4/6 Yet another late start

4.2 miles hiked today, 338.7 miles N
Curly Maple Gap Shelter

Today I woke rather early. I am not sure why since I went to bed late last night. I spent the extra time catching up editing my journals and getting them out. Janet came down and started breakfast. Meanwhile hikers from all the hotels in town started fileing in waiting for the food to be served. I was lucky to get a seat at the table. There was around 30 people who turned up. On the table was french toast, scrambled eggs, and cheese girts.

Being a northerner I wasn't raised wit grits but I have come to love them. At Elmers I loved the grits themselves and at Janets for what one could put in them. They were awesome and I spent most of the day thinking of them.

I saw the weather report which predicted lows in the teens, highs in the 30s and lots of wind. I decided I needed to rework my whole food startagy. I resupplied with 4 pop tarts, 2 oatmeal pies, 3 snickers bars, and 1 granola bar. All of these I can eat while I walk so hopefully I can hike the day without stopping. I have dumped out my iodine bottle's water so it wont frezze and crack. Also I bought 2 ramen, 1 packet dehydrated mixed veggies, and 4-8 tbs of paramsan cheese for a meal. To this I will add 2 tbs oil. The way I figure the candy packs have about 2430 calories and dinner will have about 2000 calories to keep me going and warm. That is about 1000 more than my normal dose. I have one of the diner and snack packs for each day for the next three cold days. After that the temps are predicted to go back up and I think I can cope with my regular food.

Back at Miss Janet's I received a package from Dana. It was the shoes I had ordered to replace the old ones I am wearing. My lovely girlfriend padded the package with middle eastern spiced deep fried fries, puffed spiced and deep fried mixed grains, and Halava. All packed with calories to keep a hungry hiker going. With these I guess time I have about 1000+ extra calories per day for the next 5 days.

The new shoes fit OK, still I bounched my old one ahead in case the new ones didn't work out. When I started hiking I noticed the heel cup hugs my heel so tighly it is messing up my uphill stide. I am going to fiddle with lacing and see if I can fix that. Not matter what though I think I may need to order large shoes next time, I think my feet have grown. I am gett far more blisters and my ring toes are running out of space.

I have decided being in town is like watching TV, time just disappears. I never really stopped getting ready but I still didn't get to the trail until 5. McGyver had left at 3 but when I got to the trail I found he was just starting on a burger. We set off together along the Nolichhucky river a few minutes later. The trail followed the river about three miles and then climbed steeply up into the Curly Maple Gap. It only took a hour an a half. The temp was fridget and dropping. We hunkered down and tried to keep warm. The sound of the freight trains going through town makes it up here but otherwise it is quiet. It is just starting snow. I hope the drifts aren't too deep tomorrow.