Drop your pack, take off your shoes---refreshing drinks to order.
Belgian waffles, tasty stew seem like such a dream.
Brownie, Pound Cake
, Apple Pie---all come with ice-cream.Headstones in memoriam are laid just off the trail
Reminding us that in the end all our bodies fail.
This morning I passed a lot of people in tents at Hurricane Gap and at Spring Mountain Shelter. We sort of all joined up at Allen Gap for the best trail magic so far. A typed note attached to a sign near Allen Gap informed hikers of a generous offering down the road to the right and up the first driveway past the North Carolina border. Everyone, with eager anticipation, made the short detour, coming to the porch of a lovely log home where, after dropping packs and removing shoes, we were cordially invited inside. Seated in order of arrival around a large dining room table, our gracious hosts, Hercules and Fal, introduced themselves. In turn, the hikers gathered round the table became acquainted. The funniest thing for me was to see the look of those who had chosen root beer as their beverage when they were asked if they'd like it in a frosty mug with ice cream. The initial reaction was to sit there stunned as if their ears hadn't heard the question properly. After they realized they weren't hallucinating, a broad grin broke out on their faces. Fal kept all of us supplied with Belgian Waffles and when Hercules wasn't pouring drinks he was dishing out bowls of hearty stew. Just when we thought things couldn't get any better, we got the dessert menu, which caused our mouths to begin watering all over again. Incredible. As the meal was winding down, Hercules and Fal shared a message of faith with us and for those that were so inclined, a variety of Christian literature was offered free of charge. As I'm always looking for something to read on trail I selected one from the collection. Spent a little over an hour as an honored guest in their home and as I was leaving, was asked to send a photo from Katahdin marking the end of my trek if I got that far. That's something I'll have to be sure and do.
A long climb out of Allen Gap gaining 2,000 feet in the process. The walk along the exposed ridgeline was slow going, scrambling up and over rocks. I passed so many people as I walked past three different shelters on my way to Big Flat that I reckon I must be pushing my way up into the main pack. This was my twelfth day out, but I'm doing about twice as many miles as the average hiker. I don't really stop to talk much. Sometimes I catch a few trail names, but so many are easily forgotten and at this pace I'm positive I'll never see those I've passed again.
A strange thing coming across headstones alongside the trail. The most prominent were those of William and David Shelton who lived in North Carolina, but fought with the Union Army. Returning to a family gathering during the Civil War, they were ambushed and killed by Confederate troops. Other grave markers bore names of those who in their lifetimes had a special affinity for this section of the trail. On passing I kept a respectful silence while feeling a few pangs of melancholy.
Allen Gap Trail Magic
The North Carolina Border
Rocky Ridgeline
Shelton Graves
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