Hiking Trail Journals

Appalachian Trail 2003 - Chelsea's Journals

Entry #65 - June 5, 2003

9:15 PM - Everyone pretty much agreed they wanted to get up early for town. So, we were up @ 6 AM and on the trail around 7. I think we made it in by noon or so. The Trail came out right next to a bank, and then onto a busy highway. We crossed over onto the median and started walking down toward the EconoLodge. Saw someone else hiking up the road - it was Loser. This was funny, because an older guy we saw @ Four Pines Hostel had found a pair of rainpants. We recognized that they were Loser's & said we'd probably run into him, so we took them. We stood there on the median talking, then, with cars whizzing by. Told him we'd meet up later to give him the pants.

Checked into the hotel and headed over to Pizza Hut for the AYCE salad bar & a small pizza. In the afternoon, Loser's mom & stepdad came to visit as they live nearby, and were nice enough to drive us the 2 or 3 miles to the post office to pick up our maildrop. I also ended up getting a package from Mountain Hardwear - new gaiters! Free! They had been @ Trail Days & I told him how my gaiters sucked & were falling apart, so they offered to send a replacement pair.

Relaxed in our stinky room full of all our wet gear and later headed down to the Chinese restaurant for the AYCE dinner buffet - delicious! Rained while we were out, pretty hard, so we were glad to be in town.

Had a great dessert that night, too. We had picked up all the stuff for strawberry shortcake @ the grocery store earlier - an angel food cake, two containers of strawberries, strawberry glaze and whipped cream. YUM! Had enough for breakfast, too.
Managed to escape town without a zero day & left around noon. Did about 8 or 9 miles to a nice spot here on Curry Creek. Since the weather's nice, didn't feel the need to go all the way to the shelter. Possibly a 20+ mile day tomorrow, though, before the weather turns?

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