Trail Journal 04.16.05

Good walking today.  Sunny and cool in the morning.  Warm in the afternoon.  Hot in places.  The sun really burns through the bare trees.  Had good shade among the rhododendrons and hemlocks, though.  Descended to Adams Gap in the AM.  Climbed to Little Laurel Shelter in the PM.  Made good time despite spending an hour eating homemade stew and ice cream cake at the home of Fal and Hercules, two 1999 thru-hikers who now live just off the trail at Adams Gap.  The food was great!  Covered 12 miles in 8 hours including the lunch stop.  I was as much as I wanted to hike today.  Afternoon was a zombie hike for me.  Mentally I was asleep after the great meal.  Physically I was walking on autopilot.