Hiking Trail Journals

Appalachian Trail 2003 - Chelsea's Journals

Entry #26 - April 17, 2003

8:45 PM – Our packages were here today! We were surprised – and glad! Other people kept saying the mail runs slow around here, so we thought we might be waiting awhile. Shankadelic has been here since Tuesday (Today’s Thursday) waiting. Last night was pretty fun. T-Bird had a package of Peeps. Rocky had never heard of them, so everyone started calling him Peeps, much to his displeasure. Eventually it became Smokey Peeps. We all thought it was quite hilarious.

This morning Andy, Julie and I went up to catch the shuttle into the Village. Shank told us it should be by around 9:00, but we weren’t sure if we could rely on his info. We were up there waiting and for some reason Julie started taking everything out of her pack, looking for something, when I saw a van drive by, toward the Dam. I figured it might be the shuttle, so Andy and I headed toward the road so if it was, it’d see us on the way back. Well, it was the shuttle – he slowed down to pick us up, and Julie was standing there with her pack exploded all over the sidewalk! The driver waited, but GOD did I laugh the whole time.

So, we got a ride in. Got a room at the Registration Center and checked email - $0.20/minute internet service! Went up to the room (Fontana Inn) and then went down to the Outfitter and then to do some laundry. Julie was down there, so we stayed outside on the porch and waited for our clothes to be done. We got our packages – what a treat! Cards for Andy’s B-Day, food & goodies, and – guess what – more PEEPS! What a riot. As the afternoon wore on, more people showed up to enjoy the marshmallow goodness.

Eventually walked back up to the Inn in the rain to organize our food & get ready for the dinner buffet.

The creepiest moment of the day? Opening the room door to go to dinner and finding a baby brown snake coiled just outside. I’m hoping it didn’t crawl out of our stuff. I’m hoping there isn’t a nest somewhere near. I’m hoping it’s not a baby rattler with a big mama close by!

On to the Great Smokey Mountains tomorrow!

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