Start: Max Patch Road (AT mi 254.7). Stop: Hot Springs, NC (AT mi 274.9). Today’s miles: 20.6 miles. Total AT mileage: 1938.8 miles.
I slept wonderfully at Happy Gnomads, once I put my earplugs in. The mattress is soft and like dipping into a cloud. Getting out of that cloud completely sucked.. I didn’t get up when I was supposed to, causing Lizard and I to be a little late for our scheduled shuttle. Luckily, Jumangi didn’t mind. He drove us to Max Patch Road laughing and talking the whole way. He has such a good natured demeanor, I can’t picture him ever being angry.
We started northbound from the road crossing and had a mile to go before getting to the top of Max Patch, a gorgeous, grassy summit with nothing but 360 views of the mountains surrounding us. On the way up that mile climb, I got service and called mom to tell her happy birthday. I hate not being there on her day, but she didn’t seem to mind and was happy to hear from me.
On that summit with the views all around, one side had clouds covering but the sun was shining through them, the other side was obviously rain.. and it looked to be dumping buckets. Before we even got off the grassy patch, the sprinkles started to pelt us. Both of us quickly dropped our day packs and got out our rain jackets. A few days ago, the weather called for rain today, which was why I asked Lizard if she wanted to slack pack with me.. then it cleared up, saying no rain-clearly, it was raining now. And it was cold!
We trucked downhill into the tree canopy and kept hiking and talking and making the best of it. At some point, I started chatting and turned to realize Lizard wasn’t there when she didn’t respond. I stood a minute, then deciding she probably paused to use the bathroom or something, I kept going. Overall it was mostly downhill, but there were a few climbs thrown in, and when they appeared they were steep.
I ate my lunch on a rock at a campsite half way up one of those climbs, hoping Lizard would catch up to me before I finished. But when she didn’t, I guessed she stopped to eat around the same time I did. Our paces are so similar. I kept my jacket on most of the day, thanks to the random downpours catching me off guard. The rain did make the leaves color seem to shimmer like they were covered in glitter. It’s easy to see the beauty all around in nature, even when that nature is making things difficult.
I got to town around 4:30 and walked right to the brewery we ate at last night. I got a beer and an order of chips with cheese dip plus a burrito the size of my arm. The lady at the counter also offered me 2 beef empanadas, said they were extra and if I denied them they’d get thrown away.. not happening ma’am. I ate those and almost all of the chips and cheese dip before my burrito was even ready. I had downed my beer and was getting my second one when Lizard walked through. She ordered her food and beer, and we caught up on the day while she ate. Today’s climbs were tough for her, too.
We got picked up by Sunshine around 6:30. I quickly showered the second I got inside the house, hoping for better hot water today. Last night a guy that got there before us apparently filled up the big soaking tub in the other bathroom just before I showered, so the water was lukewarm. Today’s shower: scalding hot just like I wanted it to be! I let it heat up every inch of me before getting out.
Lizard and I put our clothes in to wash and then I laid out on my bed to work on this.. and then I got sucked into the comments section on Instagram.. about nursing no less-I was in tears laughing! When I remembered the laundry, I went out to the living area and saw that Lizard had already swapped it over to dry, and she was on the couch. She said one of the other people in the bunk room was coughing a lot so she felt safer sleeping out here.
I wished my bed wasn’t a full size and that I could have offered to let her share mine. Sharing a bed is always uncomfortable for me-like I’m afraid to breathe or move a muscle because I don’t want to disturb the other person.. so I can’t really relax. Hopefully she sleeps better there than she would in the bunk room. I hope I sleep good tonight too. As I’m typing this, my right hip and low back is aching some. Maybe this cloud is a little too soft after all. Oh well. I pray it’s nothing and it goes away by morning. There’s always something aching while hiking the AT apparently.
Sweet dreams, y’all.