May 22^nd Friday

 

          It started to rain lightly in the night and I remembered leaving my boots outside. I had to get up and move them under cover, before they got soaked. I slept in till 7:30 and got up the same time as Dawn Treader. I look down towards the shelter and Hopwood and Thirsty Boots were already eating breakfast. I quickly broke down the tent and packed up everything but my food bag and stove. I had bagels cream cheese and coffee then took off with John, towards Damascus. We caught up to Thirsty Boots at the Tennessee/Virginia state line and took pictures of each other. We also met Hiwater and Kiva slack-packing south.

 

John and I walked into Damascus together around noon, took pictures at the town entrance sign and walked straight to the grocery store. I bought a melon of which there were a truckload of, outside the store, and a pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream. We headed for “The Place”, an abandoned house that the Methodist church had taken over and was using as a hostel.

“The Place” The hostel in Damascus, Virginia

We had taken pictures of it when we were here for Trail Days and now we were going to get our chance to stay here. Thirsty Boots caught up and the first person we saw at the Place was Caterpillar. He was outside at the picnic table cleaning his gear. He said he had been here for a day already and that Sunburn and Plaqueman were down the street at a house called the Appalachian Inn. Cool Rabbit came by and teased us for not being able to keep up to him. We ate our ice cream at the picnic table and caught up on all the news from Caterpillar.

 

We left our packs outside in the shade and went in to inspect the accommodations. The screened front porch had a table for preparing food and for repairing gear. Next was the kitchen, with a stove and fridge, just like at home. The living room had a couple bunks then there was a reading room with a wall of books and magazines combined and a door that led to the backyard. There was also a phone, off in a corner that usually had someone on it. There were several old chairs and couches to lounge around in. Upstairs there were 3 rooms that had bunks in them to sleep about 6 to a room, and a bathroom and shower down the hall. Thirsty Boots, John and I got our mail ready and walked downtown to the post office to mail letters. I sent Brent Hartley's and Troy Pederson’s letters. From there we walked down to the riverbank and went for a swim in Laurel Creek. The water was frigidly cold but it felt good to wash up a bit. We stopped at the town hall and I bought a Trail Days T-shirt for $15.00. It was polypropylene and I would use it for my town shirt. John checked out the computer there and looked at the AT Trail page on the Net. Thirsty Boots and I went back to the Place and I got my fuel bottle. We walked to the outfitters and I bought fuel and batteries, then over to the store to buy my groceries. We went back to the Place again, where we grabbed our packs and carried them upstairs to a room for the night.

 

There were several hikers there by now. Dawn Treader, GI Jane, Happy Feet, Adam, Timm, Wild Bill, Hobo, Rob and Spirit Seeker, an older deaf biker type guy with his black girlfriend Ophelia. There were also several hikers that I didn’t know. John and I ran over to the Appalachian Inn to see Sunburn and Plaqueman. Plaqueman was sitting on the couch and looked very surprised when we walked in. We visited for a ½ hour or so catching up on what had been happening with them, then we went back to the Place and got Thirsty Boots to go to Quincy’s, an Italian restaurant, for supper. We had a large Stromboli and fries with a couple jugs of beer. Thirsty Boots picked up the tab. Very generous of him, since we won’t get the chance to repay him. His wife was coming tomorrow to pick him up to take him home. 

 

Thirsty and I went back to the grocery store before it closed and I bought another New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream. It was rich in calories and pennies, but it was soooo good. I took it back to the Appalachian Inn with me to visit with Sunburn again. Plaqueman had hit the trail earlier and Sunburn stayed another night. He was sharing the house with Old Man River, a tall Jewish guy, who had been a doctor’s assistant and a para-legal. It was $25.00 a night but it was just like having your own house completely furnished, even with a stereo and laundry. We watched TV for 15 minutes then Thirsty and I headed back to the “Place”. We were standing outside around 9:30 talking to some hikers, when Bump showed up. He told us of his long 26-mile day on the trail and about how hungry he was, before stopping at Quincy’s. He said AppleJack and Florida Guy were still at Quincy’s, drinking in a backroom. They probably wouldn’t get out of there tonight. Bump came up stairs and shared our room with us. There was Thirsty, Hopwood, Timm, Adam, Bump and I in our room and we had a gut splitting hilarious time before we all got to sleep.

 

May 23^rd Saturday

 

          We were awake by 7:30 and crawled out of our sleeping bags. I set to work on packing up my food bag and pack. With this done, I left with John and started walking out of town to Dot’s restaurant for breakfast. It started to rain before we got there and we wondered if we’re doing the right thing. It was always hard to leave town and very easy to rationalize an extra days stay, Bump, Apple Jack, Florida Guy, Thirsty Boots, Caterpillar, Lost Boy and Sunburn were already at the restaurant and seated. I sat with Apple Jack, Florida Guy and Thirsty Boots and ordered a bacon and cheese omelet. Poor Dot, old and frail looking, had other hikers and some locals to boot, so the order didn't come right away. We helped ourselves to the coffee and had a good time chatting it up and making fun of the juke box that would play the Beatles, Revolution, then a whiney country song, right after. The food was good and we stayed about 2 hours then said our good-byes to everyone. I had Thirsty’s address and phone number, to give him a call when I got to Connecticut, so he could come out and hike with us. That was being very optimistic, to think that we could make it there! Sunburn and I stopped at a dairy bar and had an ice cream before we left town. We traveled the road a short ways then it was straight off and up the hill on the trail.

Hopwood and Sunburn on the Virginia

Creeper Trail outside Damascus Virginia

It was raining lightly and a steep climb, but we made good time doing 9 miles to Saunders’s Shelter. We had taken the AT, not the Virginia Creeper Trail, a smooth, paved bicycle path, that had less grade to climb. We caught up to John at the shelter and had tea and snacks for lunch. The sun came out and we all gathered in the clearing by the shelter, and stood with our arms outstretched, catching every warm ray of sunshine that we could.

 

Spirit Seeker and Ophelia showed up just before we left. At 3:45 we started to hike our last 7 miles and 800’ climb to Lost Mt. Shelter. Adam, Timm, Dawn Treader, her dad who had come out to hike some with her and a troop of Boy Scouts were there. I made a pot of macaroni, salami in tomato sauce for supper with cookies and tea for dessert. The Boy scouts run back and forth to the spring and we joked about catching one of them and frying him on a spit, to eat. I asked their leaders if they did a head count at night and told them why. They found it humorous. We were only 3300’ elevation but it was cool when the sun went down. I would sleep in my clothes tonight, as all I had was my fleece-sleeping blanket. We did 16 miles today in bad weather and were in bed at 10:30.

Abducted by Aliens at Saunders shelter

Compliments of Sunburn

 

May 24, Sunday

 

          It rained again in the night and I got up around 6:30. I ate a pot of cold cereal, milk with a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast. The skies were overcast as Hopwood and I left at 8:45. It was a 2500-foot elevation climb, over 11 ½ miles, to Thomas Knob Shelter. There was a side trail to Mt. Rogers, the tallest mountain in Virginia at 5729'. Needless to say we didn't take the side trail to the top, but went directly on to the shelter. The water source was down the hill, protected from the cows, inside a corral. Even though it was a spring, I didn't feel very secure drinking from it and I didn't take thee opportunity to treat the water with iodine.

Rhododendron Gap

Compliments of Lyme Robbie

 

 We met a couple young lads in there twenties, Otis and Jefe` at the shelter. I laid my tent, clothes and gear out to dry in the sun. Lot's of day hikers around, as it was Memorial Day weekend. There were great views from the shelter and we took lots of pictures. After an hour and a half we started out to finish the last 5 miles to Wise shelter in Grayson Highlands Park. On the way there, we passed through a beautiful area with views, rock outcroppings and wild ponies.

 

Feral Ponies at Grayson Highlands Park, Virginia

 

I arrived at the Wise Shelter exhausted and with the beginnings of a headache. Dawn Treader, her dad and Caterpillar were there setting up camp already. Caterpillar had taken his stove apart and was washing it in his cooking pot.  He told me that he had spilled milk on it and it had burnt. I asked a couple more stupid questions and without warning he blew up like a volcano and almost was in tears. I didn't bother him anymore after that. I went about setting up my tent and started to make supper. The spring was back up the trail 200 yards and there were some wild turkeys hanging out nearby, as we could hear them gobbling. I made stovetop stuffing with a salami and cheese bagel but didn’t eat a bite. Along with the exhaustion and headache, I had lost my appetite, which was strange for a thru hiker. I suspected that not drinking enough water at Thomas Knob Shelter had resulted in a touch of heat exhaustion. The spring at this shelter had crystal clear cold water so I drank all my stomach could hold.  It was still early, before the sun had set and I went to my tent.  No appetite and a splitting headache, I felt I might as well go to bed. Caterpillar came over and apologized for blowing up at me. I remember some sharp lightening before falling asleep around 9:00. 17.5 miles completed

 

            May 25 Monday

 

Memorial Day. I awoke at 5:30 this morning and felt 100%. I looked around and there was just Dawn Treader, her dad and Caterpillar that were up. I had cold cereal and tea for breakfast, broke camp and left at 6:45. I couldn't remember leaving camp that early before. I suspected Plaqueman was at the next shelter, 6 miles away and thought I could catch up to him. The trail was good with little climbing or descending and I walked with Dawn Treader and her dad. We talked for a little while then I got up to my speed and put some ground between us.

