking, thirsty when there's no water to drink. Oof. Must press on. There's a point when you're so thirsty and it's just 4 miles to the next shelter and water source, those miles seem to take forever. Your fearless hiker makes it, though and survives to hike along rock cliffs with amazing views.
 

5/6 - Who wants more rain? Yes? Well of course. i hiked over the first of many fields called Big Butt.  i snickered. i made it to the shelter to build a fire and dry out my socks...with wet wood, yeah right. Off to bed.
 

5/7 - It's a nice day today. Amazing! There was also trail magic in Sam's Gap by I-25! Fresh oranges, individual cherry pies and Mountain Dew. heavenly. Those oranges just melted with sweet juicy goodness. While camping, i met some locals who showed me some edible vegetation. Ramps. They are a cross between garlic and onion. Tasty, but don't expect a good night kiss. They are so abundant out here that this weekend is the Ramp Festival. All things ramp all the time. Amusing.
 

5/8 - my first 20 mile day. In an effort to get to my next resupply and to sate my growing appetite, i decide to hike all the way to Erwin, TN. Of course the rain slows me down and i've got 8 miles left to hike and a bit of elevation at 4pm. hike faster to get there before the sun goes down. At around 7:30 with around 3 miles left, i finish my remaining food, some jellybeans, and press on. i get to within 3/4 of a mile from Erwin when it gets too dark for me to hike with my crappy little pinch light. i set up camp and will just do the last bit in the morning.

5/9 - I make it to Uncle Johnny's Hiker Hostel in Erwin, TN. Hitch to town for laundry, groceries and the first all you can eat place I see. I go to the Dollar General first and while looking over the tabloids, I see Bea Arthur died. I am sad. RIP Bea. Then on to another laundry mat attached to a gas station. I guess this is common in small towns. Now it's 11am and the pizza buffet is open. Hooray! They have an excellent salad bar and there is much rejoicing. I finish my laundry and resupply then go back to the hostel to commune with other hikers. I was going back to the woods, but decide to hang at the hostel. Mowgli is turning 30 and we're going to get Mexican food to celebrate. I could use a margarita. I'm then told as we pull up to the restaurant that they don't sell liquor in the county, only beer. I am sad again. Que sera sera. Half of a #8 combo later I'm stuffed and ready for bed. Night!

5/10 - Happy Mom's Day!  I dally around the hostel, make some calls and head out to hike around noon.  I'm only doing 4 miles today, so I hang out by a river and daydream for a while. It's nice, relaxing and warm.

5/11 - Our good friend the rain is back. Joy! At least today's cold rain distracted me enough that I didn't notice the mountain I went up. Talk about optimism. I'm tired and cold at the end of the day. Tomorrow will be better.

5/12 - Today I hike Roan Mountain.  This is the 2nd highest mountain between Georgia and New Hampshire.  It seems like you keep going up and up and round a corner to go up more.  All this and me without water.  DAMN!  I make it to the top of the mountain and the shelter at dusk.  I go to the water source and drink a liter.  The cold mountain spring brings my core temperature down in an instant.  Now I'm shivering.  I get into the shelter which has 4 walls AND a door.  This is set up is very unusual.  I go up to the loft and get into my sleeping bag.  They weren't kidding when they said this was the coldest shelter on the trail.  The winds are harsh and nippy at 5600 feet.

5/13 - No rain today.  Lots of open fields and hills with strong, constant crosswinds. I got blown 10 feet off the trail at one point.  It was still chilly, but there were no black flies or precipitation.  Woohoo!

5/14 - I went to breakfast in Roan Mountain, TN with Guera and Munk today.  It was delicious.  If I looked at the amount of food I ate today a month ago, I would never have believed I could eat so much.  But, I managed to clean the plate. Afterward, I pushed on to do an 18 mile day.  The terrain was not too bad.  We were warned of thunderstorms in the late afternoon, so it was a hard fast hike all day.  Guerra and I were within 2 miles of the shelter when we got our first flash thunderstorm.  HIKE FASTER!!  We got to the shelter and the skies opened up.  We were very happy that we got to the shelter and weren't hiking in it.

5/15 - 6 miles to the Kincora Hostel.  This place is really nice.  Not posh by any stretch of the imagination, but homey.  A recommended donation of $4 gets you a shower, laundry and a bed.  It's nice being at a place that's not trying to rip off hikers.  This weekend is Trail Days, a festival celebrating AT hikers, in Damascus VA.  I will not be in attendance.  Oh well.  Chilling here works for now.

5/16 - I liked the hostel so much, I decided to stay another day.  I haven't had a zero mile day since the snow day in April, so I'm ok with this.  It's been good having time to rest, decompress and catch up on my journal.

5/17 - Yesterday was beautiful, but I couldn't pass up the coziness of the hostel.  Naturally, today when I'm going to start hiking "nice and early", it's raining.  I wait till the rain slows a bit and I'm hiking by noon.  I hike down a very rocky mountain to one of the most beautiful spots on the trail. Laurel Falls is a 50 foot waterfall and even in the post-rain gloom it's a sight.

5/18 - It's the first full nice day that I've hiked in for a long time.  My mood has definitely improved because of it.  I pass by the campsite of a hiker who has yet to get up today.  I notice a bit down the trail a ransacked food supply.  Uh oh.  Looks like someone got raided by a bear last night.  What a drag.  I hear someone in the tent moving, so I give them the bad news about their food.  Luckily there is a town not too far away, so he won't be stranded out here hungry.  Moving on closer and closer to Maine each day.

