Punishing, Grueling Climbs punctuated by beautiful views completely obscured by fog and rain.

Chet

Chet’s Garage Hostel

Zero Day. Blazing socks and I went down toe Mr. W’s Pancake house and had a great breakfast. On the TV, the Olympics were being broadcast and it was some kind of game I had never seen before. I went back and looked it up and it turned out to be Team Handball or Field handball. It was cool. France was beating up on Angola but it was more the fact that I was trying to figure out the rules of the game by watching it that was so intriguing. We hit a couple of outfitters. I busted a shoelace and needed to get a new pair. They have like six Lahout’s stores her and each one has a different slant on it. One is a ski shop, one is a Columbia clothing outlet, one is a true outfitter and I don’t know about the other ones; but, I think they carry a lot of the same gear. We made it back to the hostel around 11 and I figured I would just take a zero day. The weather is intermittent and I’d like to be able to see something interesting if I’m going to punish myself with the climb.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Newtonian Hospitality

Beau and Newton Eyeing the Waitress

Newton to Newton

I awoke and changed my laundry to the dryer even though I didn’t really need to since all of my clothing is hiker stuff that’s practically dry right out of the washer. I lay back down and eventually roused myself to the sound of Paul making espresso in one of those aluminum steamer things that go on the stove. He offered me some and he took some up to Newton who was feeling the effects of the Fin Du Mondes from the night before. I got out the computer and started to fix some of the pictures and blogs while I had an electrical outlet and the internet. It was one of those lazy Saturdays and it didn’t seem like very long before I looked at the time and it was 2PM. Newton offered to let me stay another night and although I really wanted to get on the trail, it was still raining on and off and it would be nice to chill out another day. We went out and got a Hamburger at the Irish Pub and there some kind of big High School all-star football game going on at Dartmouth between Vermont and New Hampshire. We got back to the house and eventually went to catch some dinner where we ran into Beau and he joined us. Then we went to see the X-Files movie which I though was really no better than a regular episode. I’ve missed a few years of the X-Files so I might have been in the dark about some things. There were no aliens. That was surprising. One guy really looked like an alien when they flashed to him and the girl whacked him with a garden tool. I thought they were going somewhere with that; but, NOPE! We walked the trail back to Ben and Jerry’s and I met a nice Romanian girl with a “Body by Ben and Jerry’s” T-shirt on. If you had told me she had a body by Ben and Jerry’s I wouldn’t have believed you. She had a body by Hefner if you asked me. I’m glad she didn’t ask me if I wanted my cone Hand Dipped. I might have taken her up on that. We got back to the house in more pouring rain while they both pulled out umbrellas. These guys were on the ball! All I had was a parka and I had to try very hard not to get too much rain in my Mint Chocolate Chunk. I again went to sleep to the rolling thunder and rain pounding on a tin roof somewhere nearby. It’s hard for me to stay awake when the rain is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Ivy League Wanderings

