Well, we've had a few turbulent days waiting to hear what's going on with our hiker. Yes, she'd hurt her leg, but by the next day she had caught up with someone that she is enjoying the company of....."Fanny Pack" is his trail name. They are hiking together and at about the same pace. They are enjoying conversation and have a lot in common, so for now.....all is well.
Backpeddling for a moment though, we hadn't heard from her all day Sunday....which when you are expecting to hear, and know that the trails have been slick, that her leg is hurt, that there are bears, and that she is with someone you only know as "Fanny Pack" .....all day was VERY long! Of course, friends, and grandparents checking in to ask if you've heard, only makes it seem even LONGER!! This afternoon, the plans for a road trip were beginning to form when I just heard from her (almost 40 hours later!).
She is in Cherokee, NC., and hitched into town with some hikers so that she'd be sure to have reception on her phone....it has been recommended to me by TheCrazySheepLady that I buy Kristin a Smartphone.
Kristin was excited but sad to report that she had missed hiking with Missy Bishop and Mark Bell - and a few others from MCTC whose names she didn't recognise -by just a day. She'd gotten to the shelter on Sunday night to find that they'd been there just a day ahead of her! She asked that I please post this so that they could see that she'd seen where they'd signed in (Missy and Mark are from the MCTC- Community College, and she'd hiked with them in the Smokeys last fall)! Sorry you missed each other....would've been fun for everyone!
She's planning to make it to Standing Bear Farm Hostel and catching a ride to the bus depot to head home for Kelly's Graduation. She'll get in to Lexington and I'll get her from there. We'll see her for just a few days and then she'll head back out this weekend to resume her footsteps along the trail.
The shelters have been very crowded and she's needed to tent on the perimeter each night. However, the weather has been beautiful for a change, and she's enjoyed the clear skies and views.
Sunday night she had supper early, and then she and Fanny Pack hiked until late in order to make it to the shelter that night. She said they'd hiked a couple hours in the dark, but no one is allowed to just camp along the trail.
Her food supply is holding and keeping her satisfied; she hungrier now that the mileage is higher each day. She says the whole time she's hiking she's thinking about either her career path or her next meal! :)
Does that surprise us? hee,hee!
Kelly was able to borrow a backpack from a friend of Kristin's (trail name Chapstick) so she'll be good to go when she's ready to head out and catch up with her.
Well that's all for now. We hope to see her later this week. At that point, she should have a chance to update the Blog herself.
~Pat
If Kelly needs anything else, tell her to come over and rustle through my gear. I've got pretty much anything she'd need and it's been pretty bored for several years :-/.
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