Musings of a Thru-Hiker
By Gary Shealy
Rainbow Springs
I made it to Rainbow Springs Campground around 12:30, just after midday. It was a short eight or nine miles with little climbing. In pre-trip planning, I intended to skip Rainbow Springs. The campground is at least a mile away from the trail, and I planned on having ample food stuffs to make it on in to Wesser. The campground had a number of recreational vehicle sites with water and electricity, several small cabins, a bunk house, bath house, camp store, and laundry. The facilities tended to be a little rough and on the rustic side; they were ideal for hikers who composed the majority of the camp's business for this week. In appearance, I am sure it would not be near as appealing through the window of a car at 35-40 miles per hour.
I unloaded my gear on the store porch and started eating. Service was informal with a variety of microwave items available on a primarily self-serve basis. Tabs were run throughout the meal with prices and gratuities varying to cover the camp's daily expenses. No register receipts were available. After resting and eating for over half an hour, I wandered back out to the pay phone by the road. I called home, half of Tennessee, and finally managed to reach my foot doctor.
My aliments were discussed at some lengths only after covering the preliminaries of how I arrived in North Carolina on foot over eight days. My ankles resembled grapefruit, the pink variety, and the side of my face was disfigured from the swelling and oozing caused by the poison ivy that was quickly closing off my vision in one eye. The doctor said that the swollen ankles were a classic indication of overuse. Up to sixteen miles a day with a sixty pound pack and eight to ten hours of walking a day might qualify as overuse. He phoned in a prescription that would reduce the swelling in my ankles and as a side effect clear up the poison ivy. Of course the closest town was twelve to eighteen miles away on sore feet. Hopefully the camp managers would offer to pick up the medicine.
I hobbled back to the store, unravelled several more dollars for ice cream and mountain dew and a bed in the bunk house. I dragged my gear down to the bunk house, picked out my clothes, my journal and a few sheets of note paper. The showers were full so I decided to try the laundry. On the way I met Dick Cates, the Florida Flyers, and Huff and Puff. They were already cleaned up and enjoying the campground. Each remarked on the fine quality of the poison ivy that I was nursing. I managed to write a few letters, wearing only my rain pants while the rest of my belongings were washed. On the way back to the bunk house I showered and then stopped for about twenty minutes or so at the stream. No doubt this was Rainbow Springs; the water was so cold I could only keep my feet in it for a few minutes at a time. Tremendous therapy. I scarfed down a few arthritis strength Bufferin and returned to the bunk house for an afternoon nap.
Peace,
Slim
Copyright 1991-2000, all rights reserved
This is a fictional account of an actual Thru-Hike in 1990. Any resemblance to specific individuals or events is purely coincidental.