Dartmouth: 0 miles

Got up on the couch and Augie Doggie was sniffin around and growlin at us so I made friends and then brushed my teeth. The girls were cool for letting us stay and we thanked them. I went to Lou’s to get some breakfast and everyone was bustling around and the food was great. I stayed there for hours and talked to so many people my teeth were falling out. Actually that’s not true but it sounded good. I had to go to West Lebanon to pick up some more HDV tapes for the camera because they didn’t have any in Hanover. It was a public transportation situation. The public transport here is totally free and that was really surprising. I got a ride to the Best Buy from a cool girl I met on the bus whose husband works for the Appalachian Trail Council. You gotta love the camaraderie surrounding the trail. I got back to town and set up the command center at the DOC so I could blog and stuff. Shelter Monkey showed up with her pal whose name I keep forgetting to ask. They decided to get a hotel and they split. I sat at the DOC and typed blogs for hours. I got some dinner at Molly’s and I wasn’t really impressed with the particular pizza I ordered. It was some weird, new pizza and it had a strange combination of toppings. The bartenders and waitresses were cool though and they were asking some questions about the trail. The manager allowed me to put my pack in her office which was very cool. The place was packed but I wasn’t feelin’ my kind of vibe so I split and went over to Babba’s place; India Queen. India Queen is a hookah bar and Indian Restaurant which has Samosas. I love samosas ever since I first had them in Africa back in 2000. Delicious meat and Lamb Samosas are like an Indian Version of the Philadelphia Steak Sandwich; just like Carne Asada Burritos are the San Diego version of the Philly Cheesesteak. I ordered a couple of Samosas and ran into Paul from the night before. A very cool couple invited me to stay at their table and we talked about the trail a lot. I’m having trouble remembering their names since I’m typing about four days later right now. They finally split and I ended up talking with a bunch of people that kept showing up until I finally met these two cool cats Newton and Paul. Newton is a professor here in Dartmouth and specializes in Electronic Music. Paul is a Philosophy Professor at another college but they were roommates back in their college days. We had a lot to talk about; music and Philosophy. Before I knew it, it was raining and it was 2AM. Newton asked me if I needed a place to crash and I accepted his offer. It seems we knew a few of the same Musicians on the West Coast. His place was very cool and he really hooked me up with sheets and a futon mattress and comforters when I could have just slept on the tile floor in my sleeping bag. He also had a washer and dryer; which really comes in handy at a time like this. I was in heaven. The window was open and I could hear the torrential downpour rage and I wasn’t experiencing it from a tent for a change. Bliss, sweet bliss! I slept like the dead.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Back Home Again Again

Back Home Again Again
Back Home Again Café

I got up and decided to stay another day here because I couldn’t get a hold of Tom to drive me out to the Trailhead on Vermont Route 12. I rested and took care of some business. I wanted to get out today but I went and saw a movie instead. I saw the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. Don’t go to see Step Brothers. You will wish you spent two hours grinding salt in your eyes instead. I got back to the hostel and did some more work. I went to a meeting, ate dinner and ended up talking to Shelter Monkey for a few hours before bed. I really need to pack but I guess I’ll do it in the morning. Tom is going to pick me up at 8:30 and I’ll be on my way to Hanover.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

White River Junction Veterans’ Hospital

Back Home Again Café/Hostel

I got up and went down for breakfast which was breakfast burritos that were very good despite the fact that it’s the East Coast. Someone around here must have spent time in California. I needed a ride to the VA hospital to get my Hernia looked at and to figure out what my next step was. Should I go back to Philly and get the operation there so I could recoup at a place where I had full amenities? Should I get the operation here since there are less people around here I could probably get the operation sooner and then I could either fly home or recoup at the hostel and then maybe get back on the trail? Maybe I should just fly back to San Diego and get in line for an operation there so I could start working again and making money. Four months with no income has left me in a pretty tough predicament financially. I have gigs coming in so I’ll be fine once I start working but I’d have to lay low for a few weeks until that happens; not to mention the price of gas is so horrible that I probably would have to walk everywhere so I might as well stay on the trail. I did some work here at the hostel to earn my keep and I caught up on blogs. I talked to Yohanan and Ranan and they said they would take me out to the VA after the lunchtime rush. We didn’t get out til 3:30 and I figured they would be closed. White River Junction is about an hour away by car and Indy came with me since he’s going to catch a bus back to Boston and get off the trail. It sucks when money runs out. It de-motivates you. You figure, “What’s the use in doing big miles today? I’m not going to make it to the finish anyway.” I hope he can finish it next year. I hope I can finish it next year. At the hospital they were waiting for me. For some reason my records were messed up and it says I don’t have Combat Status History which is BS so I talked to the guy and I’ll have to get that fixed when I get back to San Diego where I have my records. I’ll have to get all that updated. The wait was pretty short (compared to San Diego) and I was seen within an hour. The doc was a woman and I was thinking, “this is the first time in a long time I’m going to have my pants down in front of a woman. I hope nothing weird happens.” Well, that’s not exactly what I was thinking but you know the deal. I managed to keep things under control (probably because I was afraid of the pain she might inflict on me during the examination). She said I definitely had a hernia although it wasn’t an emergency to fix it. I asked the big question, “Can I stay on the trail?” She looked t me for a minute and then said, “let me see if I can get surgery down here to take a look at it.” It turns out she was a hiker and knowing I was a Marine she called surgery to get them to tell me their opinion. The guy came down and did the examination and actually said that many people live a regular life without getting the surgery; however, climbing the White Mountains of New Hampshire is far from a regular life and he recommended that I not strain it and get the surgery when I could. He didn’t say NOT to hike The Whites. I was really listening too. The conversation went a little like this:

