Black Snake Stare Down

I am now in Trouville, VA 714 miles from Springer and I am taking a zero. Yesterday we did a 19 mile slack pack from Catawba. Slack packing is hiking without your pack. Either you are dropped up the trail and hike back or someone delivers your bag to where you are going. We were lucky and had our bags driven ahead for us. It is amazing how nice it is to hike without your bag. You feel like you are flying and you can cover the ground very quickly. But then you take more longer breaks and still can end up coming in very late.

Yesterday was Cinqo do Mayo, so our goal was to get margaritas at the end of the hike. We ended up getting off the trail at around 7 and across the street was the restaurant. So we decided to eat before checking into the hotel. At that point we were all hungry and thirsty and did not want to backtrack. We show up and there is a two hour wait, but Shadow speaks Spanish and was able to convince the hostess to seat us right away. We order our margaritas and our double sized portions of food (Peakaxe and Vagabond split the fajitas for four) and enjoy sitting outside. Right after we order our second round the DJ annouces that they have free beer for the first 44 people who come to the bar. We all run in, most of us without stopping to put our shoes on. When we return, beers in hand, our second round of maragitas are waiting on the table for us. The Dj also said that this was just the beginning. As we are getting ready to pay, there have been no more give aways. Shadow then goes up to the DJ and asks about this. Two minutes later a complementary pitcher of beer arrives. We felt that we did justice to the holiday.

Before geting to Catawba as I was hiking I came across a 4 foot black snake in the trail. This was the second I had come across, but the first time it was cold and the snake was lethargic. This time it was a warm afternoon. I stop and let Shadow take a look at the snake. He asks if I want to try and get it off the trail, but I let him have the honors. The snake curently has his tail towards us. Shadow takes his trekking pole and taps the snake's tail. The snake turns around and goes into attack position. We quickly beat a retreat down the trail. Now we try throwing rocks at the snake. The snake is not fooled and is still staring right out us. After a couple of minutes I try going around it. We had not tried this at first since it was fairly steep on the sides around the snake. As I go above it, the snake is tracking me, watching me move around it. Shadow then throws a couple of more rocks so it is looking at him and I move around as quickly and as safely as possible. Shadow then follows and the snake was still in the trail waiting for the next hiker. We had tried to stare it down, and we lost.