3/28 Part II

At first I though they were decorative versions of the band people use just below their knees to help with inflamation but on closer inspecion they were a serires of washer shaped stones around one inch in diameter that were woven with a eathry toned yard directly to his leg. He said they were not removable and just stayed there all the time trapped by the calf and knee. Very beautiful work he had done himself.
The trail up Newfound Gap was wide and sloped very mildly for the the tourist so the hike out of the gap happened in a flash.
At the next shelter everyone caught up with Shatter who had some leftover munchies that previous campers had left behind. I enjoyed a Go-Gurt and a red delicous apple. We also heard a weather port that rain was about to hit.
With that news we hit the trail. On the trail I heard a call or yelp that didn't sound like anything I had ever heard. I suspected it was someone on a switchback below playing around.
The sun came out and it looked like we had dodged the storm so I took a snack break by the side of the trail and Shatter caught up with me. We spent a while talking about this and that and finally we settled on privies. Most hikers take them for granted but I had found out they are rather complex and the source of a massive amount of labor on the part of the trail maintianers of which Shatter is a part of. SnackBreak caught up, stayed a while, and pushed ahead. I stayed with Shatter and talked for a while. It turned out the sound I had heard earlier was Shatter messing with us.
The weather turned for the worst. Thunder and misty rain rolled in. We hiked together for a while he stopped to talk to someone and I pushed on. He is a faster hiker and started catching up soon after. As he hiked he sung or rather chanted in Sanskrit which reverbed off the terrain to fill the trail with resonate sound. He caught me again and then again stopped to talk with someone else.
At the junction with Perks Corner Shelter ManyName, Renasance Man and I had to decide whether we wanted to stay or make the push, risking rain, to the next shelter 5 miles away. I was waffling but when Snack Break caught up I decided to go with the group and I am glad I did. We said our good bys to Shatter and ran. The rain never came and we made great time into camp before dark. There we ran into some other people we knew, namely Twiglet, Pebble, Rainbow, Mississippi Mule along with some people out for spring break. It had been a long tough day and I am sure my sleep will come easily.