Day 71: Trail Days Part 1

Different Morning Chores

I was kind of surprised when I woke up at 6:30 that there was a good amount of conversation going. I stayed in my tent until around 8:00 trying to figure out my game plan. When I heard Duck move around, I started getting ready. Already, I was overhearing funny conversations such as, “We’re trying to pre-game breakfast.” Fingies, a previous thru-hiker who hiked in 2021, said that there was a group making pancakes and sausage. Duck and I headed there. We passed by the porta potties and I remarked that everyone must be a morning pooper. It didn’t smell like that last night.

When we were at the tent that was serving breakfast, I ate, I kid you not, twelve pancakes. They were small, but the number was still high. I didn’t linger long since I was wanting a haircut. Duck went with and we put our names on the list. We waited five minutes and my name was called. I asked for a high and tight style haircut – my usual when I’m not living in the woods – and the cosmetologist delivered. The moment she touched my hair, she said, “Wow, you have a lot of hair.” I seem to get that a lot. I must have really thick hair for someone who touches people’s heads all day to be impressed. I’m sure that will bode well for me in my later years.

Duck had about two inches of dead ends that needed to be chopped off. I waited for her to be done and we then walked to the semi trailer that housed the showers. I was not going to spread the tiny hairs that get everywhere and make things itch. We had to wait for a bit, but it was worth it. The showers were actually really nice and the water hot.

I headed back to my tent to change into my official outfit and then searched through Duck’s tent to hunt down the bracelet that allows the wearer access to tent city. I couldn’t find it, but I did grab her phone. I left and headed back to the showers. I saw Duck in the distance and she stopped with her jaw dropped. She wasn’t the only one. A prom dress is not the usual garb worn. We headed back to the tents and she was allowed to search for her bracelet. The people ‘manning’ the gate remembered her from last night because she did a cartwheel. I did not question it.

Raffles and Lunch

We left tent city in a rush. The first raffle of the day was starting and we were on the far end of the town. On the walk to the visitor center where the raffle was to be held, we passed by all the gear booths. I wanted to stop so bad and check things out, but we continued on. We didn’t make the first raffle, but we got tickets to the second. The next one was coming up too. Bear Vault was doing two competitions: one trivia and the other a blindfolded contest. When they asked for three people for the trivia, my arm shot into the air. I think my dress helped. I stood next to two others and the moderator asked four questions about bears. I had it in the bag. Thank you arkoudaphobia. I won a Bear Vault of my choosing. I picked the BV 475. It will come in handy for when I’m back in grizzly country.

Afterwards, I talked extensively with a ranger at the NPS booth before heading to a place serving free lunch. It was nothing special, but it was food. After eating with Duck and Fingies, we headed to the gear tents.

I loved all of it. The amount of stickers I collected is an unhealthy amount. Who needs 55 stickers? I sure do. I spent hours there moving between raffles, getting free stuff, and talking with the workers. Towards the end, I was talking with the folks from Exped and they gave me a sit pad. They were handing them out. On top of that, I mentioned that I was hesitant to purchase an inflatable sleeping pad because of how often they pop or leak air. I said the foam switchbacks are nice because I can, as I put it, beat the ever loving shit out of it, and it still works. The worker then just gives me a new foam sleeping pad. I was shocked. Duck was impressed with the amount of stuff I had already collected.

Catching Up

I dropped my newly acquired stuff at my tent and went to one group providing free food. It was hibachi chicken night. The line was long though. I debated not standing in line, but I did. As I was standing there, Grace (who goes by Little Foot now), made eye contact with me and stopped. We hugged and gushed with conversation. “How are you?” “Where have you been?” “Where are you at now?” “How’s it been?” We talked well until we got food. There was barely any left. It was so nice catching up with her. I really enjoyed her presence on trail when we were hiking a similar pace way back then. Last time I saw her was when I was slackpacking back down to the NOC. We parted ways and I headed back to Duck. Her friend that she initially started hiking with was with her. They didn’t get any of the hibachi chicken.

The line for the food.

We walked to one of the churches that seemed to always have snacks on hand. There were funnel cakes and chips and queso. It wasn’t the healthiest food, but it was food. It was dinner for us all. We talked about having a party night and I said I was down to do it. We walked back to our tents to get ready.

Party Zone

We actually just ended up sitting at our tents for a good hour. Somebody handed out beer, so I was sipping on that. I was still drinking it when we ‘went into the woods.’ It was getting dark. So dark that I couldn’t see the roots. We ended up walking around in a big circle before stopping at the drum circle. It hadn’t quite started yet, so we were waiting. 

Everyone was talking to someone and I didn’t have a partner to converse with. I grew tired of standing on my feet, so after some internal debate, I walked back to my tent. I did stop at the secret shower to wash off all the mud encrusted on my legs. It wasn’t long before I went to bed.