Compliments of Hansel & Gretal

As I passed through an area with more feral ponies, there was a beautiful sunrise over the horizon. I made the Old Orchard Shelter in 2 hours flat. Plaqueman was still in the shelter having breakfast and I met Jim Slate and Mango again, the couple from the Roan Mt. store. I also was introduced to Kozmo and Shutterbug, fellow Canadians from Nova Scotia. Kozmo, 58, was from Halifax and Shutterbug, 24, from outside of Truro, in Debert. They had talked to one another in Nova Scotia while planning but didn't meet until Amicalola Falls, right at the beginning. Shutterbug lived up to her name by carrying almost 10 pounds of camera equipment. I stayed there for an hour and had a small snack while talking to the folks. There was a "Hoods in the Woods" troop camped in the field nearby and the troop leaders seemed to have their hands full. Quite often we would come across a group of boys out on a hike and quite often they were from some correctional school, hence the term “Hoods in the Woods”.

 

After leaving the shelter, I hiked for 6 miles and stopped for a lunch by a stream. Took my boots off and soaked my feet for a few minutes. Dawn Treader, her dad, Jim and Mango went by. I had a bagel with peanut butter and jam, salami, chips, chocolate bar and water. Hopwood stopped by for a few minutes then carried on. Sunburn caught up and we walked together for a while, until he stopped for water. I made it to the road, Virginia 16, 1 and ½ miles from the shelter and caught up with Plaqueman, Dawn Treader and her Dad. Dawn Treader’s dad and I walked together for about a ½ hour talking about his job as a teacher at an all boys’ college. It was one of only 2 left in the whole USA. He told me of a vote that they had lately, on whether or not they should allow women. He spelled out the pros and cons, financial and otherwise, and in the end they turned the women down. A large storm came bearing down on us and we quickened our pace to almost a run. The Raccoon Branch Shelter was less than a ¼ mile away, when the rain came pelting down. I came to the sign for the entrance into the shelter and headed down the hill. By the time I made the shelter, I was soaked. Hopwood and Wild Bill were inside nice and dry, as I climbed up to the platform. I stripped down and put some warm clothes on and thought about making supper. Sunburn, Plaqueman, Adam and Caterpillar showed up in the rain. When the rain subsided, Wild Bill got a fire going, for us to dry out. Near the fire it only took 20 minutes or so to dry out and warm up. I made potatoes and gravy with salami for supper then packed up and headed on another 2 ½ miles to Trimpi shelter. Jim, Mango, Jefe`, Plaqueman, Dawn Treader and her dad took the shelter. Kozmo, Shutterbug, Sunburn, Hopwood and I set up our tents down the hill, on a flat piece of ground. I boiled water for tea and make some jello to cool off in the stream. The Jell-O didn’t turn out that good and I’m not sure why, but we ate the jelled part and drank the rest. A rather large group of boys from an outdoor wilderness camp moved in at dusk and set up close by. One of their leaders was a Brit so I told Sunburn. The boys had very heavy packs and went 14 miles today. There wasn’t too much energy left for hi-jinx and they were very well behaved. They set up and cooked into the night and I could hear them still, when I went to bed at 10:00. I was tired myself from doing 20 miles today and passing the 500-mile mark on the trip.

 

May 26^th Tuesday

 

          I didn’t sleep well for some reason. I awoke up in the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. Very early in the morning I stepped outside the tent to get my food bag and snacked while I wrote a letter by flashlight to Mr. Jerinyk, at Seba Beach School, wishing the grad students well. I got to sleep again by 6:00 and woke up at 7:00. I then got up, made tea and cold cereal for breakfast, then packed up wet and took off with Sunburn at 8:45. We caught up to Plaqueman, who had slipped and turned his ankle. He seemed OK and we traveled on together for a couple hours. When we stopped for a drink Hopwood caught up. He had taken a wrong turn someplace and had ended up behind us.

Shutterbug, Kozmo and Sunburn at the Partnership shelter

 

We hiked another hour to the Partnership Shelter sponsored by the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Association, which had its headquarters an 1/8 of a mile away. It was a very nice shelter, almost finished construction. Just had some landscaping to do and the solar shower to be hooked up. We saw Kozmo and Shutterbug there and I volunteered to get water and pops from the headquarters. We stayed and had lunch, took pictures and dried out our gear. Everyone but John and I moved on and we almost went to sleep inside the shelter, until Red Wolf and Adam showed up. We talked for a couple minutes then headed over to the headquarters and bought another pop and sat outside for a bit.

 

Rhododendrons in bloom

 

We left there at 4:30 and did a tough 7 mile climb and decent to the Chatfield Shelter. On the way were the most beautiful rhododendron bushes in bloom. Stopped and took some photos. Sunburn and Plaqueman were there and they moved on down to the highway motel, at Atkins. We made arrangements to meet them for breakfast the next morning at the restaurant in Atkins. Kozmo, Shutterbug, John and I had the shelter to our selves this night. Because it looked like rain again, I took to the shelter with everyone else. Kozmo showed me his $30.00 LED lamp. It weighed 7 grams and was very small. He had Velcro on the light and also on his cap, so he could attach it and have his hands free. Great rig and I knew I would have one someday. I prepared a Ramen noodle dish with a cheese and salami bagel, cookies and tea for dessert. We had a very pleasant evening, chatting it up with Kozmo and Shutterbug. It felt good to be with some folks who could relate to Canada. We had completed 17 ½ miles today and I had aggravated the blister on my left big toe, because of walking in wet boots. I retired to the sleeping bag by 9:30.

           

Shutterbug the photographer

Compliments of Shutterbug

May 27^th Wednesday

 

Up at 6:00 AM this morning. It had rained on and off all night and when it stopped, I rushed to have a breakfast of cereal, tea and bagel with cream cheese. John left first then I did the same, 20 minutes later. It began to rain after about 45 minutes down the trail. I did the 5 miles down to the road to Atkins and by the time I reached the motel, the rain was coming down in buckets and I might as well have been in a lake.  I passed by an old one-room schoolhouse that served as a museum, I believe. When I walked into the restaurant and sat beside John and Caterpillar, I had a large puddle under my chair after about 2 minutes. I ordered a coffee and ham and cheese omelet. I warmed up a bit after 3 cups of coffee and enjoyed the omelet. Caterpillar informed us that the motel was full last night and Sunburn and Plaqueman had to go to Marion, a town nearby in order to get a room. They had a chance, like him, to come back to the trail this morning, with Dawn Treader’s dad, but they decided to stay in bed for a while.

 

After breakfast I went over to the hotel Laundromat in search of John. I found lots of new hikers instead. Because it has been such bad weather lately, lots of them had been holed up here and we had caught up. I met, Flutterby, Off Duty and L’il Mack. I found John and he said he had phoned home and that his grandmother wasn’t well, and had stopped taking her medication. He had talked to her often over the past 3 weeks and was very close to her. He felt that being off the medication that she was getting prepared to pass on. It wasn’t a tough choice, but he still found it hard to leave the trail. He would be taking the bus from Bastion or Bland, in a couple days, to go home to be part of her vigil. I went to the store close by and bought from the poor selection that they had, enough food to last me till I get to Pearisburg, almost 90 miles away. I figured 4 or 5 days. They had no meat, so I bought pimento loaf. After the grocery store, I went to the pay phone and called Mom and Dad. Things were going well at home and I was thankful. I phoned Vasque boots because my sole was starting to split away from the leather part of the boot. I wasn’t sure how far they would take me but the nearest place to get them checked out, near the trail, was in Waynesboro, almost 300 miles away. The help line at Vasque/Redwing wasn’t too much help. I left the phone booth and went to Dairy Queen to drown my sorrows with a large banana split. It sure was good sitting in the newly arrived sun, with my boots off, eating the ice cream.

Flutterby from Maine

Compliments of  Fanny Pack

Around 12:30 I packed up and started hiking down the highway, out of town, to the trailhead. It was there that, I saw a rather large decaying catfish. Crossing over a stile, the trail meandered up through a farmer’s field, towards Gullion Mountain. I made Chestnut Knob Shelter by 2:30 and saw a large 12-inch long turtle on the trail. There was no water at the shelter, so I went on to the next stream, where I met about 6 more hikers that were new to me. Squish, Renaissance man, Doc the singer, Yurtle, Oasis and Orkney. I rested and snacked for about 45 minutes, then took off again. I passed the Bikers, the pair that Monica Lewinsky had complained about. The man, in his 40’s, looked like a biker all right, and his girlfriend in her 20’s had a crossed eye. I surprised them by coming up from behind and caught a look at the girl or I never would have known she had a crossed-eye. She always looked away or down to the ground, even when she talked, which wasn’t often. I quickly found out why poor Monica had such a hard time. They let on that they were on their last dollar and had no food, or whatever story that suited at the time. They weren’t very convincing and this was no place for handouts.

