Day 15

Day 15
03.08.08
Rock Gap – Franklin

Woken up by a familar pain. Well the inconclusive results have been concluded, I still have a kidney stone. I run over to my pack and get out some pain killers and ibuprofin. I pace a little bit to help take my mind of the pain, it doesn’t work.

By now 20 mins have gone by so I move back into the shelter and snuggle in my warm bag wait for the medication to kick in about another 45 mins goes by and still in pain. My psychy is slowly breaking down, I reach my hand out in the direction Toad is sleeping in and I make contact with either a hip or knee. This is now the most comforting feeling in my needy state, before I know it I finally pass out from the pain.

The shelter awakes about an hour and half from me passing out. We all wake to a bitter cold and snow flurries. I’m happy to be pain free right now.

The group is tearing down their sleeping arrangement, I talk with Toad and explain the whole situation with my hand touching her from outside her sleeping bag, I don’t want her to think I was trying to grope her last night. She understands the situation and tells me she never even felt anything. I push out of camp pretty quickly so I can get into town and out of this cold. I slowly catch up to Jessica and Toad. Toad steps to the side and says, go on thru half brew. I explain to her after last nights painful episode, I’m feeling needy and really don’t want to hike alone. She is understanding, so we spend the next 3.8 miles talking about all the food we are going to eat in town.

We make it to the road crossing just before 9, and according to our guide book, Ron Haven local trail angel shows up at the trail head at 9 everyday. 9:00 comes and goes quickly, the snow is falling hard now and the wind is cutting thru me. I decide to start to walk towards town get a hitch or at least get picked up by Ron on his way up the mountain. Several cars go flying by, and no luck with a hitch. I hit a scenic over look turn off, and check my cell for a signal. I get Beck on the phone and have her call Ron to come get us. She calls me back to let me know to stay put and he is on his way.

By now Pounder, Toad, Chili, and the rest of the group score a ride in the back of a pickup. The driver pulls over and says, “If you can fit, hop in.” I explain the I called Ron and he is on his way, I make plans to meet the group at the Huddle House, and away they go. I spend the next 10 mins or so catching up with Beck and I’m starting to freeze. I hang up with her as a guy pulls up in the turn off area and offers me a ride into town. Sorry Ron I’m Freezing. I throw my gear in the back of this guys Subie and open the passenger door. I’m greeted by a shot gun stashed between the passenger seat and the door.

I carefully climb over the barrel of the gun and take my seat. The driver introduces himself and makes some comment about the gun. In all honesty all I remember was the guys last name was Elwood, I was too fixed on that shot gun.

We have a 10 mile ride into town and my nerves settle a bit, when I finally rationalize he would have to reach completely over to get access to his fire arm. I make small talk with the driver, he’s around my age and says he’s been on a 2 month vacation. I probe some more and find out, that he was recently fired from the local tire lube center, and then when he tried to file for unemployment his former company said he quit, so he was unable to recieve any unemployment money.

The mind goes back to crisis mode. I look down at the shot gun once again, and have the thought, if this joker carries a shot gun in the car he has to be packin as well. So now whenever I make eye contact I try to remember everything about his appearance. I get that sketchy feeling in my stomach, and think, “Great, this is the end.”

I calm myself down as we approach town. This may have a happy ending after all. We talk some more and I finally conclude the worse thing that may happen is he will drop me off at the Huddle House and just drive away with my gear. We make it to the parking lot I thank him graciously and tell him to wait so I can get my gear. I go to the back pop the hatch grab my stuff and I’m golden.

I got myself all worked up for nothing.

Thru all the excitement I never noticed the kidney stone pain. I meet back up with eveyone in the Huddle House and I slowly sink in the booth back in pain. I order eggs, coffee, biscuits and gravy. As I sit and wait for my feast the pain intensifies. My food is delivered and my pain is so great, that the feast I’ve been talking about for the last few hours makes me nauseous. I try to fight thru it but can’t. I pop another pain killer and just wait for my body to go numb. Chili and Pounder head over to Arby’s to be their first customers for the day.

The rest of us head up the road to the outfitters. I mull around the store, and look for some new girly socks, at the last hostel my pippy’s got holes in them so I’m looking for replacements. I found my new replacements, a pair of polka dotted socks. I make my purchase and have Beck call Ron to pick us all up at the outfitter.

Ron shows up with his little school bus and we all pack in. He drives us thru town throwing out trail anicdotes and pointing out the sights of the night. He pulls into his motel and we all head to the office to check in. Standing out front is Green Blaze and Roses, Chili Mac gets excited because they were traveling together for the first few days. Green Blaze and Roses get shuttled back up the Mountain to get back into the woods. Toad pulls me aside and asks if I would share a room with her, and I accept the offer. We split the bill, but have to wait to claim our room because the cleaning crew was still working on the room. I sit down at a computer and check my emails, then get antsy about the chores we still needed to do.

Toad and I decide to hit the grocery store while the room is being worked on. We start our walk up the road and maybe make it 20 yards from the hotel when a guy in a pickup offers us a ride to the store. We accept, and cram into the cab. As we ride Double Heel (the drivers trail name) informs us he thru hiked with his wife in 2000, he also tells us to keep an eye out for his truck, and that he would take us anywhere.

Toad and I gather our goodies and make our way back to the room. We have a nice walk thru town and make plans to hit a specific establishment. We make it back to the room and settle in, packs explode and gear laying everywhere to dry out. We get our laundry together, and send it off to get clean. Toad and I spend most of the day hanging out in Chili and Memphis’s room.

I make a trip to the local quicky mart for some coffee and pick up a $2 scratch off ticket and take it back to the room for some entertainment. I promise Toad that I would split the winnings with her. Winner winner chicken dinner, we won back $2. We decide to reinvest and get another ticket. We all head off to Cody’s Steak House for dinner. In order to not have a 45 minute wait for a table our group splits up and Toad, Chili, Memphis and I all eat together. We have typical dinner conversation as we gorge ourselves with food. The evening is winding down and Memphis and Toad head back to the hotel, Chili and I hit the quicky mart to get another lottery ticket.

Back at the room Toad and I get excited about the possibilties of being big winners, we win another $2 dollars, that we decide to reinvest in the morning. Lights out to bed.