[at-l] (no subject)

[Felix]

(I'm having trouble with the cut and pastry of this. sorry if it don't come out 
too goodly. sorry it has all been said here too many times. But, not sorry 
enough to not keep saying it) 



12/26/98

My sheltermates were sleeping in their tents
inside the Shelter when I left between 8 and 9. It  was a crisp
18º. The sky was clear and the trees roared with high winds dancing with
the branches. I made good time (too cold to stop) to Clingman's Dome.
Climbing the tower was a very satisfying thing. The highest point on the
Trail, one of my favorite places on Earth, another landmark
'accomplished' and what I thought an oddly ironic song in my head (John
Mellencamp's "Your Life is Now". It was the first time I'd ever heard
the song, and thought it odd that John was telling me that, perhaps,
this moment was what it had all been about. Wasn't it?) The wind chill
on that cement top had to be below zero. I didn't spend much time
hanging around. I headed back to the Trail with a nice little adrenaline
rush. I kissed the sign. I always kiss that sign.

Once I got  to lower elevations, the winds died down and the day was
beautiful. Mid to upper 20's with plenty of sunshine. My favorite hiking
conditions. I stopped at Derrick Knob for a snack and found a note from
my  friend Albatross. I had missed him by minutes somewhere along the way. I 
hiked
on. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day. I was cruising along and having
the best time of my life.

The sun was starting to set as I climbed Thunderhead. I picked up the
pace a bit to see if I could get to the summit in time to see any of it.
See it I did. As I hiked through the Rhododendron maze that makes up the
summit of Thunderhead, I noticed the powder-blue sky was clear and
beautiful. I had no idea what else there was. I got to the pile of rocks
at summit-proper. I put my right foot on top of the pile and balanced
myself with my ski poles. As I lift myself up, raising my head above the
Rhododendrons, I was. That, I believe, was the defining moment of my
life. That was, I believe, the most, and possibly the only, religious
moment of my life. It was, without doubt, the most incredible single
moment of my life. I said "Yes!" I said it again.

I enjoyed things from the pile of rocks for but a few minutes. When I
stepped off that pile of rocks, I was invincible. I hiked away from that
pile of rocks feeling like my feet were inches off the ground. What an
emotional high. I got to Spence Field S. with the plan of stopping if
someone else was there. It was still light enough to see the new
bear-bag cables as approached the shelter. No people, no firewood, no
Felix. As I got back to the AT, as I was making my first steps south,
toward Russell Field, "Got You Where I Want You" (the song of the hike)
began. "Yes", I said again. I got to Russell Field feeling good. I took
my pack off and ate some M&M's while getting things ready for the night.
"Yo! Felix!" I said to my ownself. "What are you doing? You don't want
to stop. Hike on. " And, I did. Hiking after dark in the Smokys, running
on adrenaline and emotion, is an incredible thing. Incredible, indeed.
When I laid down at Mollies Ridge, at 9:30, I was still wound up. I'd
love to read my register entry for that day. The best day of my life. A
day I saw no other human.


12/27/98
I hiked to the Fontana Dam. I hitched a ride to the motel with a guy who was 
stoned. The ride would have been scary enough without the added element of 
drugs in the veins. I made it. It was Sunday and I wanted to watch NFL football 
and take a shower. The black and white Philco (I'm serious) wouldn't pick up 
anything (I'm also serious), so I took showers. Lots of showers. Showers became 
my hobby. (I’m serious)

When the guy that runs the motel dropped me off at the Trail the next
day, 12/28/98, it started sprinkling. It soon began pouring, and did the rest 
of the day. 'twas a miserable day. Ask the group of young boys that were
there with their fathers. I passed them, about 12 in all, in little
groups. They weren't having much fun. I hiked on to Stecoah Gap. I was
very pleased as I began to cross the highway, rain still falling, to see
a large, hairy man emerge from a small, steamy car. 'twas my good buddy
Pittsburgh there to see me, and take me to more showers. (Seperate
showers, mind ya.) After hiking all day with cold water pounding me, I
couldn't wait to spend a few minutes with hot water pounding me.

Pittsburgh and I watched the Steelers get beat on Monday night football. We had 
a very nice room in Robbinsville, NC and it had a nice shower. The next 
morning, 12/29/98 he dropped me off at Stecoah Gap. The day was drizzly, 
overcast, chilly and uneventful. It was Tuesday. I called my mom from NOC. It's 
always good to talk to your mom. I took a break at Morgan Shelter and it was 
dark when I left there for Wesser Bald Shelter. Somewhere in between, it 
started to snow. Temps were dropping and it was unpleasant. After I got to the 
shelter, I
walked around in the wind-blown snow, looking for a non-existent privy.
No, I would not have looked had I known it didn't exist. It got very
cold that night. Cold and windy. My sleeping bag had snow on it the next
morning.

-- 
Felix J. McGillicuddy
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com