Doctor: You have a hernia but it’s not an emergency. You can get it fixed sometime in the future.
Me: I’m climbing the AT
Doctor: What’s that?
Me: I’m hiking over 2000 miles through the mountains with a backpack
Doctor: That’s insane. Really?
Me: Yeah; but what I really want to know is, can I keep going? I only have 400 miles left; but, it’s really the toughest terrain coming up. The White Mountains are very strenuous.
Doctor: Ummmmmm
Me: If I’m climbing and moving my legs would that make me more susceptible than doing something like bench presses?
Doctor: No, any strain will cause it to pop out. The position of your legs shouldn’t make a difference. Right now it’s popping right back in on its own once you relax your abdomen.
Me: If it pops out and stays out, should I just push it back in?
Doctor: Yes
Me: What if it doesn’t go back in.
Doctor: Go to a hospital. Immediately.
Me: Can I keep Hiking.
Doctor: Ummmmmm
Me: I mean, I’ve hiked a hundred miles since I noticed it.
Doctor: You should try to avoid straining it.
Me: OK sounds good!

I’m going to keep hiking for a while and see how it goes. Ranan came and picked me up after I gorged myself at the China Moon Buffet next to the Vermont Bus Station in White River Junction. These guys are unbelievable in their accommodational behavior. He drove an hour back just to pick me up and take me back to the hostel. I’m going to have to come back here for sure. I was in the bus station and looking at all the destinations and I kept thinking how easy it would be to just jump on a bus and go to Boston and fly back to Philly or San Diego and just chill out. I’m having trouble distinguishing the right voice to listen to here. I don’t want to bail out if I could have done it. I don’t want to do it as a matter of pride or Machismo. I want to keep going if this is nothing to really worry about; otherwise, I’ll be lamenting my decision until I come back and finish it. It will be hard to get back to New Hampshire to finish it. To be honest, the odds are probably slim that I finish the rest of this trail. I feel like I should get it while I can and knock out The Whites and as far as I can go into Maine. This is such a hard decision. I guess I’ll have to sleep on it. It talked to my Mom and she’s obviously against me continuing on and she brought up a good point. If I strangulate it in the wilderness I could die. If I blow it out I could mess up my ski season and I wouldn’t be able to teach this year. I just got my Level 2 PSIA and I was really looking forward to teaching this year up in Tahoe. Leave it to Mom to find the one leverage point that could undermine my recklessness. She’s a darn smart one, my Mom. I think I’ll hike to Hanover (23 miles) with my full pack and see how I feel. My knee has been really bothering me and if that is acting up too, I may just pack it in for the year.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Twelve Tribes Medicine and Maté Bar

