So, as the title says, I’ve relocated from Hot Springs to Ashville! Yikes-a-roni!!!
When I got up this morning, I was thinking about MotMot and Zeeba’s current situation – being off trail in Ashville with injury. I also thought about me. Here I was in Hot Springs with no recognizable faces. See, I’m currently caught between two waves of familiar hikers: MotMot and Zeeba are ahead, while Woodstock, Giggles and Maynard are behind. Everyone else I encounter started the trail well after I did and are already busting out 15, 20 and 25 mile days. I found myself feeling somewhat alone.
It is not certain MotMot and Zeeba will leave permanently, but it is a possibility. I made the bold decision to find a ride into Ashville to see them. Since I still hadn’t caught up with them on trail, I didn’t want to risk not seeing them again, should they have to leave permanently.
I called up Bluff Mountain Outfitters, who maintain a list of local area shuttle numbers. They asked where I was headed. When I replied “Ashville,” the guy told me someone was leaving for Ashville in like 20 minutes. He told me to just be in front of the store.
Yikes! 20 minutes! I still had all my crap strewn throughout my room. I executed the fastest pack up in history and then bolted out the door carrying my backpack, two boxes and my trekking poles. I found the shuttle hadn’t left yet, so I’d made it down in time. After a short wait of 10 or so minutes, we were on our way to Ashville – about a 45 minute car ride.
The shuttle dropped me off at the Holiday Inn, about 1.5 miles from downtown Ashville where MotMot and Zeeba were staying. It was now 11:00am which was far too early to check-in, so I stored my backpack and boxes in the hotel’s luggage closet. A funny exchange took place. The hotel attendant saw my backback and said, “Hey! What, are ya goin’ camping?!?” In my mind, I was laughing my ass off, but I didn’t want to appear rude or anything – they guy was being genuinely friendly. I just replied, “Well, in a sense. I’m thru hiking the Appalachian Trail, so I’ve already been camping and will be camping for a while.” The guy looked a little perplexed, as if he’d never heard of the A.T. before. Although some hikers visit Ashville, it is not known as a trail town, so if he hadn’t heard of it – it was somewhat believable.
With my belongings stored, I set out to discover Ashville’s public transportation services – the bus! With a short walk to the closest bus stop, a 15 minute wait, and $1 paid, I was now on my way into the downtown area. Destination: Downtown Inn and Suites, room unknown. I’d already been in touch with M & Z, so they knew I’d arrive shortly.
I love Google Maps, which even shows the exact location of bus stops! I thought I was being all slick, watching the bus’s location via GPS. I’d located the closest stop to the hotel, and was prepared to pull the “request stop” cable on the side of the bus. Wait for it… wait for it… just as I was about to pull the cable some 100 yards before the stop, the bus turns!!! We’d aborted off the main road in downtown and I had no idea where we were going. About a block off the main road, the bus turned into a transportation hub. Nearly everyone was getting off the bus, and a lot of people were waiting to board. Since my cute little plan had been shot to hell and since I had no idea where the bus would head, I decided to get off too. The hotel was only a block away from here. Knowing my luck, had I stayed, the bus would’ve gone in the wrong direction. Another case of “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.” So, I was of the bus and on foot.
After I arrived at the Downtown Inn and Suites, MotMot came down to meet me in the lobby. We greeted each other with the signature hiker’s fist pump. Boom! We went on up to their room to wait for Z to finish getting ready. While we waited, M told me his leg was doing better and that he felt returning to the trail was a definite possibility following a few days’ rest. That was encouraging to hear, seeing as last night’s messages were pretty discouraging.
With Zeeba all ready to go, we headed out for lunch. Our destination required use of the bus which we eventually found and boarded. While waiting for the bus, we three discovered another common interest: Pink Floyd! I heard Z singing some obscure lyric from the Animals album which I immediately recognized. So in addition to the Alien films, we’ve got some common music interests too! Yay!
We exited the bus close to an IHOP restaurant on the east side of town – our lunch destination. The location was carefully selected because there was a Guitar Center store that M wanted to check out. He was interested in purchasing a miniature acoustic guitar to take on the trail. We had an absolute feast at IHOP. We all shared two appetizers – one chicken strips and fried, the other mozzarella cheese stocks. Following that, I ordered up a double cheeseburger with fries. I also ordered a side of four strips of bacon and a side of 4 links of sausage. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach, even taking into account my newfound hiker appetite. I finished nearly everything though – a small piece of my burger anda handful of fries remained.
With some very full bellies, we rolled out way across several streets and parking lots towards the Guitar Center store. While enroute, MotMot wasn’t 100% certain of the store’s location. He phoned up the store and initiated a conversation that would be re-spoken many times for a laugh:
Store Clerk: “Good afternoon, Guitar Center, how may I help you?”
MotMot (speaking in an unintended English accent): “Yes, this is Tom. We’re trying to locate your store. We’re on foot, ya see.”
Probably one of those things that ya had to be there to hear, but anytime we re-quote MotMot we get a good laugh from it. We can also incite laughter be simply adding the phrase, “ya see” to almost anything else. I mean, it’s just one of those things, ya see.
In the Guitar Center store, M checked out the small sized acoustic guitar in which he was interested. It was amazing to see M play, and the quality of sound from such a small instrument was most impressive. After about 15 minutes, M was sold. With his new acquisition in hand, we headed over to the Whole Foods store which was nearby. There, we ordered an afternoon beer and took up residence on the outdoor patio. MotMot played his new guitar… He played Blackbird by The Beatles, Pigs on the Wing by Pink Floyd, and Two Suns in the Sunset by Pink Floyd. All three of us sang along. He also played a handful of other songs which I didn’t recognize. He plays very well!
It was now after 3pm and I needed to get checked into my hotel. We all made plans to rendezvous for dinner at 6:30pm at a place called Farmhouse Burgers in downtown. After dinner, I planned to join them for a music concert at a close by venue. The walk to my hotel was grueling, even though it was only a short 1.5 miles away. The earlier bus travels gave an illusion of closeness which was not preserved by being “on foot.”
I checked in and retrieved my “luggage” from the luggage closet. After getting situated in my room, I was overwhelmed by a serious state of being tired and sleepy. I think that bigger-then-big lunch followed by a long walk did me in. I laid down for a short nap, and didn’t awake until 6pm – only 30 minutes before we were supposed to meet for dinner. Although I still had time to make it, I just couldn’t muster the needed energy. I had to send them a message that I wouldn’t be joining them and that I just needed to rest.
Sorry as I was to cancel on them, rest is exactly what I needed. I woke back up at 8:30 and headed to the hotel’s restaurant/bar area where I had a dinner snack. I then returned to my room and went to sleep for the night.
Wandering on…
Mojo