Rain and Snoring...

Hello everyone,

I've made it to Fontana Dam.  There's no cell service here so my apologies for not calling anyone.  I've got 15 minutes on the hiker hostel's compuer ... so I've decided to post an update.  Tomorrow, after I pick up my resupply box, I'll head into the Smokey Mountains. Things feel good.  Feet are sore, calf is better and my outlook, regardless of the weather, is good. 

The weather has been a bit wet lately.  Yesterday, just as I made it to the last three walled shelter before decending into Fontana Dam, the skies opened up and I experienced thunder and lightening, like I never have before.  Whooo weee!  The rain came down in sheets.  Nature is more than impressive.

Three of us made it to the shelter without getting wet.  There was me, Koop and Itchy Balls.  Others showed up but I don't recall their names.  A man and woman showed up, chatted a while and then set back out in the downpour.  Another guy showed up but is a hammock camper, so he trecked off into the woods and hung his hammock.  Backpacker hammocks aren't like your typical backyard hammock.  They're more like a tent that's suspended between two trees.  They have rain flies (just like a tent) but they're lighter and more compact so that makes them popular with thru hikers.

As the rain continued to pour and the lightening filled the sky I decided that the eight miles I'd hiked that day might just be enough.  Koop, Itchy and I chatted about everything from politics to computer electronics before we all cooked up our own dinners and rolled out our sleeping mats and bags for the night.  The rain continued to pour and I found myself hoping that it was stop by this morning because I didn't want to hike in such a torrent. 

We talked late into the night.  The rain continued to pound on the shingle roof and the cold night air crept in to the three walled shelter.  We drifted off to sleep listening to the rain and thunder. 
I'm not sure what woke me up first, Itchy's snoring or the thunder cell which seemed to be directly over the shelter.  The lightening flashed and I counted one one thousand, two one thousand before the loudest thunder clap I've ever heard.  I swear it shook the ground.  The power of nature is amazing.

The rain continued and I sat up in my sleeping bag to watch it.  Finally getting sleepy again I decided to lay back down to get some rest.  It was then that I realized just how bad Itchy's snoring was.  He was turned on his side, facing me, and sorning at what might equate to a jet engine decible level (but I've been told that my snoring is just as loud).  After enduring several hours of this torture, I came to the decision that anyone subjected to four or more consecutive hours of freight train style snoring should only be charged with a misdemeanor should they be unable to resist the urge to strangle their shelter companion. "Encroachment," which Itchy was also guilty of should further reduce the strangulation penalty to a simple infraction and $50 fine.  Ultimately, there was no harm and no foul ... but I never thought I'd be spooning with a guy named Itchy Balls in the middle of a rain storm, in the middle of a forrest.  Next time I think I'll take my chances in my tent! 

This morning, albeit a bit blurry eyed, I crawled out of my sleeping bag and into a picture perfect day.  A perfect day for hiking.  :-) 

Well ... until next time.  I hope you are well and enjoying every moment of every day.

Happy Trails,
Yahtzee