5/19 - Another spectacular day.  There are lots of day hikers out today.  Lots of great views of open pastures and wooded mountains too.  I can finally see what all the fuss is about.  The terrain is getting easier and it's supposed to be even easier in Virginia. I can't wait.

5/20 - Today I hiked the last 2 miles of Tennessee and now for the 500 miles that is Virginia.  It's the longest time that I will be in one state on the entire trip.  They say "Virginia is for lovers".  Let's see what kind of trouble I can get myself into here. :-)

5/21 - I got my resupply done in Damascus, VA and hiked on.  It's another beautiful day and I feel great!  I finish my hike for the day and pull into camp.  There is a blonde dreddy boy working on a campfire. He doesn't look like he fits in well with the other hikers, so I introduce myself.  He tells me he is called Wrath, like the Grapes of Wrath.  He then starts a monologue about how there is nothing good in the world and we're all just fooling ourselves if we believe there is good.  He just wants to get back to Jupiter where at least the inhabitants are angry and violent, but honest with themselves about it.  I'm not sure if he actually believes what he's talking about or if he's just spouting off to scare people.  I am not intimidated, but he's done talking.  He goes back to tending the fire.  I thank him for the warmth, because it's getting a bit chilly.  "You're welcome," he says with a small smile and a twinkle in his eye.  Wingnut or troublemaker?  I'm still not sure.  Probably a bit of both.  I like it!

5/22 - The Grayson Highlands are a heavily traveled day hiker destination and it being Memorial Day weekend there are tons of people out here.  One of the big draws of the highlands are their wild ponies.  Toward the end of the day I come upon 2 adult ponies and 2 babies.  The babies were too cute!  I had some spinach left over from the resupply and offer it to one of the adults.  She tries a bit and promptly drops it.  I tried to explain that if I had a carrot, I'd gladly hand it over, but this was my best offering.  She just scoffed.
When I turn the corner to the shelter, there are 9 ponies out in front.  The hikers staying in the shelter don't look amused with the cute ponies. they warn me that the ponies will start off licking my pack, then they'll start chewing on it.  Oh fun.  I guess they really need salt.  I opt to camp in a field a bit away from the shelter and salt craving my little pony.

5/23 - Today, I've seen more Boy Scouts than you'd find at a Jamboree.  Everywhere you look there are little villages of multicolored tents with every piece of camping equipment you could possibly ask for.  Glad they are carrying it and not me. everyone is very friendly and can't believe I've come all the way from GA.  Today marks the crossing of my 500th mile on the trail. I'm amazing myself every day with my progress.  W00t me!

5/24 - Today was a 20 mile hike to Partnership Shelter.  This place has a sink, a shower and local pizza delivery.  This is a treat for the hikers.  I just ran to town for a resupply, though so no pizza for me.  I did get myself a half an apple pie as a treat.  I ate the whole thing, then I ate my dinner and I'm still losing weight!  I could get used to this hiker metabolism.

5/25 - After a week of gorgeous weather, the rain returns.  It drizzles on me in the early afternoon, then within a few miles of the stopping point, in the middle of an open cow field, the skies open and piss down on me.  I was going to meet Munk at the shelter and he had the tent, so I press on toward the shelter.  The rain is coming down very hard, but I smell fire.  I head toward the fire to see what's up and maybe get warm.  A couple of guys I'd met before had started it.  They told me that the shelter a mile down the road no longer existed.  I have no option, but to stay at the fire with the guys. Oh no!  They have a tarp set up, so i've got some cover from the rain, but not the mosquitoes.  I have 3 bites on my left cheek and 2 on the right side of my neck.  Must not scratch these bites.  Munk rolls in after dark and is drenched.  We crash under the tarp.  All is well.

5/26 - Virginia is for lovers...and cows apparently.  Today I walked through miles and miles of cow fields.  With all this rain there's lots of mud too and mixed with the mud is cow poo.  Yum!  I spend all day trudging through this lovely mud mixture and, boy, was I thrilled when that was over.  Oh yeah, I've finally got a trail name.  I am known as Gozer teh Destructor.  It is tough and scary.  You watch it, when I get back.  I'll be able to kick your ass too.

5/27 - Today was another day of intermittent rain.  Fortunately, I didn't have to walk too much in it.  I hid out in a shelter for the worst of it, but I had to venture out to find water.  My map said 1.5 miles down the hill there was a spring.  I get there and look around and see nothing.  Now I've got a 6.5 mile walk till the next water source.  Halfway through the walk, I'm desperate.  I lick water drops off leaves.  It sates me for a while.  By the time I get to the water I drink 2 liters and I feel much better. Time for bed.

5/28 - I've heard tell of a church group that serves a big breakfast on a road just a few miles away. I'm looking forward to that until I see an actual sign for it.  Every Monday.  Just a small detail I wasn't told about.  Damn.  So I take it easy and do my mileage today.  Munk and I camp by a creek because it's closer than the shelter and he's not feeling well.

5/29 - I leave Munk and the tent at the creek. I guess he shouldn't have drank from the spring near the highway.  The one with the sludge on top. *shaking head*  I hike up to the shelter and have a short day.  He will hike to catch up with me tomorrow for The Captain's Party in Parisburg, VA.

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Pain and Pleasure House of Fun,  Austin TX