 

Florida Guy, Clover & Shutterbug

Compliments of  Florida Guy

It was a long tough climb up to the Knot Maul Branch Shelter and I met Caterpillar and Clover resting there. They said John had moved on and was trying to get off the trail quickly, so as to get back on, if things were OK at home. I had some of Caterpillars dessert then went to the spring to wash up and get water. I set up my tent, as there were about 20 hikers at this shelter tonight. It started to rain lightly and I crawled in under cover and cooked a Ramen and had 2 pimento loaf sandwiches. It tasted great! It was a late night and I felt good that I’m parked. Clover suggested to Caterpillar and I, that we do 20 miles tomorrow. She would be getting off the trail in Bland. Clover had hiked from Springer Mountain 3 times before and this would be the most distance that she had ever completed. On one trip, just before she quit, she had broken down and had cried in her soup. She joked about crying in her soup whenever a task got too hard. I had done 18 miles today, and could only hope I would sleep good enough to keep up with them tomorrow. Sunburn and Plaqueman were nowhere to be seen, and Kozmo and Shutterbug must have stayed in Atkins. 

Trail near Knot Maul Shelter

Compliments of Kozmo

 

May 28^th Thursday

 

          I was up very early again, around 5:00, so I wrote a letter to Mary Anne Charlesworth. I got out of my tent and made oatmeal around 6:30. Packed up and was away by 7:10. It was cool this morning but the skies were clear. Caterpillar had left before me but I caught up to him at USFS 222. We stopped to take a break for lunch.

 

Dandelions near Chestnut Knob Shelter

Compliments of Kozmo

We starting off on the trail again and began our 5-mile climb up to Chestnut Knob Shelter. This was one of the prettiest places on the AT. It was an old homestead, indicated by the fields and the fruit trees growing. It was also one of the toughest climbs to the top. These folks couldn’t have had many visitors. There was a pond near the top with huge bullfrogs croaking. The trail followed an old road most of the way and at the top, one could see in almost every direction. The sun was hot so I stripped my pack down and dried everything I owned. Off Duty, L’il Mack, Clover and Flutterby came and we all had lunch in the shelter, which was a small stone cabin. Caterpillar made a special dessert for everyone. A young kid about 17 came into the shelter and Flutterby recognized him as one of the “Family”. He changed his entry in the register and took off again.

 

After 2 hours we packed up and took off down the hill, on an old road, to a spring. The spring was piped and very cold. I enjoyed a good long drink and filled my Nalgene. Caterpillar slipped and fell but didn’t hurt himself. I took off to do the last 9 miles to the shelter. I met Got Milk, Skiddah and Growler, all young folks in there 20’s. I climbed up to do another ridge walk and stopped at a rock outcropping that was high above the valley below. Caterpillar caught up and told me this was one of his favorite spots. He, being from Illinois, loved farmland and this valley certainly had it. We sunned ourselves on the rock for an hour then took off again. About a mile before the shelter we caught up to Clover and walked in to the shelter area together. There were hordes of hikers here and a full shelter. I counted 19 tents and most of these people I hadn’t met before. I set up my tent as far away as I could get, but space was at a premium. I talked to Got Milk for a little while, then went to the shelter and talked to Clover. She gave me her address and a big hug because tomorrow would be her last day. She would get on the bus in Bland and go home to Utah. I met the Mother of the “Family”, when I went to get water. She had 3 daughters and 2 sons out here with her. They home-school and this was a project. As I wrote in my letter to Mr. Jerinyk, the experiences that I’ve had so far, cover every subject in school, science, geography, health, Social, Phys Ed, history and even a little math.  I can imagine the benefits to the kids doing the hike, instead of going to school. I also wondered where all these people were going tomorrow. I made spaghetti for supper and wolfed it down with cookies and tea for dessert. The weather had been great today and I had seen 3 snakes over the 19 miles. I was in bed by 9:30.

 

May 29^th Friday

 

          I was up at 6:30 this morning and Caterpillar was headed out already. I gave him 2 letters to mail when he went in Bastion for his mail drop. I got up and made oatmeal and tea, and I left camp by 7:30, before the hordes. I walked slowly at first, then I picked up the pace, planning to do 14 miles, to Helvey’s Mill Shelter. I hoped a lot of the hikers would be stopping in town for the night. I came to a junction in the trail and I decided to take the low road, the real AT. Both get you to the same place but the higher one missed about 14 creek crossings. Even with the creek crossings, my boots stayed fairly dry. I stopped near the top of the ridge where the trail widened a bit, so hikers could get by and had my lunch.

Old Man River

Old Man River went by, and then 2 girls, Mogo and Two Showers and then a young fellow named Ender stopped to talk. They carried on after a ½ hour and I got packed up again. As I readied to leave, 2 more hikers come by, Thorin Oakenshield and 6 Pack. We walked together all the way to the highway before splitting up. Thorin was only 18 and played minor hockey in Minnesota. They headed into town and I carried on, across the road and started up the trail again.

 

I met 2 new hikers, who were section hiking and just getting started. They were sitting by a spring, having a snack, Macho man and Miss Elizabeth. I was the first one at the shelter, Helvey’s Mill, but it wasn’t long before other hikers started showing up. I went down to the stream to wash off and got water for supper. Cool Rabbit, Thorin and Purple, (named because of his purple dyed hair) stopped in, but only Purple stayed. I set up my tent and watched the other hikers pile in. Caterpillar made the shelter by 5:00 and he had a story to tell. The owner of the store in Bastion gave him a huge ham, turkey and cheese sandwich with lettuce. He shared half of it with me and I saved it, until I was ready. I made a big pot of spaghetti and ate the sandwich. One of the best trail meals I’ve had yet. I went over to the shelter and talked for a while and watched the “Family” prepare supper. One of the older girls was in charge of cooking and she did a bang-up job. They had potatoes with canned meat and some fruit. She was so organized it made me jealous. I watched some others prepare suppers with dried vegetables that looked good too. There were 18 tents at camp this night and more came in after I went to bed at 9:30. I met a few more new hikers like Puff, from California. We had hiked 14 miles today under sunny skies. Caterpillar and I planned to put some miles between us, and this larger group, tomorrow. Most of these folks had started at least a month before us.

 

May 30^th Saturday

 

          I was up at 6:00 to get a good start on the day. Caterpillar had left already and I tried not to make too much noise and disturb the hikers around me. Our tents were so close together you could hear people snore, fart or turn over in their sleeping bags. I made tea, oatmeal and added a big dollop of peanut butter and was packed up and away by 7:10. The morning walks were much cooler and I made 7 miles on easy travel to catch up to Caterpillar who was lunching at a junction in the trail. I sat and had a snack also and a southbound section hiker by the name of Bear Bait came along. Strange name and he told us his story. He met a bear the day before and the bear followed him until he took his pack off. Of course the bear demolished his pack looking for food, so this guy made his way to a road to get help. He stopped a car and the older couple in the car pulled a gun on him until he could explain his story. He did finally get some help and got back on the trail again. Caterpillar and I had a good chuckle.

 

We started out again and hiked 3 miles to the Jenny Knob Shelter for lunch. The Bikers were just leaving and we settled in. I had tuna in a hotdog bun with a cheese dip poured over the top. It was delicious! Old Man River, Gumby, Grasshopper and Pilgrim showed up before we got away. Caterpillar and I left around 1:00 and crossed Kimberling Creek suspension bridge. There were some young locals swimming just downstream and it looked appealing but we just took pictures and carried on. At the next highway, instead of carrying on to the trail, we walked down the road to a store, a ½ mile away. I had a Coke, a V-8 and moon pie and phoned home to talk to Adam. I wanted to order a mail drop of a Financial Post, jerky, cigarettes and some of Gram’s cookies and receive them in Waynesboro. Waynesboro was over 200 miles away and that should give the folks at home time to put it together and the post enough time to ship it down. The hikers that were at the last shelter showed up and decided to camp near the store in a field. Even though the clouds were starting to build and looked menacing, Caterpillar and I decided to move on to prepare for the next days climb. It would be better to do it in the morning rather than the afternoon. Caterpillar had thru-hiked in “95” to Vermont, where he fell and broke 2 ribs and had to stop. He remembered some of the tougher parts of the trail, and even though I was not crazy about leaving the store area and walking into a storm, I went along.

 

We walked back to the trailhead and started to climb gradually following Dismal Creek. I took 10 minutes and checked out the 10’ Dismal falls and saw 3 families camped by the stream. When I headed back to the trail, it started to rain and rain hard. We hiked about 5 miles and passed a tent on the side of the trail. Bagman crawled out and told us of his being sick in Atkins. There were about 10 hikers that took ill there and he thought it had something to do with the water, which had been shut down recently for repairs. He was feeling much better now but just didn’t feel like doing the extra mile to the Wapiti shelter. He told us of Frank Ivy’s woes also. Frank had developed some sort of fungus foot ailment and could hardly walk for 3 days. He boiled his socks and went to the doctor and was back on the trail, but still behind us. Caterpillar and I carried on to the Wapiti Shelter, where an older couple was murdered, a few years ago. We arrived at 8:20. No one there was such a switch from the last 3 nights where there were 30 or more people. We set about making supper and preparing for darkness. All I had left was Kraft dinner and tuna, so that’s what I feasted on. Dessert was cookies, tea and a chocolate bar. Caterpillar cleaned out his food bag in preparation for his mail drop in Pearisburg and left three dinners and some other goodies in a sack hanging at the shelter. I nabbed 2 of the dinners to carry with me. One was Spanish rice with dried veggies and dried turkey. The other was another Lipton’s rice dish with jerky. Each was separately bagged in a ziplock with a bar for dessert. He went to a lot of trouble packing these up before his hike and his daughter usually sent too many for him to eat. Either that or he ate town food sometimes and forgot about what he was carrying. His pack was large and very heavy, 50+ pounds. I know he complained about it often enough. We had an enjoyable evening talking and eating and dreaming of Pearisburg, hockey, basketball and restaurants. I stayed in the shelter tonight and saved the effort of setting up the tent. We were in our sleeping bags by 10:00, after a 23-½ mile day.

