
Another few hours on the trail had me out to Winding Stair Gap early, and it was about a mile walk along the road before my thumb proved its usefulness. The kind souls that picked me up were happy to take me into the Budget Inn where my mail drop waited. The passenger was a thru hiker class of '98, Huff and Puff, and he related some stories from his hike. The driver was a retired nurse who had just received a grant for making a goat cheese factory on her farm. My arrival at the Budget Inn had me staying alone, a nice change of pace from the last town stop, and I went about my usual resupply tasks. I gathered food and fuel with various other sundry item (Vitamin I being a crucial component) and made a special effort to not bring double the food I needed. My appetite still hasn't matched my output, and the postal scale has me approximately 6 pounds lighter in 10 days. I feel fine, so I can't really complain, but I need to put in more effort to getting some more food in me. At this rate I'll make Maine at the weight of a small child.
I also stopped by the barber, as the length of my beard was bothersome and I wanted a trim up top as well. Apparently a number 1 guard on the clippers is different in North Carolina than it is elsewhere in the country, as when she turned me around to the mirror I was almost hairless. The red beard isn't completely gone, but it would take a razor to get it any closer. I'm sure it'll be too long again in no time. I'm off to dinner at the steakhouse and then to bed. Shuttle is at nine in the morning, and I've got another 2100 miles and 13 states to go.
Rhiannon is awesome.
ReplyDeleteSo are you, Dan.
ReplyDelete