Snores Galores!

Last night the gang stayed at Bryant Ridge Shelter, which happens to be one of the largest shelters on the AT.  It has three tiers of sleeping space so naturally, Hansel, Gretel and Two Bad selected the very top tier.  The whole night time sleeping thing was all going well until Grandpa showed up. 

Let’s just talk about Grandpa for a minute.  According to Gretel he is quite a character.  This middle-aged fellow with a SUPER Boston accent started thru-hiking the trail with basically nothing at all.  He had a Jansport backpack- the kind you pack your books in when you are in high school.  He was using a sleeping bag that was meant to fit a two-year-old.  He hiked in blue jeans, a cotton sweatshirt, and a pair of work boots.  So far he has gone through about 6 pairs of boots because he keeps getting really trashy old things.  His current boots seem to be holding up pretty well though.  At last he acquired a pair of real hiking boots.  People have been giving him things along the way, so he now has some slightly more practical equipment.  Some guy at a hostel gave him a proper backpack, and he got a sleeping bag from a hiker box.  In the words of Gretel, “he is looking pretty legit.”   Grandpa decided to start hiking the Trail after making a phone call to his sister in Florida.  He asked her what the weather was like down there.   She told him it was about 80 degrees, so he figured that probably meant it was about 70 in Georgia.  Needless to say, the snowstorms, freezing temperatures and wind that he hit in the Smokey’s were not something he was properly prepared for!

Hansel and Gretel have crossed paths with Grandpa several times.  It is hard to miss him because he is a notoriously bad snorer and he has a history of rolling into shelters really late at night and then waking everyone up with his nocturnal grunts.  This is exactly what happened in Bryant Ridge Shelter.  At some point in the night, Hansel and Gretel were awakened by the growls of Grandpa.  Now, considering it must have been dark and late by the time Grandpa arrived, it is easy to assume that he would have chosen to bunk up on one of the lower tiers.  Oh no.  Grandpa decided to climb all the way up to the third tier with Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad where he smooshed himself into the corner right next to Hansel!  Unable to sleep with Grandpa snoring right next to him, Hansel gave Grandpa a little kick to wake him up, then Hansel and Gretel snuggled back into their sleeping bags and tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible before Grandpa’s snores resumed. 

While we are on the topic of snoring, let’s bring our attention back to Two Bad.  Although he may deny it, Two Bad Dad has been known to get a little noisy in his sleep as well; therefore, ground rules have been set.  Two Bad is not allowed to sleep on his back when they are spending the night in a shelter.  Side lying only.   He snores way too loud if he is lying on his back. 

That being said, Two Bad has been enjoying the nights when they camp in their tents away from shelters.  As a matter of fact, the whole gang has been enjoying this.  Shelters are great because they are convenient and require little preparation, but everyone is much more comfortable in their own tents on the ground.  Their first night camping was wonderful.  Two Bad made a nice fire, he was able to sleep comfortably on his back, and everyone dozed peacefully until morning! 


Happy trails and a good night's sleep!