1) Food is worth the weight. It is worth every ounce. Sure it sucks to leave town with the weight of a small person on our backs but we are very happy we chose to do so when our ferocious appetite rears its ugly head. Snicker's bars have become our new best friend (best friend that will rot our teeth out so we're trying to avoid them).
2) Privy's never get better. You think that you would just get used to them and then BAM! you hit North Carolina and they get worse. There is even a privy that faces the trail. Perhaps they wanted to allow you to have conversations with fellow hikers as they walk by. ("Hey Rocky! How's it flowin' today?" "Oh okay, a little dehydrated I think." "That Snicker's bar coming out okay?"). The privy's are also made for midgets. Rob can't close the door while he is utilizing the facilities. I suppose they are better than the toilet areas that you find in Tennessee. Apparently there is some law that does not permit outhouses to be built so they designate certain areas to be used for #2's. In other words, when you think you find a good tree to squat behind and dig a hole, chances are someone else thought that it was a good tree too and you end up digging up their poo. How exciting. Am I enticing you to want to walk the trail?
3) NEVER trust topographical maps. They only disappoint. We looked at the map the other day with 3 1/2 miles left so we could know what kind of terrain to expect. A 1/2 mile into the walk, I hear Rob say "What the hell is that?!" I look up and respond "a mountain". "That's not supposed to be there". "Perhaps nature is playing a cruel game on us?". This is after already going 20 miles so you could understand why we were kind of antsy to get to camp. You see, the trail gets re-routed in some parts each year so we've learned to expect the unexpected.
4) Earplugs are one of our best investments. Old men can be interesting to talk with but they suck to sleep next to. It's bad when a guy sets his tent up across camp and he snores loud enough to keep everybody awake in the shelter on the complete other side. Or when people choose to sleep OUTSIDE of the hostel because the snoring inside of it is too bad.
5) The scenery never gets old. Nature never fails to put us in awe.
6) People who do drugs are dumb. Case in point... 3 hikers smoke a bunch of weed and sit around the fire. Their conversation goes a little like this...
Stoned Girl 1: "This fire is like totally rad. It's like really bright."
Stoned Guy 1: "Dude, this fire like radiates heat."
Stoned Guy 2: "Yeah, it like keeps me warm."
All 3 in unison: "Yeahhh."
Sorry if I just killed a couple of your brain cells by reading this.
Or how about these bright dudes...
3 guys get arrested in Hot Springs, NC. The first guy is pretty intoxicated, is walking around town, and needs to pee. He stumbles to a spot that seems secluded, takes a tinkle, and turns around when done to a cop asking "Are you done yet?" He responds "Yeah ociffer, I just needed to relieve myself." "Well you just relieved yourself on the wall of the police station."
The other two guys are messed up from a conconction of 50 Valium's, Red Bull, and booze. A cop walks up to talk with them and they run. Never run from a cop. Definitely never run from a cop in the South. The two got the crap beat out of them. It's funny though. None of the above parties were ticketed. Perhaps the cops just wanted a little entertainment for the night.
7) Always double check what you send home before you send it home. I debated between which pair of long underwear and which sweater to send home to lighten my load. What do I do? Sent it all. I had a couple cold nights after that when the nighttime temps dropped to the low 40's.
8) There is still humanity in the world. I've never met so many complete strangers that are so kind and generous just because they feel like helping.
9) I am constantly stuck in a boys locker room. Old men fart alot because...well...they're old men. Young men fart to compete with the old men. And they all are really rancid. The floor of the shelter literally vibrates. On top of that, most are lacking female companionship. Conversation is primarily about how to pick up chicks or where to even find one. I think they sometimes forget that I'm not of their gender. Maybe they just don't care. It is likely the latter of the two.
10) Even though my feet hurt at the end of each day, I smell really bad, have to walk in the rain, sleep outside in frigid weather, have hairy legs (maybe that's why they forget I'm a girl), and miss family and friends terribly, we have had the time of our lives as of yet. Simplifying life is great for a new perspective and we learn something new everyday. This truly is a life-changing trip. Well... except for the privies.
