April 19, 2008

Town day in Hot Springs, NC. Hot Springs is one of the true trail towns in that the AT goes directly through downtown (all six blocks of it). There's everything you could want in a town-a good outfitter, a few stores, a diner, a pub, a post office, a couple of hostels and natural hot mineral baths.

After picking up my mail and catching up with some familiar faces, I checked in to Elmer's Sunnyback Inn. This is a hostel, located in a 160-year-old house, that's a trail institution. Guests are expected to eat at least one meal at the hostel--vegetarian food, served family-style. The kitchen door is covered with stickers and signs promoting an array of progressive causes--impeach Bush, elect Obama, save the environment, fight Wal-Mart, eat organic. (My favorite bumper sticker--"Compost:because a rind is a terrible thing to waste.") It's an interesting thing about the AT that there is room within the "community" both for this place and for someone like Ron Haven back at Franklin, a pickup-driving, NRA-member, good ol' boy (I'm guessing Ron would have no problem self-identifying as a redneck.)

After checking in, showering and doing laundry, I hook up with Mustang Sally and we decide to check out the springs that give the town its name. Sally is a fifty-something ex-Army nurse with a shaved head. I'm guessing the shaved head is a trail thing (there are a couple other shaved women out here) but maybe not. After the AT, she's pursuing a third or fourth career and taking up truck driving. For $12, we get to soak in a tub of warm mineral water. It's terrific!