Reluctantly we took our first zero day or day of full rest. Em's knees and feet demanded that we take a break. We ate a quick hotel breakfast where we learned that the water heater broke for the main building of the hotel. However, we were in the side building and therefore safe from the icy cold showes. How lucky is that!? After we finished a breakfast we hit up the small Helen pharmacy for band-aids and such and then the outfitters for hiking poles. We made a terrible mistake not bringing them. We will eat crow.
A trail buddy, Marbles, formally known as Will with the Hat, gave us a call because he was in town doing a mail pick up. We invited him over to our hotel for a warm shower, an invitation he could not refuse.
After his shower we all went to Pizza and Pints for lunch and a bit of pool playing. Em won.
Tyler and Marbles left Emily to ice her knees and watch junk on the tv at the hotel while they went to the grocery store for resupply. Really, we tried to go to the grocery store for about two hours and Marbles kept telling stories which distracted us from leaving. He's good at that.
Tyler also took on the chore of doing the laundry at the laundromat. Which was way more exciting then it should have been. After settling down (i.e. leaning against a wall) to read while the washing machine did it's thing, a frantic girl stumbled in and demanded Tyler show her where the bathroom was. As it was his first time there, he had no idea, and, no, had no idea who to ask. She said she might as well pee in the trash can because she had to go so bad, while eyeing Tyler to see how he would react. He said, I wouldn't tell anyone, I mean, I wouldn't even know who to tell. She said Great! Asked the guy she was with to block the security camera, and somehow squatted into the giant industrial trash can. Tyler is not sure how this was done given that he is a gentleman despite his practical curiosity. The rest of laundry was uneventful.
Then we had a sad, sad inedible dinner at Viele Margarita where we ran into Andrew and Greg. The fastest hikers we have met. Wine at the hotel for Tyler and bed for both.
Tyler's steps: Not applicable
Emily's steps: 8