 

May 31 Sunday

 

          I got up at 6:00 this morning and quickly made oatmeal and tea for a breakfast. We were both anxious to get to town so we got away by 7:30.  On the walk to the first shelter we saw a snake, a deer and a group of 12 black boys with their leaders, headed south. We stopped at Doc’s Knob Shelter for lunch and saw Bagman, Kilo and Topsy Turvey. The spring here ran under rocks and the last time Caterpillar was here, there was a large crayfish at the scooping place for water. It wasn’t there now. I tried to dry out my socks and boots here at lunch. Hung the socks up on some branches, in the sun. I couldn’t believe how many flies landed on my socks and were feasting on whatever. A real experience on the AT was the smell of my wool socks after 4 or 5 days of use. There was nothing on this earth like it and I don’t think a cleaner has been invented that could jar the stench out of them. In the sun I could hardly see any of the four socks for flies and I could understand why. For lunch I had stuffing and left over spaghetti with a snickers bar. We left Doc’s Knob around 1:30 to do the last 8 miles to town. We saw another deer and we stopped at Angel’s Rest for 20 minutes. Aptly named, as it was a beautiful spot on a sunny day overlooking the valley below.

 

Caterpillar at Angel’s Rest, Virginia

We did the steep climb down to Pearisburg, Virginia and walked up the hill to the hotel district. An older man hollered from his house as we passed by, and offered us Coleman fuel. Some hiker had left it with him to give away. We gladly accepted, as it was one less thing to look for and buy. Caterpillar carried the gallon jug with him, just in case we ran into hikers that may have needed the leftovers. We made the Plaza motel at 5:00 but had to wait until the desk lady came back from an errand. Old Man River had a newspaper with the sports section, so I knew I was missing part of the hockey game, but couldn’t do anything about it. I took my boots off to air out my feet and the caretaker came back and checked us in by 6:00. My feet were terribly sore and I was tired, dirty and hungry. There were some kind of roaches running around on the floor and in the tub but I could care less. I soaked in the bathtub for a ½ hour then got into my town clothes. Caterpillar went next door for pizza and I stopped at a convenience store for pop and snacks. Bagman was in the same motel, and made us aware of the basketball game that was on later. I took my boots outside to dry and rested on a lawn chair in the sun. Cool Rabbit, Thorin Oakenshield and Hawk-Eye walked by and we talked for a while. They were staying down the hill at the Rendezvous Motel. They said that there were several hikers there for the night. When the pizzas arrived, we had a large one each and devoured them while watching the Chicago Bulls win game 7 over the Pacers. It was a great game but I felt sorry for Indianapolis. They should have won. Caterpillar did some math from the data book and said we’ve done 162 miles from Damascus in 9 days, which was an average of 18 miles per day. No wonder my feet hurt. I couldn’t even sit up and rest them on the floor. They swelled up so bad that I couldn’t see the cords or blood vessels. I told Caterpillar I couldn’t keep this up or I wouldn’t be able to finish the hike. I tried phoning home but there was no answer. I would try again tomorrow. We watched a little TV then called it a day around 11:00.

 

June 1^st Monday

 

          I woke up at 7:30 and got my laundry bag ready. My feet were still terribly sore and swelled. We had errands to do so I had to grin and bear it and walk slow and awkwardly. The thru hiker-shuffle, it was called. We went down the street to a diner for breakfast. The hash browns and eggs were good, but I could read script through the bacon, it was so thin. I went back to the motel and picked up my laundry bag, writing materials and mail. I then staggered across the road and down the hill to a dollar store and purchased a skimpy, light pair of shorts. I changed into my shorts at the laundry place and proceeded to wash everything. I sat outside in the sun and wrote 3 letters to folk’s back home. By the time I finished the last letter, my clothes were done and I headed for the post office downtown. Near the town hall there was a war memorial in remembrance of a Confederate victory near Pearisburg in 1862. I found the memorial odd, but I bet the Yankee hikers found it even stranger. After the post office, I went back to the motel and Caterpillar and I walked to a salad buffet down the street. I had a few platefuls then stopped at the Dairy Queen on the way back, for an ice-cream sundae. We spent the afternoon sitting in the sun, reading the paper and resting our feet. Around 6:00 Caterpillar, Bagman and I went to the mall across the street, to have Chinese food. I ordered spicy beef with rice and an egg roll. Happy Feet and Orkney were there and we found out how they were doing. The supper was spicy hot but good. From the restaurant I went to the Food Lion grocery store and walked the aisles slowly, taking in all the beautiful foods. It took about 1 hour and ½ to shop and I filled only one hand basket. The selection was great and it was hard not to buy too much. When I headed back to the hotel, I spied Sunburn, lounging at the pool, at the motel next door. I went over and had a beer with him and we caught up on the trail news. Plaqueman was with him but he was in the room, on the phone with his girlfriend, Stormy. I walked back to my motel and dropped off the groceries then went to the store for some ice cream. I phoned my folks and called Tara, before going to bed around midnight.

 

June 2^nd Tuesday

 

          I slept well until 7:00, then got up and showered. We watched the weather channel and the forecast was sunny till the afternoon, then rain. Caterpillar and I did up our food bags and packed everything away. My feet were still swollen and sore, but I stuffed them into my boots and checked out of the motel. We headed down the street to have breakfast at Hardee’s. I had a coffee, Coke and a Frisco sandwich. It was much like an egg McMuffin. We left there at 10:30 and hiked down the hill and crossed the bridge over the New River. We walked past the Celanese plant and started up the ridge. The New River was the only river we crossed that flowed west. It is also said to be the 2^nd oldest river in the world, after the Nile, but I can’t figure out how they can tell. We hiked 4 miles before we couldn’t hear the hum of the Celanese plant and stopped at a small campsite for lunch. Ralph and Alice, the Honeymooners are there. They were slack packing 22 miles today, to make up time for a trip to his brother’s graduation. We met Old Man River, Mountain Muz and Panther who were slacking also. We started for the Rice Fields Shelter at 2:30 and arrived at 3:30.

Compliments of Bagman>

We had done 7 miles so far and decided to keep it an easy day and stop for the night. I took my boots off and found that my blood vessels have appeared again, but my feet were still sore. This shelter, separated from a farmer’s field by a fence, had a beautiful view from the ridge. I would have loved to tent in the field but there were cow paddies everywhere and cattle roaming nearby. I got my spot in the shelter and set up to nap a bit. I fell asleep quickly but only for ½ hour or so. Two southbound section hiker ladies with their dog showed up along with Sunburn, Ringbearer, Kilo, Topsy Turvy, Puck, Brother Jones and Pilgrim. The storm as predicted, blew in around 4:30 and was very sharp. Thunder, lightening and a very heavy rain, but I didn’t mind at all, in the safety of the shelter and my sleeping bag. Later after it had subsided, the sunset was gorgeous. Pilgrim was supposed to be slacking 22 miles today but with being stuck here during the storm, he considered staying. I offered and made extra spaghetti for supper, for he and I. We had tea and cookies for dessert. Puck made a fire and we stood around talking into the night. Topsy Turvy was a tad of a feminist and we had a heated discussion until she moved away and didn’t talk to me any more. I don’t believe I was mean to her, but she certainly didn’t care for my views. I thought she controlled her emotions rather well by just moving away. She probably felt like smacking me one. I was in bed at 9:00 for the night. It was just a little windy and cool from being at this elevation.

 

June 3^rd Wednesday

 

          I woke up at 6:00 this morning and made cold cereal and tea. Pilgrim had gotten up in the night and left. The weather was still a bit windy but no rain, so far. I headed out on the trail at 7:30 and passed the cattle that were congregating where the trail climbed up into the woods. I hiked a 1½ miles to a spring and got some water. Someone was camped nearby but I couldn’t tell whom. I carried on and saw one snake and one turtle before I stopped for lunch in a large open meadow. We were supposed to be able to see Kentucky to the west from this vantage point. Caterpillar, Sunburn and Ringbearer caught up and we had our lunch together. I had a bagel, salami, cheese, a chocolate bar and Kool-aid.  The sun had come out and I enjoyed the rest. Sadly we got up and moved on to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter. We finished 7 miles off in 3 hours. Got right up to the shelter before I noticed Pilgrim was inside, lying down. We had gone 12 miles already but decided to do another 4 later in the afternoon. I made spaghetti and didn’t leave the shelter until 5:00. I arrived at Bailey Gap Shelter at 7:00 and set up inside. I played hearts with Sunburn and Ringbearer and took Chinese control once. I felt very tired and thought about changing my philosophy of hiking. I expected to take at least one 0-mile day each week, from now on. I felt that I had gone to the well a few too many times and was losing strength. I had done 16 miles today with mainly sunny skies but it began to rain just as we readied for bed.

 

June 4^th Thursday

 

          I woke up in the night with a headache and from being cold. The temperature had dropped significantly and the shelter was open to the wind. I put on my fleece and a pair of wool socks. I sat up for a while then tried to return to sleep but tossed and turned the rest of the night. I got up at 6:00, had cereal and made tea and expected an easy 14-mile day, so I didn’t leave camp until 10:30. I hiked with Sunburn and Ringbearer, the 8 miles to Warspur Shelter. We met 2 groups of section hikers going south that offered us some food but we declined. Later I thought that was regrettable because one can ever have enough snacks. Made Warspur around 2:00, to catch up to Caterpillar and Pilgrim. I made one of the meals that I got from Caterpillar, the Spanish rice with dried turkey and vegetables. It cooked up nicely and made lots to eat. I wished I had taken more time planning and drying some foods to have on the trail. I found about 10% of the hikers have dried foods to send in their mail drops. Our gang packed up and left the shelter but I stayed for a while longer. A southbound section hiker came in and we talked for a while. This guy ran his own business at home. His wife was pregnant, so he only got out for small section hikes. I felt a little sorry for myself and said that he was probably doing it the right way. I left the shelter at 5:00 and hiked the 6 miles to Laurel Creek Shelter in 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was a good steep climb and a very rocky ridge to remind me of the work involved to complete the trail. At the shelter I saw Mt. Muz and Panther, Pilgrim, Gaiter Bait and 2 others. I made a peanut butter bagel and tea with a chocolate bar. Sunburn and Ringbearer told me that they liked the mileage plan that Caterpillar had set out and that they wanted to stay a zero mile day in Troutville. I couldn’t agree more and felt I would do 20-mile days, as long as I got one day off every week. We were all looking forward to the Sunday feast in Catawba, at the Homeplace Restaurant. Our schedule would let us drop in for supper then carry on down the trail to camp that night. It had rained on and off all day, but our clothes were soaked with sweat, not rain. I had set up my tent tonight and expected to be warmer. I was beginning to think it was a mistake to buy the fleece blanket and send the sleeping bag home. My thighs had lost a lot of the insulating fat and I had been waking up in the night due to cold legs. Staying in the tent instead of the open shelters should help some.

 

June 5^th Friday

 

          I had a good sleep in spite of the 2 hours that I was up in the night. Being in the tent was much warmer and I didn’t roll out until 7:30. I made cranberry oatmeal crisp cereal with a pepperoni and cheese bagel and tea. Nearly everyone had left by 10:00 and it took me another 15 minutes to get packed up and away. I caught up to Sunburn and Ringbearer after 3 miles and began the ascent of Sinking Creek Mt. to the old Sarver Cabin homestead. It started to rain and the closer to the top I got, the colder it become. It was a very difficult climb and once on top of the ridge, I wondered why someone would homestead up here. There was a stonewall 2 or 3 feet high in places and the trail was littered with tons more rocks. I made it over to the junction that descended to the Sarver cabin spring and I went down for water, along with Sunburn and Gaiter Bait. I had a drink there but it was too cold to stop and eat, so I carried on towards our destination of Niday Shelter. On top of the ridge there were several rock outcroppings that when wet, were slick and terribly dangerous to cross. I fell once and banged my hip, but my pack took most of the blow luckily. I got mad at myself for letting that happen and jeopardizing my hike, but I also felt sorry for the older hikers like Muz and Panther and Caterpillar and wondered why we didn’t hear more horror stories of hikers being disabled, due to injury. One had to swing from branch to branch almost, to cross these flat wet rocks and if you fell, there is nothing to protect you. Just before the shelter, I met 4 section hikers and walked a little ways with them. I had to slow my pace down, to walk with anyone so, after an exchange of pleasantries, I picked it up to get to the shelter.

 

Once at the shelter, I picked a site for my tent and set it up. Sunburn started a fire and we sat around drying our socks and boots and watched the people roll in. Storm Cloud Rob, an ex Navy Seal of 22 years service came in. He had hiked with Sunburn and Ringbearer for a few days, earlier, and when I thought back to the first couple days of this trek, he was the hiker with the 80- pound pack that I had passed on my second or third day with Papa. Caretaker, a gentleman from Alabama came to the shelter. I had seen him before but couldn’t remember where. Selky and another girl, Skiddah, showed up. It was the first time Selky had seen her boyfriend, Bushbaby, for sometime. Caretaker said that we should be on the lookout for Muz and Panther, as Muz took a tumble on the ridge rocks. They came into camp later and set up their tent. Muz got inside and didn’t come out all evening. All in all, a jovial evening, with so many old acquaintances getting together. The 4 section hikers came in and they didn’t have a tent to camp in. Caterpillar and Pilgrim gave up their spot in the shelter so the rookies had a place to stay. The section hikers parted with a beer each, for their trouble and Caterpillar shared his with me. I made a big pot of spaghetti and tea and felt much better after supper. The rain started up again around 8:30, and everyone headed for his or her tents. I wrote a letter to Steve Borrow and a postcard to Wayne Shierman. With the rain coming down in buckets, it didn’t take long to get to sleep.

 

June 6^th Saturday

 

          I woke up once at 3:30 then slept until 7:00 and got up to have cold cereal with a pepperoni and cheese bagel for breakfast. We left the shelter under overcast skies at 8:30, and I walked with Sunburn, who told me of all of his travels. He had been to China, South America, Nepal and had lived in Israel for a couple years, working on a kibbutz where he met his ex-girlfriend. He was born in England and had lived in New York most recently, working as a manager for a moving company. In England he had worked as a soundman in a theatrical group. I found him to be very easy going and fun to be around. Not the sort I had expected on the trail, though, but then again, what did I expect? He had met some thru hikers in the White Mountains in New Hampshire last year and was so enthralled with their journey, that he had to give it a try himself. Lucky for me! We walked 5 miles to the Audie Murphy Memorial and the skies started to clear. We stopped and took pictures with Storm Cloud and Caretaker. After another 3 miles of hiking, we stopped for lunch. I had my last bagel with peanut butter and some Ramen noodles. After lunch we made good time to the Dragon’s tooth. It was a very impressive rock formation that stuck up above the ridge and was a great chance for pictures. We met several day hikers there, so we didn’t stay long.

 

We hiked 3 miles down to Va. 624 and left the trail for a ½ mile to go to the Catawba General store. It was a great store with lots of goodies to eat. They had a rocky area near the store and they allowed hikers to set up tents nearby. Not the best camping area but the store was handy and I was convinced to stay, rather easily. Plaqueman had moved on rather than come to the store. He had a dream the night before, of impending disaster, and being a little superstitious, he kept his distance from us. Caterpillar, Pilgrim and I set up our tents in the bush near a stream, on the softest area around. There was a larger group of hikers called the Wolf pack, that were camped close by. Sunburn, Storm Cloud and I met a trail angel by the name of Fanny Pack at the store and he asked who would like to go to the Homeplace for supper. Trail Angel’s were people who out of the kindness of their heart would offer free rides, food snacks or just about any kind of a favor, to thru hikers. Sunburn and Storm Cloud accepted and left right away and I went back to the camping area to get ready for supper. I told Caterpillar and Pilgrim where they went and I thought Caterpillar was going to blow a gasket. He carried on about us not being a group and we were all individuals and that nobody cared about anyone else. Why didn’t anyone ask him to go to the Homeplace? Pilgrim and I just sat back and listened to him rave and readied our beans and wieners for supper. He really flipped out and didn’t say a word to Pilgrim or I for the rest of the night. Maybe there was something to Plaqqueman’s dream, after all! At the store I bought milk, Pepsi and shared the beans and wieners with Pilgrim. We had tea and cookies for dessert. Pilgrim talked over supper and I did most of the listening. He told me that he had got in some very bad trouble not too long ago, and that God was setting him straight. He had spent time in jail, after being in the armed forces for a few years. Originally from Florida, he had moved to Atlanta, Georgia and found himself going to a newly started Vineyard church. He was baptized there about a month before the hike and he was out here searching for his next heavenly command. He had a very easygoing manner about him and exhibited a true caring attitude. I had a very enjoyable repast with him. Later in the evening a truck came by with Puck and Bother Jones on back. The driver, Harmonica, of the Wolf Pack, asked if anyone wanted a ride to the Hippy farm, not too far away. Some of the Wolf Pack and Pilgrim went with him, leaving Caterpillar and I alone. I made one more trip to the store for ice cream and talked to the storekeeper for a while. I figured Caterpillar wouldn’t be too much for company tonight. I made it back to my tent in the dark and went to bed at 9:30. We had covered16 miles today.

 

June 7^th Sunday

 

          I suffered through a terrible sleep because of the highway traffic noise and the store’s refrigerator compressor, starting and stopping. I crawled out at 7:30 and Caterpillar was nearly packed up and was gone shortly after. Not a word from him, so I take it he’s still upset. Storm Cloud and Sunburn didn’t make it back here so I was alone except for some of the Wolf Pack. I had some cereal with some fresh milk for a change, packed up, and went to sit in front of the store. I stayed almost 2 hours talking to Japhy, Casper Nova, Skiddah, TBA, Cookie Monster and Seeker. Harmonica came by in an old Volvo this time, and carted half of them away and I head back up the road to the trailhead. I met South Paw, a trail angel, and we talked for a little while. He had hiked to Harper’s Ferry in “95” and was still waiting to finish the trail some year. Skiddah and I started hiking at 11:00 and did the next 6 miles, talking as we walked. She was 28, and from the mid-west. She had worked for Corning in New York State, as a microelectronics engineer.

 

Got Milk, Casper Nova and Skiddah checking out the mail drop

Compliments of Fanny Pack

 

We did the 6 miles quickly and as we came to the next road and parking lot, I spied Ozone across the way. What a surprise it was too run into him again! He was off the trail now because of his feet. He lost 7 toenails and decided to give it up. His brother lived nearby and he was visiting and doing some trail magic for the thru hikers. Skiddah and I got a ride to the Homeplace with him because I told him that Caterpillar was probably there. He had been looking for Caterpillar and I told him the story of the big mood swing. At the Homeplace, Skiddah made our reservation and we sat outside and waited. There were dozens of people waiting and a full house inside eating. Most of the folks were dressed to the 9’s from being at church earlier in the day. Some asked about our hike and the waiting time went by quickly. Growler, a friend of Skiddah’s showed up just as we went in. We were led to a table after paying our $11.00 and while we’re waiting for some food, Off Duty came in. He asked to be seated with us so we now had a full table of 4. The décor was simple and rustic, pictures on the wall, like at someone’s home. We could see in other rooms that they were set up the same way, only with bigger tables and more people. The food started to arrive. Large bowls of potatoes, gravy, stewed apples, green beans, peas, coleslaw, salads, chicken, lemonade, iced tea and our choice of roast beef or ham. We dug in and when a bowl went empty, it was quickly replaced with a full one. We had peach cobbler and coffee for dessert and when we finally stopped eating, I could hardly move and barely made it outside to sit down on a swinging chair.

 

I sat for a ½ hour with Off Duty and talked. He was a nurse and was from Pennsylvania. He had been having difficulty on the trail and questioned going further. Skiddah found a mess in her pack because her Camelback filled with orange juice had come undone. She washed it out with a water hose as best she could. I felt like walking soon, so I headed for the highway and started the 4 miles back to the trail. I went by the post office in Catawba and mailed my letters away. I met Two Shot and his girlfriend who were camping behind the store. She was from Detroit and a big fan of the Redwings. She told me how crazy it was there last year when they won the Stanley Cup. They almost declared a city holiday or might just well have. I started off down the highway and got picked up by a couple gents in a little truck and I didn’t even have my thumb out to hitch. I appreciated the ride and started off hiking slowly because my belly still felt full. I passed by the dilapidated Boy Scout Shelter and reached the Catawba Mt. Shelter to find Wild Bill there, tending a huge fire. He had yellow blazed from Pearisburg to catch up to some friends. The AT that was shaved in the back of his head was nearly grown in now. Selky, Bush Baby, Rosie and Walking Rib Cage showed up at the shelter and we talked for a while.

 

McAfee Knob

They all took off and I followed, to McAfee’s Knob. It was a beautiful rock outcropping and I took a picture of the 4 of them there. We walked on to the Campbell Shelter and set up for the night. Rosie had trouble with her knees lately, but since Ribcage had a leave of absence from Motorola, she resisted the temptation of getting off the trail. I made tea and had some cookies before going to bed around 9:30. I had checked the register and found that Sunburn and Storm Cloud were camped just ahead. I half expected them to be going into Troutville tomorrow after doing the 10 miles today.

 

June 8^th Monday

 

          Again, not much sleep last night as the temperature got down to the high 30’s and my legs were cold again. I crawled out of the tent at 6:00 and had cold cereal and coffee then started hiking. Rosie had forgotten her gaiters near the shelter so I carried them along in hopes of catching them. It was sunny this morning and I happened along Sunburn and Storm Cloud, camped off on the side of the trail. I stopped and talked to them for a ½ hour or more. There were several big, dry cow paddies near-by, that they could have used for a fire. We hiked to Tinker Cliffs and stopped to talk to Casper, Japhy, Seeker and Cookie Monster of the Wolf pack, who had camped there. We carried on to Lambert’s Meadow Shelter where we caught up to Rosie and Ribcage and she got her gaiters back. We had lunch there then headed on towards town.

 

It was fairly warm with the sun was shining. It seemed to take forever to do the last few miles down to the highway. For a 15-mile day, the arrival at Daleville at 3:30 was rather quick, but it seemed long. Daleville was a junction of several highways that had motels, grocery stores, and a Western Sizzler restaurant. The Best Western motel was just a stones throw from the junction of the AT and the highway so we headed there to check in. On the way we met Flutterby, L’il Mack, Tupac Samore, Old Man River and Nite-Eyes. Flutterby had a friend who was slack packing them 20 miles out of town. I also got to meet Dale, the local trail angel, who was slacking Old Man River. We carried on to the Best Western and checked in. Sunburn went to do laundry and I headed for a bath. Stormy had the room next to us. Around 6:00, we all walked across the highway and had supper at the Western Sizzler. I ordered the 12-oz. sirloin with fries and the All You Can Eat salad bar. It was a huge salad bar with 6 rows of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, salads of all kinds, pastries, sweets and drinks. A veritable heaven for a thru hiker! We stayed about an hour and ½ before struggling back across to the motel. We missed a ride to the movies, so Sunburn and I went to the Winn Dixie store and walked around the aisles looking at what we might buy for later. I noticed they had a photocopier that worked for 10 cents a sheet there. I decided when I come back; I would bring a picture of Bump, to photocopy. We went back to the motel with popcorn to microwave and sodas. We watched TV and got to bed at 1:00AM.

 

June 9^th Tuesday

 

          We were up at 7:00 and watched the weather forecast on TV. Thundershowers were predicted until Friday. We went down to the lobby and had the Continental breakfast of cereal, yogurt, bran muffins and coffee then sauntered back to the room and watched TV for a while. Later we found out where Ringbearer was staying. He had stayed here last night with his sister. The four of us went to the Pizza Hut for lunch and each had a small pizza. I phoned Hopwood from there.  His grandmother wasn’t doing well and he wouldn’t be back on the trail for a while. I wrote a letter to Barb King while eating pizza and then went back to the motel. There, I phoned the folks at home and found out that everything was OK. As well, I let them know that we had traveled 745 miles so far.  Storm Cloud, Sunburn and Ringbearer (Plaqueman- name change) went with Walkabout and his mom to a movie and I stayed in the room and slept. When they got back around 6:00, I woke up and we all went back to the Western Sizzler. I ordered the same meal as the night before. After supper, Sunburn and I walked to the Winn Dixie for groceries and I got Bump’s picture photocopied. It was our plan to make the photocopies into a “Wanted“ poster and stick them up in the shelters as a joke. On the way back to the room we stopped and talked to Pilgrim, Mango, Timm, Adam, Seeker, Evergreen, Topsy Turvy and Kilo. They told us that Hiwater and Wombat were staying at their motel. Ringbearer decided to sleep in our room on the floor, after we watched the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit won 2-1.  It was a great game to watch. If they didn’t sweep the series I might be able to catch game 5 or 6 in Waynesboro, 130 miles down the trail. We watched Jay Leno for a while, before sleeping.

 

June 10^th Wednesday

 

          I was up at 7:00, made coffee in the room, and watched TV until everyone else was up.  I got showered then we all headed for the Continental breakfast feast. After we went back to our room, we packed up our food and packs and pulled out at checkout time, 11:00. We met an East Indian and his wife, who had lived in Bristol, England, and in Toronto.  He wished us well on our journey. The four of us took off for the trail and later passed Mt. Muz, Panther and their son Rob, who was hiking with them. The packs seemed extra heavy as we climbed up to the Fullhardt Knob Shelter, four miles away. There was a cistern for water behind the shelter, so we stopped for lunch. Off Duty and Frank Ivy made an appearance. It was the first I had seen of Frank for almost a month or more. He reminded us of his foot infection and told us what he had done since we last saw him.

 

When we left the shelter, we met Puff and Ender, slacking southbound. There was another ascent to the Wilson Creek Shelter and we had to carry water to make supper. Two people were there when we arrived. An older gentleman, Breakaway, was in the shelter, and a woman, unnamed, was sitting a little ways off from the shelter. I talked to Breakaway until everyone else arrived.  We decided to stay the night after doing eleven miles. Breakaway was doing just as his name implied. He was newly divorced after thirty-two years of being married and had quit his job to come hiking. He was a joker and we got along just fine. He told us that the lady at the shelter thought she was the “Queen of England”, really, and practically lived there. The wardens would come and make her move every few weeks. She never talked to any of us and stayed a fair distance away the whole time. Off Duty and Jim Slate came in for a snack and carried on as usual. The rest of us set up our tents for the night. Contrary to the forecast, the weather had been hot and sunny. I made spaghetti for supper and we talked the evening away. We were in bed by 9:30.

 

June 11^th Thursday

 

          Though I was up at 5:00, my sleep had been great because it was warmer than usual. I wrote a letter to Darrell Dutchek before getting out of the tent to prepare breakfast. It was cereal, a pepperoni and cheese bagel and tea. Storm Cloud, Sunburn and I, bowed to “The Queen” and left around 7:30. We stopped at Bobblets Gap Shelter, eight miles away, for lunch. The trail moved parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway and crossed it several times. The skies were overcast but it was not raining. I came upon a hiker called Seeker and walked the afternoon with him. He was 34, a landscaper from Pennsylvania. The boys of the Wolf pack looked up to him as somewhat of a leader. He had been a cook at some prison in Pennsylvania, but preferred landscaping. Sunburn and Storm Cloud caught up and we hiked to the road at Jennings Creek, where we all went for a swim. Off Duty, Walkabout and Frank Ivy were there but they left us to take off for the next shelter. We three went down the road to a pavilion near Jellystone Park campground. There was a gazebo and a hand pump for water so we decided to make our supper there. I made spaghetti and Storm Cloud shared his hazelnut chocolate spread and chocolate cookies. It was an excellent feast! As we packed up to go, it began to rain and rain hard. We waited twenty minutes before taking off to the next shelter, four miles away. It was almost dark when we arrived at Bryant Creek Shelter, one of the largest on the trail. It was bulging with hikers, so I tented on somewhat of an incline outside. Caterpillar was there but stayed out of sight. Pilgrim, Frank Ivy, Off Duty, Walkabout, Katie Did, Real Bill and about six others were there for the night. I had hiked twenty miles and never felt better.

 

June 12^th Friday

 

          I was up at 5:00 again this morning, took my tent down and prepared a Spam bagel sandwich for breakfast. The skies were overcast again today, but it was warm and humid when we left at 8:00.  I had never sweated so much in my life as I did on the five-mile climb to the Cornelius shelter. Every step uphill caused four or five drops of sweat to drop off my head. My clothes were soaked. It was at times like these I questioned what I was doing here. I had never expected it to be this grueling. If I had had the foreknowledge, I probably would have never come. I had made up my mind that I would never recommend this trail as a thru hike for anyone, but if they did, they had better have a heck of a lot of desire to finish it. Once at the shelter I got lots of water from the spring and drank my fill to replenish the gallon or more I had left on the trail behind me. The Cornelius was a small shelter.  Someone had left some chocolate type power bars there. Off Duty said it was probably Flutterby and so we each tried one. They were like eating drywall!  I soaked mine in some tea as I ate it. In the shelter, there was a survey sheet for some university about water on the AT, which I filled out. I never filtered the water like 90% of the people did. I was on a small crusade to change that, but most of the hikers had become terrified by ads in magazines about giardia and such, that it seemed a lost cause.  I had only treated my water once or twice and we were getting near the halfway point. After I filled out the wanted poster for Bump, I pinned it up in the shelter. We had a great laugh putting it together and could imagine the look on his face when he saw it. We described him as being a pedophile disguising him self as a thru hiker.

 

Just before taking off, the clouds opened up and water poured down like never before. Upon discussion, the first light rain was tree rain and the latter deluge was equivalent to, “cow pissing on a rock rain.”  Like the Eskimos having twenty names for snow, we thru hikers had three or four names for rain. When the rain slowed a bit we started off for the Thunder Hill Shelter, a 3000-foot climb, five miles away. We arrived in two hours and met B. A. Disciple, a trail angel, who happened to be a Jehovah Witness. He was a very nice fellow that flitted around like a bee, talking to everyone. I had a Ramen noodle and two bagel sandwiches. Then we walked seven more miles to a campsite. The sky had cleared up and the ground was nearly dry. The spring was downhill a fair distance.  I took my water bottles and clothes down to wash and get water for supper. Since Georgia, most of the water sources were springs and they were usually found anywhere from a 100 feet to a quarter mile away from the shelters. They seem to be always downhill and usually had meant a treacherous trail to descend and ascend. By 7:00 PM there were seventeen tents set up at this site. We built a large fire to ward off the flies that were present and set about making supper.  We had caught up to at least eight new hikers and reunited with some of the regulars. One of the regulars was Flutterby, a pretty redhead from Maine. She and Storm Cloud didn’t see eye to eye about the way she was doing her hike. She slack packed a lot with L’il Mack and Off Duty. Stormy was vocal about slacking, most of the time to the wrong people, and the news made it back to her. Many of the Wolfpack were here and also Skiddah, Mango, Pilgrim and Walkabout. After a good big supper of spaghetti I sat around the fire with Pilgrim and Walkabout until 11:00. Walkabout was 35 years old and a student still. I would classify him as a scientologist, because we discussed the beginning of the world far too long. (17 miles completed today)

 

Page from Appalachian Trail Data Book

It provides the mileage from shelter to roads, to mountain peaks, to river crossings, to water source, etc. It also lets one know what the next town provides in regards to post office, groceries, lodging, meals and camping. A valuable tool used daily.

 

                                            

June 13^th Saturday

 

 Skiddah, Walkabout and Pilgrim were up before 6:00.  I heard them walk past my tent to get an early start. There had been a constant strong wind in the night blowing through the gap. I got up at 6:40 and packed. Several of the others were gone already. After some cereal and a bagel sandwich for breakfast, I left around 8:00, heading for the James River. The hike was steadily downhill, sometimes on a very narrow trail with switchbacks. I walked with Cuppa Joe and her Dad, Jellybean, for a ways. She lived in Colorado and he was from the mid-west, retired and now living in San Diego. We hiked six miles to the Matts Creek Shelter and stopped for a small snack and water. I met Red Beard there. He was a young guy, true to his name. I had heard from other hikers that he was annoying, but he didn’t seem so bad. I took off for the road and met a couple day hikers on their way up the hill. The trail was good and the weather even better. I crossed the James River at the Cushaw Dam and did a small road walk to another trailhead.

 

The James River had historical significance in two ways. One, the settlement called Jamestown, situated at the mouth of the river was the first European settlement.  Secondly, it was the boundary between the northern Iroquois and the southern tribes such as the Cherokee. Ringbearer, a northern Ojibway, always said he would feel more at home after we crossed the James River. Storm Cloud and Sunburn were there, trying to hitch a ride into Glasgow for a restaurant meal. I sat with them for ten minutes and then headed up the trail. The trail followed a stream for a short distance and then veered uphill after crossing a couple roads. Good time was made to John’s Hollow Shelter where I washed up in the stream and made some lunch. For such a nice day, the no see ums were terrible here. Mango and a couple day hikers showed up. One of the day hikers was an exchange student from Europe and the other had been hiking the trail throughout the year, until a hairline fracture in her leg forced her to stop in Bastion.

 

We packed up and as we started to climb, a small rainstorm developed but it didn’t last long.  It was a steep sweaty climb of 2000’ and by the time we reached the top I had drank all my water. We got water at Salt Log Gap and decided to do another three miles over Bluff Mt. to reach Punchbowl Shelter. On top of Bluff Mountain there was a plaque commemorating Ottie. Ottie was a youngster who had wandered away many years ago. His body had been found near this spot on top of the hill. I couldn’t help but be suspicious of the foul play the plaque indicated. It was a little hard to believe that a youngster could or would walk so far uphill. I was having problems doing it myself. The three miles to the shelter was done in one hour and five minutes. Here, there was a good-sized pond that was full of frogs. I started to set up the tent, right away. There was a small group of scouts camping. I saw Old Man River talking to a group of ladies at the shelter. He called me over and introduced me to the Mountain Mama’s. They were a group of five women ranging from 50 to 60+ that had been section hiking for the past 26 years. They had completed most of the trail and next year would finish it off. They liked my name, “Canuckelhead.”  I stayed and talked to them for a while. They had ordered supper from the trail angels, Ed and Mary Williams, who prepared food and then carted it to the shelter. I got to sample dessert, a pepperoni wrapped in a pastry, and then Mr. Williams gave me his business card and a pen. I went back to finish unpacking. Sunburn, Storm Cloud, Breakaway and Frank Ivy arrived. I made spaghetti at the picnic table and enjoyed a conversation with them. I also met a newly wed couple from Massachusetts, Chris and Terri McClure, the Massachusetts Honeymooners, who were married on March 18^th of this year. My feet were sore and tired after nineteen miles. I planned on doing fourteen to sixteen miles the next day and everyone agreed that this was a good plan. I also wrote about Hopwood in the shelter register so everyone behind would know what had happened to him and why he was not on the trail yet.

 

June 14^th Sunday

 

                      The wind and the damn bullfrogs had me up at 5:00. The bullfrogs were going at it all night long. After I wrote a letter to Glenn and Arlene Boyde, I fell back to sleep. I got up at 7:30, had some cereal and tried the new chocolate gourmet coffee that I had bought at the Winn Dixie. A whole pot was made so Frank, Stormy and Breakaway could have some too. It was great tasting coffee! We were packed and gone by 9:30 and didn’t stop until we reached the Pedlar Dam, five miles away. The five of us stopped for a snack and then started the climb up to the Brown Mt. Creek Shelter, another four miles away.  There, we stopped for water and a snack. The Mt. Mamas caught up to us and seized the shelter for the night. They made an effort to arrive early every day so that they were assured a spot in each shelter. Just as I got ready to go, a hulk of a hiker stomped into the area and asked abruptly if, there were any thru hikers here?  The Mama’s pointed me out and mentioned that I was going on. He said he had done over twenty miles already this day and that he wanted a spot in the shelter. They gave him one. I hoped they tortured him through the night. He was so gruff, a manner displeasing to anyone who had spent an extended period in the solitude of the trail. I had my doubts about his claim to be a thru hiker was true. I left wondering how they would make out with the south-bounder.

 

The Massachusetts Honeymooners, Chris and Terri McClure

Compliments of Fanny Pack

 

It was a short climb up to the road, two miles away. I saw the Massachusetts Honeymooners, Breakaway, and a section hiker named Chase at the trailhead across the road. They were sitting down enjoying the sun and eating the candy Chase had brought in his truck. A car pulled up.  Ender got out and came over to talk. He had gotten off the trail for a week because he had been extremely tired and had to give his body a break. He was going to stay with his brother who lived nearby, and he offered us a brew and some pop. Naturally we took him up on it. I found out that Chase had hiked with Storm Cloud back in Georgia and would like to meet him again. Stormy had already gone on to the Cow Camp Shelter but would probably end up at Hog Camp Gap for the night, as had been planned. Chase figured he could almost drive there and so he took off. I started up the hill behind Chris, one of the Honeymooners, and chased him to the top of Bald Knob. It was a very steep climb but I’m sure we made it in record time. At the top we sat, talked and waited for his gal, Terri. She was from Long Island and they had met at college. He said she didn’t mind that he went on ahead on the hills, as his pace was faster. I think he felt he was going to lose me and was surprised when he didn’t. We swapped trail stories and recipes for spaghetti, after Terri arrived. They also smelled the coffee this morning and hoped to get some for the trail on their next town-stop.

 

I took off and did the last three miles to Hog Camp Gap. The trail passed through an open expanse of field, not counting a few house-sized rocks. There were four young day hikers perched on one of the rocks.  They asked me a few questions about the trail. After ten minutes, I left to finish the climb in the open area. The trail then went down into the gap, where there was a right turn, to the spring and camping area. Breakaway, Storm Cloud, Frank Ivy and I set up our tents and waited for Sunburn to arrive. He had gone into town for a meal and showed up shortly. He was singing away and told us he had had a great hike in, had seen some animals, and just felt good. We built a fire, made supper and had a great night of conversation reminiscing about earlier times on the trail. We went to bed, planning a 19.6-mile hike for the next day that would take us to the Tye River. We were still two days out of Waynesboro and I was running out of good food.  Breakaway told us that we must have been trying to kill him. His knee, he said, just couldn’t take the abuse. We hadn’t seen him limp yet.  We had done seventeen miles under clear skies and it seemed like it would be cold again in the night, so I wore my clothes to bed.

 

June 15^th Monday

 

          I got up at 5:30 and heard the thunder and rain, so I went back to sleep until 7:00. The rain had stopped and Breakaway was up taking down his tent, mumbling “19.6 miles to go”, over and over. We made fun of him, making so much noise while everyone was trying to sleep. I got up and had cereal for breakfast. The skies were a beautiful dark blue with both the sun and moon visible. I headed out at 8:15 and started up the other side of the gap. The sun was lifting the moisture right out of the ground and the trees.  This created a spooky, misty fog to travel through.  I could barely see the trail ahead.  I took a picture but was not sure if it would turn out. It was very humid and the walk was a gradual up and down hike that crested the ridges. I made the Seely-Woodworth Shelter by 11:00 and sat my pack on the picnic table. There was a woman there, writing in the register. She asked me my name and I told her “Canuckelhead.” She seemed very surprised and I found out why. She just happened to be Dawn Treader’s mom! After Pearisburg, almost two hundred miles back, we had not seen any more entries from Dawn Treader and had wondered what had happened. Her mom, Cindy, coincidentally was at the shelter in order to write an explanation of what had happened. Dawn Treader had phoned home from Pearisburg to say that she should come home because she wasn’t feeling well. After talking to the folks for a while, she decided to try one more time. She made it to the Rice Fields Shelter and then turned around and went back into town. Her folks came to pick her up and took her to the doctor. The test for hepatitis that they gave her returned negative, but she did have strep throat and an enlarged liver from the physical exertion. The 18-week plan to finish the AT was just a bit too much. Her mom told me that she and her husband had thru hiked the trail several years ago and Dawn Treader had wanted to try. She gave us an offer to stay at their near-by cabin and an invitation to supper. I declined because I didn’t want any distractions preventing me from reaching my goal. I really wanted to go, beyond the matter of courtesy, but my goal-oriented spirit had a stronger argument. I felt I couldn’t afford the time away from the trail.  I would add this decision however, to my list of regrets. These folks also did the trail maintenance for this section. Every one showed up for lunch.  I introduced Dawn Treader’s mom to Storm Cloud and Breakaway then she left. 

 

We had just finished lunch and started to leave, when Mango and Tupac Samore showed up. Mango planned to meet Jim there in a half an hour. We left and started the climb up Priest Mountain. It was a very steep and tough trail. Timm, Adam, Pace Maker, Lobo and three section hikers were at the shelter when we arrived. I had some water and stopped for a rest. It was a steep rocky descent to the Tye River and it took two hours to do the five miles. My knees and feet took a beating. I crossed the bridge over the Tye River and set up my tent in the camping area. I rinsed my clothes off in the river and went for a swim. I craved ice cream as usual, so I gathered orders from everyone as to what they would like from the store. I walked a mile down the road in my camp shoes only to find a store that hadn’t been open for a year. I should have gone the other direction into the town of Tyro. Back at the campsite, everyone was disappointed when they heard the bad news. Supper was Kraft dinner only; there was no meat to eat with it. Before I finished supper it began to rain and rain hard. I headed for the tent to put up for the night. Almost twenty miles was done today, 22 miles, if you counted the fruitless walk to the store.

 

Each shelter along the trail had a notebook or scribbler placed there by hikers.

It was used as a shelter register and anyone was welcome to sign in.

It was a good method of keeping in touch with hikers behind you and

sometimes just to write in your contemplations or conditions met during the day

 

 

June 16^th Tuesday

 

          I was up at 5:00 this morning but stayed in my tent and wrote a letter to Jerome Campbell. At 6:30, I got out and had some cereal for breakfast. We broke camp by 8:15 and we climbed up to the Harper’s Creek Shelter. Here, I bagged up some of my coffee in plastic and left it on the shelter entrance sign. It was a gift to the Massachusetts Honeymooners, to celebrate their third month wedding anniversary. I left the shelter and started the climb up and over Three Ridges. I climbed and talked with Frank Ivy, until he had to slow down. He was born and raised in Tennessee and had gone to the University of Tennessee. He had studied agriculture, now he lived in Fairbanks Alaska and worked on pipelines, in some capacity. While he was growing up, he lived near the trail, and twenty years ago, was the first time that he had completed it. I was not sure why he was doing it again. He said that the parts we had traveled so far had changed considerably from when he had done it before. There was much more climbing and a harder terrain. He was planning to be off the trail for eleven days in July, as he had to go back to Alaska to ensure that his name was on the union list, for work coming up this winter.  When I came off of Three Ridges, I saw a couple black snakes.  It seemed ages before I reached the Maupin Shelter for lunch. It was unbearably warm in the sun, so I emptied my pack to dry the gear and then headed for the shade of the shelter. I drank my fill of water and had chips, chocolate and cheese.

 

The five of us left the shelter around 2:30 and started up the ridge to Dripping Rock, the next source of water, seven miles away. About half way there, a storm that had been building up behind us, moved in. Soon, we were caught in a downpour. The rain was extremely heavy.  The trail became nothing more than a small stream, 4-6 inches deep. The lightening struck far too close for comfort. My mind raced, as it seemed to get nearer, with every strike. I looked for a rock or overhang to crawl under and winced each time I passed a tall tree that was close to the trail, for fear of it being struck.  Hail the size of marbles stung my head, so I covered it with my towel. Nearly overcome with panic, I stopped to look out into the valley. BOOM! A bolt of lightening struck less than thirty feet away. I felt the heat on my arms and it seemed as though my feet lifted right off the ground. My heart fluttered as if my body’s polarity had changed. It skipped a few beats. When my feet hit the ground, I was up the trail like a shot and praying my little heart out. How could I be so stupid to get caught in a predicament like this? The lightening was still striking everywhere, in front, behind, and on both sides. I wondered how the rest were doing. I knew they were not far behind and going through the same torture. I finally made it to the road.  The rain began to let up a little. The lightening had stopped but when I looked behind me, I could see a second storm approaching. I was no better off here than I was on the trail because the road was even more open and higher up the ridge. I had this sick feeling of fear that I had seldom experienced in my lifetime. I always thought I was ready to die, but to be fried because I was stupid enough to be ridge walking in a storm made my stomach churn. 

 

No one had shown up at the road yet, so I paced up and down the trail praying for my friends safety. I climbed up and off the road and checked out some old campsites. There were branches laid in some of the flat spots that indicated that the trail maintainers did not want campers there. The rain and wind picked up and the lightening began again. I scurried back down to the road and paced back and forth, this time in my rain jacket.  The new storm passed over quickly, with only a few close strikes of lightening.  Sunburn and Storm Cloud soon approached commenting on the storm. Frank Ivy was close behind. They didn’t seem to be phased by the lightening, only a little by the rain and hail. I told them about my close call with the lightening and what I had seen up the trail for campsites. We got water from the rock spring and moved up the hill. Sunburn and Frank, each, selected a spot in the woods but I carried on down the trail until I found a reasonably flat area for my tent. Storm Cloud passed me in search for his. I cooked a Lipton rice packet for supper and had some pepperoni that Storm Cloud had given to me. Then, I had tea and cookies for dessert. Frank Ivy came by and we talked for a while about the storm and the fear it produced. He went back before dark and I headed into my tent. I had traveled fifteen miles this day and the next day was going to be a town day. