5-9-2009 Sat

Start point: near Laurel Fork
End point: Dennis Cove - Laurel Fork Lodge
miles hiked: 8

Got up and felt great today! Nothing hurt! My legs feel ok, wow whats going on? The last couple days I've been doing a stretching routine in the morning before I get going which I think is gonna help alot. I also do 2 sets of 20 push-ups. Hoping to start doing 2 sets of 25 in the morning and then again at night, 100 push-ups a day, we'll see how that goes. Might be a new work-out routine: "Bash your body into shape" those push-ups coupled with 15 miles of hiking a day should do the trick. As Snuggles so kindly pointed out, my beer gut has not been reduced by the 400 some odd miles I've already done.
Not a whole lot to talk about of the hike, just more rolling hills. Got to Dennis Cove and found the trail magic. It was set up by a couple who hiked the trail last year, Slow Train and EZ Does It. Slow Train's dad has a cabin just 50 yards from where the trail comes into Dennis Cove so they used that as their base of operations. Burgers, hot dogs, beer, chips, fruit, these guys know how to do it! They even opened up their home to all these dirty hikers, now thats brave. Invited us back for dinner too, they cooked spaghetti and had everything ready to make smores. Still amazes me the lengths these folks will go to feed the all these hikers. I'm hoping to make it out next year to do the same, pass it forward. Snuggles and Damascus showed up and we went down to Kincora to see whats what. They were full for the most part, could have fit us but we decided to split a cabin at the Laurel Fork Lodge instead. Talked to Baltimore Jack who was there helping out, and got to meet Bob Peoples. Got all the details about Hardcore, which is a trail maintenance crew that Bob runs, its the Sun and Mon after Trail Days so I'm going to try and make that. They take 50 thru-hikers from this year, and 50 thru-hikers from previous years, so as long as I get in early during sign-up Fri morn I won't have any trouble getting a spot. Funny that there are that many people who wanna volunteer to do tough trail work! So anyway, we left Kincora and recruited Chick Magnet (met him at N.O.C.) to get a cabin so 4 of us with 2 bunk beds was only $8 a person. Kinda crazy I keep running into Snuggles and Damascus, so far I've ran into them and got to hang out 3 times now since we first parted ways in Franklin. Well I should be in Damascus, VA in about 2 1/2 days so the next time I update I'll probably have lots of Trail Days stories. Have a great weekend everyone!