2) Privy's never get better. You think that you would just get used to them and then BAM! you hit North Carolina and they get worse. There is even a privy that faces the trail. Perhaps they wanted to allow you to have conversations with fellow hikers as they walk by. ("Hey Rocky! How's it flowin' today?" "Oh okay, a little dehydrated I think." "That Snicker's bar coming out okay?"). The privy's are also made for midgets. Rob can't close the door while he is utilizing the facilities. I suppose they are better than the toilet areas that you find in Tennessee. Apparently there is some law that does not permit outhouses to be built so they designate certain areas to be used for #2's. In other words, when you think you find a good tree to squat behind and dig a hole, chances are someone else thought that it was a good tree too and you end up digging up their poo. How exciting. Am I enticing you to want to walk the trail?
3) NEVER trust topographical maps. They only disappoint. We looked at the map the other day with 3 1/2 miles left so we could know what kind of terrain to expect. A 1/2 mile into the walk, I hear Rob say "What the hell is that?!" I look up and respond "a mountain". "That's not supposed to be there". "Perhaps nature is playing a cruel game on us?". This is after already going 20 miles so you could understand why we were kind of antsy to get to camp. You see, the trail gets re-routed in some parts each year so we've learned to expect the unexpected.
4) Earplugs are one of our best investments. Old men can be interesting to talk with but they suck to sleep next to. It's bad when a guy sets his tent up across camp and he snores loud enough to keep everybody awake in the shelter on the complete other side. Or when people choose to sleep OUTSIDE of the hostel because the snoring inside of it is too bad.
5) The scenery never gets old. Nature never fails to put us in awe.
6) People who do drugs are dumb. Case in point... 3 hikers smoke a bunch of weed and sit around the fire. Their conversation goes a little like this...
Stoned Girl 1: "This fire is like totally rad. It's like really bright."
Stoned Guy 1: "Dude, this fire like radiates heat."
Stoned Guy 2: "Yeah, it like keeps me warm."
All 3 in unison: "Yeahhh."
Sorry if I just killed a couple of your brain cells by reading this.
Or how about these bright dudes...
3 guys get arrested in Hot Springs, NC. The first guy is pretty intoxicated, is walking around town, and needs to pee. He stumbles to a spot that seems secluded, takes a tinkle, and turns around when done to a cop asking "Are you done yet?" He responds "Yeah ociffer, I just needed to relieve myself." "Well you just relieved yourself on the wall of the police station."
The other two guys are messed up from a conconction of 50 Valium's, Red Bull, and booze. A cop walks up to talk with them and they run. Never run from a cop. Definitely never run from a cop in the South. The two got the crap beat out of them. It's funny though. None of the above parties were ticketed. Perhaps the cops just wanted a little entertainment for the night.
7) Always double check what you send home before you send it home. I debated between which pair of long underwear and which sweater to send home to lighten my load. What do I do? Sent it all. I had a couple cold nights after that when the nighttime temps dropped to the low 40's.
8) There is still humanity in the world. I've never met so many complete strangers that are so kind and generous just because they feel like helping.
9) I am constantly stuck in a boys locker room. Old men fart alot because...well...they're old men. Young men fart to compete with the old men. And they all are really rancid. The floor of the shelter literally vibrates. On top of that, most are lacking female companionship. Conversation is primarily about how to pick up chicks or where to even find one. I think they sometimes forget that I'm not of their gender. Maybe they just don't care. It is likely the latter of the two.
10) Even though my feet hurt at the end of each day, I smell really bad, have to walk in the rain, sleep outside in frigid weather, have hairy legs (maybe that's why they forget I'm a girl), and miss family and friends terribly, we have had the time of our lives as of yet. Simplifying life is great for a new perspective and we learn something new everyday. This truly is a life-changing trip. Well... except for the privies.
Hi you Two, I missed sending things as we just got back from Baton Rouge, LA so need a new address and deadline to send if you can for me. Mid 70's today and sunny here at the house. Love U.R.
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