Yohanan and Ranan

Back Home Again Hostel

I zeroed today. I didn’t feel like I could get up and catch the shuttle to RT4 in time and do another 18 miles. I thought it would be too messy and slippery after the rain last night and the weather report was looking grim. It was the Shabbat for Twelve Tribes so everyone was off. Ranan still made breakfast though. It was very fattening. He made delicious Cream cheese-stuffed French Toast which was slathered with Vermont Maple syrup. I learned how to make Maple Syrup. Down the street was an open market and they had lots of vegetables but hardly any fruit. I found a guy who made Samosas! I haven’t had a good Samosa since Africa! I still haven’t! Just kidding, it was good but they didn’t have the same kind as they did in Africa. I miss those little, delicious goat-meat triangles. There was a movie theatre and I eventually went to see Hancock which I thought had much more potential. I called the family and talked to them all about the Hernia Situation and what I was going to do. I’m still not sure; I think I’m going to slackpack the last section over Killington and the next day go to the VA and see what they can do for me. I don’t even know if I have coverage for something like this. It’ll probably cost me 10K just to get operated on. I think all Vets should have full coverage. I’m not a fan of socialized medicine because of the poor quality of service in places like Canada and the UK; however, I think that all Vets with an Honorable Discharge should have full medical and dental coverage and I think they shouldn’t have to pay taxes. HAHA! Now that would be awesome. Maybe if they gave Vets a tax break for the rest of their lives that would be better; but basically, unless we retire, we don’t get jack and I think there should be something more. Then again, since I’ve never even really looked into Veterans’ Benefits, maybe there already is something cool and I just don’t know about it; but, I doubt it. We’ll see in a couple of days. I wish I could cut a deal with some doctor or hospital; like, I’ll sing for free at your Daughter’s Wedding or your Hospital Christmas party if you fix my hernia for free. What a nice world it would be for me if I could work out those kind of deals. I eventually went to another celebration at the Twelve Tribes house and came back to the Café/Hostel later. Yohanan offered to take me to the hospital again and I found out it’s right near Hanover, NH which is where my next section would take me. I’m considering hiking the last section and just hiking right to the VA Hospital; but, I’d probably look like one of those homeless, alcoholic Vets comin’ in for a handout. My beard is getting long.

David AKA “Mister Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Zero in Vermont

Green Mountain House Hostel

In an effort to minimize my casualty rate and to keep the trails safe from my tumbling body, I have decided to wait out the rain at this fabulous hostel which has only been open for a week by Jeff Taussig and his Wife, Regina. They have set up an entire house for just hikers and have a kitchen, internet and movies (all about Long Distance Hiking of course). Jeff has section hiked the AT and is doing the Pacific Crest Trail now. The house is very clean with laundry and a shower and I am most impressed. Croc Hunter has decided to stay here another day too so we can go see The Dark Night I have also opted to use this day to buy new socks and a pair of Gaiters which I have been waiting to find for hundreds of miles. I was laying down and I coughed and I felt something strange in my nether region. I’m hoping it’s not a hernia but I think it might be; at least, it feels like what the doctors are always looking for when they tell you to turn your head and cough. I’ll just walk it off, it’ll be fine.

(Later)

We ran into a few other Hikers at the movies and I got all of my shopping done. SOCKS ARE DARN EXPENSIVE! Pun intended. I tried to sew up the holes in my socks but it just wasn’t good enough. Some of the holes were too big and then once they got too close to the fire when I was drying them and they got all crispy so they fell apart. I saw these Smartwool Trekking socks with extra padding and I decided they might increase my distance so I went for it. For a while there I was wearing apair of socks that someone left behind at a shelter that only had holes in the heels where I already have titanium skin from old calluses so I wasn’t worried about it. I brought back a rib-eye and cooked it up. I haven’t cooked a real dinner in along time. It was delicious. Just as I was settling down, ATV showed his face. I thought he was way ahead of me and he thought I was way ahead of him. I guess that’s how it goes. It was getting boring just sitting around and watching Jim Rome bust on Michelle Wie and Brett Favre so I got on the Internet and investigated some methods of healing my knee and just how dangerous is that tea-stained water I’ve been drinking out of ponds and marshes? Some guy fed me a load of crap that Chocolate Milk would hinder my healing and I had to look that up too.
I knew I needed to get back out on the trail. Later on three SOBOs showed up, Mango, Greta and this other guy I can’t remember his name. They were from PA and we were familiar with each others’ habitats of youth. Mango was originally from Venezuela but went to Penn State so we got along just fine. His girlfriend Greta had spectacular legs; maybe the best I’ve seen on the trail yet, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. He’d lost 30 lbs and would get them back I’m sure before he came looking for me! We became good pals and I’m going to ry to look them up when I get finished up in Maine. Maybe I’ll section with them in PA if the time is right and I don’t have to be back in SD. We all want to do the PCT though so maybe that will work out. I didn’t get to bed until 0230 and ATV was still downstairs repairing his thermarest.

David AKA “Mister Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
hotos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
ideos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Why am I still in Dalton?

Still Hangin around

Still in Dalton at Tom’s House: 0 Miles

I rolled over a hundred times this morning, I did not want to get up. The floor was hardly comfortable but Tom had no trees in his yard to hang my hammock. My arms and legs and hip kept going to sleep and then I would roll over or something and they would hurt as they came back to life. You should have seen it; I forgot to take a picture, there were about 15 tents pitched in his backyard. A bunch of people Slack-Packed over Mt. Greylock but I just couldn’t get it going to even do that. Slack-Packing is when you leave your backpack at Tom’s house and he drives you 25 miles up the trail and you walk back to his house with just a water bottle and some trail mix. People like to do that over tough terrain like Mt. Greylock. I got out of bed and walked down to the local place for breakfast and it was great. There were a bunch of old guys in there just BSing and I felt like it must be a cool place to hang out. I just couldn’t get out of Dalton. I went out with Tom and Fire and Wing-it to do some errands and see if I could get some internet. When we got back I had planned to get off my ass and go to at least Cheshire but the Scarlet Seven (-3) sucked me in by telling me that Tom was going to take them to the movies. I was really disappointed when they said they were going to go see “Get Smart” and then I looked for the times for Hancock and it wasn’t going to work but I decided what the hell, just Zero and go see the movie, I needed to get an HDV Tape Head Cleaner at Radio Shack anyway. The movie was OK. It definitely had its moments; but, I’ll bet Hancock is better. I also managed to get my hands on a Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, Ahhh, I love those things! We got back and watched some weird paranormal crap on the TV and I played guitar for a while before going to the dungeon to sleep on the floor again. It sucked. I should have gotten back on the trail. I will say this; Tom is an awesome dude. He had so many people in his house and he drove everyone around and he asked for nothing. He puts a ton of miles on his car just helping people out and shuttling them to different parts of the trail so they can slack-pack and get to the post office and the mall or wherever. He’s a very cool dude and I’m glad I met him; however, I really wish I would have just walked right through Dalton. I keep getting sidetracked and I’m going to fall behind schedule. At least I managed not to spend hardly any money. Usually these towns suck up a bunch of dough as well as your time. Tomorrow I’m definitely getting the hell out of here and I’ll try to summit Mt. Greylock and get to Williamstown by Wednesday.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Tom takes care of everything

Don't eat this one!

Cookie Lady’s House to Dalton MA: 10 Miles - Total Miles: 735.2

Damn came and with it Rufus; barking at the dawn and rousing the Mosquitoes with it. Damn you Rufus and Damn the Dawn! Actually there was this really beautiful sunrise that came in through the bug net in my hammock. I would have taken a picture of it but that would have meant getting up and getting out of my haven and then getting back in and blah blah blah. I enjoyed it sans documentation. We only had about 10 miles to Dalton and planned on staying there so we were in no hurry to get out of there. Eventually we packed up and split and made our way into Dalton over a few mountains that seemed to just go by without notice. As I came in to Dalton there were some trail Magic Sodas in a box by the railroad and I grabbed an orange soda. I was walking down the street and suddenly there were all these trekking poles in this one lawn. I looked on the porch and about ten hikers were there: Snake; Whitefish, Top Hat, Papa Bear and the Preacher Boys, Bruhawk and Magnus; and a few others. The man whose house it was, Tom, was out taking some people to get hoagies but the Scarlet Seven (-3) showed up and Tom came by and he invited us to stay at his house I got a shower and more and more people showed up. I weighed myself and I was 170 with Boots on. That means I’m about 165. That means I have lost about 30 lbs since May! Holy Crap! I borrowed a bike and went down to get lunch and cruise around a little. Most of the guys were getting hammered. I wasn’t feelin’ it so I went o take care of some electronics. I should have blown through Dalton and gone on to Cheshire. Oh well, tomorrow I will go get some lunch in Cheshire and go through to Mt. Greylock. The Scarlet Seven (-3) is making a credible case for Zero and I’ll resist as well as I can but something tells me that the Movie Theatre with “Hancock” playing in it might have too strong an appeal. I heard there’s a mall too. Oh God, give me the strength to resist the Scarlet Seven (-3). I got back and everyone was wasted, well, not everyone but suddenly there were rumors of a trip to the Old Country Buffet. There were about twenty people that wanted to go. Tom was very accommodating and he was driving everyone everywhere and took two carloads of people to the buffet. I was full on about one and a half plates believe it or not. I ran to the supermarket across the street and tried to find instant coffee packets and Propel packets but they only had the Propel so I snatched it up and ran back before Tom took the last car back.. I tried to get internet access but to no avail. There was no cell phone access again. I went to the local bar and no dice there either but I did get to type out some blogs, I’ll post later. I slept in the basement on the floor and it was very dark in there. It’s strange to have a headlamp on you all the time. It really comes in handy.

David AKA “Mister F. Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1

Zero or Hero?

Greymoor Friary to Greymoor Friary 0 miles
Zero or Hero?

I think I’m going to zero. My foot is in a lot of pain. I can barely walk on the bastard; although, I’ve been blogging and walking around a little and it gets better so I may just throw three pairs of socks on and go for 10 miles today. There’s a campsite but I’d like to make Kent, CT as soon as possible because there is an outfitter there and I need those gaiters to keep my feet dry. They make some neoprene ones that wick off of your legs so when the sweat pours down it doesn’t go into your boots. I also think I’m going to get a kilt. Walking around everywhere in my underwear is getting a lot of crazy looks. It think people are beginning to figure it out. A bunch of guys have rolled in here this morning, Mangy Mo, Goodfella, Shakedown Cruise as well as Papa Bear and the Preacher boys who I was calling The Christian Brothers and Dad and it turns out there are only three brothers and all this time I thought there were four. Hmmm. I’ll post all these blogs and see if I can get on the road. It’s supposed to rain today after 2PM: 50% chance of thunderstorms. We’ll see what three pairs of socks feels like and maybe I can get back on the trail. 1400

Ok that was at 1400, now it's 1837. It rained a little and I didn’t want to go out, then I finally said, "I'm going!" I packed up and spilled a Camelbak of water all over me and then the wind really kicked up and it looked like it was going to be bad. remembering the wondrous pizza the night before, I contemplated the possible difficulties I might encounter with a bum foot leaving at 4PM and none of the scenarios really seemed very appetizing. I decided to stick it out and get some more pizza. I popped the blister and sterilized the area. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll be god to do 18 to the next shelter. Pizza and early bed. Yeah man! Some cool people showed up:

Cat, Leggz, Indy, Windjammer

David AKA “Mister Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
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Uncle Johnny's Hostel 3

Ride To Dinner

Uncle Johnny's Hostel 3

I got up and my legs are killing me! Normally I feel stiff in the morning, but it goes away after I walk around for a little bit. Not today! I think it's been all of the bicycling on single-gear mountain bikes, stuck in either the highest gear or the lowest gear; or, slipping between two inappropriate gears every three or four strokes. If I ever get a chance to come back here, I’m bringing a bunch of tools and fixing all of his bikes! The backs of my legs are seizing up for no apparent reason and my ankles have turned into "cankles" which, for those of you who don't know, are the combination of a Calf and an Ankle. My ankles are very swollen and I generally feel like blah. I really didn’t feel like hiking out and I was getting worried when salvation came! Cyclone's tooth cracked and part of his filling came out! It looks like we need a dentist, so he's going to call one in Erwin tomorrow. I couldn't be more relieved that Cyclone's tooth was falling out.

I had picked up a copy of "Catch 22" from the library yesterday for 25 cents and I planned to read it but then Rolex finished his copy of "No Country For Old Men" so I sat around all day and read that book. I saw the movie when it came out and I’d have to say the book was better; especially how they explain that Moss is dead, oh sorry, I guess I just ruined it for ya :(). When I saw the movie I was wondering how it would go for the sequel but after reading the book, it’s pretty clear what's going to happen. Rolex has been reading this book for a while and he keeps asking me all these questions since I saw the move but I can’t remember all the details and it was getting annoying so now I read it and he’s not asking me any more questions.

I finished the book in one day and then started on Joseph Heller's "Catch 22." I've been meaning to read this book for a long, long time. I think I started it once but never finished it. If we keep staying at Uncle Johnny's I should be done by tomorrow. I took a bunch of Ibuprofen (Vitamin "I"), hoping to bring the swelling down and hopefully I'll get some sleep, I need to elevate my feet tonight to try to reduce some of the swelling. My ankles look like balloons. Sometime during the day just about everyone we know came in: Cubit, HaHa, Daniel (who may have just gotten the trail name Rasputin)and his sister Brittany, 3 others whose names escape me right now, the NC crew, and we met Hercules.

We moved into one of the cabins instead of the bunkhouse and it’s nice. It’s the place that Johnny’s Mom stays in when she’s here. It was comfortable and I’ll be bale to prop up my feet. Tomorrow, Cyclone should be getting his tooth fixed at the local dentist and then the next day we should be back on the trail. We’re losing a lot of ground by staying here so long but it’s probably a good thing for my legs as well. I can’t explain the pain that seizes up my legs at totally unpredictable times. I’ll be walking just fine and then all of a sudden BAM! They get like a cramp and it feels like my tendons are getting pulled behind my knee. Then, as soon as it hits, it’s gone and I’m limping gingerly, wondering if it will strike again. I wish I knew what was wrong. I’m thinking it’s a potassium deficiency or something like that. I looked it up on the Internet but I can’t find anything definitive; although, I have seen a bunch of other people’s complaints about the same condition. Maybe it will be gone in the morning…

David Patrone AKA "Jukebox"


Website:
http://www.brotherproof.com
Blog:
http://brotherproof.blogspot.com
Pictures:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Film:
http://www.youtube.com/wbaf1
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/brotherproof
David's Website:
http://www.davidpatrone.com

Uncle Johnny's Hostel 2

Uncle Johnny's Porch

Uncle Johnny's Hostel 2

We had decided to take a "Zero day" on our way down the mountain but we ended up working harder on our zero day than we do hiking. We had to re-supply, we had to take a bunch of stuff back to the post office and of course we had to eat lunch. Seemingly normal tasks you might say; except, all we had were bicycles and town was none too close. We got some great footage of the landscape while riding and thankfully it was pretty flat all the way into town.

It was damn hot though; and as we got into town, the freight train almost messed everything up. They have a freight train that goes right through the middle of town here, and when I say Freight Train, I mean one of those two-mile long deals that has to back up every so often; which, usually happens when you're stuck on the wrong side of it, staring at the blinking red lights and you were on your way to a wedding or to pay your taxes (at 11:58 the night of April 15) or you ate some questionable Mexican dish at the lunch buffet at the Best Western and needed to get back RIGHT NOW MOTHER#$$%$!! Well, we had a bunch of stuff to mail back and the post office is on the other side of the railroad tracks. Cyclone and I came cruising up after the clackers had gone down and although the train was close, it was moving slowly; so we ran the clackers and rolled up on the Post Office. It was 11:30 or so and the post office would close at noon. Rolex was takin’ his sweet-ass time and he got caught since he was way behind us on a bike with only one gear (and the wrong "one gear" to have at that). What we didn't know was that he hadn't put his stuff to be mailed in Cyclone's Backpack. We figured it was OK, he could just sit there and wait, since he was being a slowpoke anyway. Then we got the call on our cell phone that he had stuff to mail out. DAMN! We got lucky though, he managed to get across the tracks at about 11:58 and came slidin' in sideways to the post office and we mailed out his stuff.

We took another loooong bike ride up to the supermarket, packed five days worth of food for three men in one school size backpack and hit every soft-serve ice cream shop on the way home! That's what 98 degree days are for!

Back at the ranch, we hung out and played guitar, read some books, ate some food and watched the guys get drunk again. More people we knew had rolled in and were staying at the Hostel so it was a fun time with old and new friends. Uncle Johnny is pretty cool, he has a ton of stories, as you might imagine a guy who has run a hostel like this for many years might have. I’m going to get in to bed and relax, my legs hurt and my ankles are swelling a little. They should be fine in the morning. I don’t think I’m going to feel like heading out tomorrow but we have to keep moving.

David AKA "Jukebox"


Website:
http://www.brotherproof.com
Blog:
http://brotherproof.blogspot.com
Pictures:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Film:
http://www.youtube.com/wbaf1
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/brotherproof
David's Website:
http://www.davidpatrone.com

Zero In Gatlinburg

The Crew watching Cyclone Sing

We got up and went to get some breakfast at this pancake place we heard about and ended up walking all over Gatlinburg before settling on a Burger King. It was horrible; we just kept getting mad at each other and not being able to decide on a place. Hiking with three brothers can really suck. Right after we left the hotel, we ran into a whole crew of people we knew including Cubit, MMM, Jill, and MacGyver. We found out they had been here last night too and they went to Karaoke, so we missed them, DAMN! That would have been fun. They were contemplating staying in town again tonight and that was making a Zero Day seem very nice.

Our bodies are still messed up but we really want to get down the trail. At this point we’re getting angry at each other all the time and part of it is because we aren’t meeting our goals in mileage. I keep reassuring the fellas that we are going to speed up at some point; it’s only been two weeks. It will take a month just for us to get our hiking legs. That’s not helping though. I’ve never done anything like this before but it seems to me that we’ll be able to make a lot of time once we get used to it. No one else seems to agree with me. Money is looking like it might be an issue as well; but, I’m trying not to think of that and let God handle the worrying. I’ll handle the hiking.

We couldn’t decide on a place to eat and we ran into Dixie Dawg and his partner Kansas. I think that’s his name. We saw them walking down the street and they looked like a couple of rough characters. I imagine the three of us look equally seedy and tentative. No wonder people keep getting out of our way; maybe we smell too.

During an Indiana Jones inspired breakfast at Burger King, we decide to take a Zero and get a cheaper hotel that we heard about up the street from Stoplight number 8. The stoplights are all numbered here and you can find anything by asking what stoplight it is next to. I heard about this when I was reading about Gatlinburg in the trail handbook and I thought it was funny so I wrote a song called “Stoplight Number 3” I will sing it for you sometime.

The hotel was a bargain and we ended up getting a double suite for the same price as a single. I borrowed the front desk’s computer and sat up there for hours catching up on blogs while the girls there were taking reservations and stuff. It was weird; I was just hanging out behind the counter like I worked there, uploading pictures and blogs and trying to answer my email. We’ve been getting a few donations from people and that is really nice. It makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something in light of our substandard mileage attempts.

Later that evening we went out in town, had dinner two friends of Cyclone’s who came down to hang out with us. We would later give him the trail name of Blue Blaze and her name was Stephanie. We ate a great steak dinner. Cyclone quizzed the waiter on his Meat Knowledge since Cyclone used to be a butcher and we all had delicious cuts of fine beef. We cruised over to the Karaoke bar after that and met up with all the hikers. Everyone sang. Cyclone did this great ray Charles tune and Rolex and I were surprised at his soulful voice. We’d never heard him get that “urban” before. We left the bar in stages related to our preference and the night ended in the way that nights like that tend to end. If it sounds like I’m not really saying anything; well, that’s because I’m not.

David AKA "Jukebox"

Website:
http://www.brotherproof.com
Blog:
http://brotherproof.blogspot.com
Pictures:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Film:
http://www.youtube.com/wbaf1
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/brotherproof
David's Website:
http://www.davidpatrone.com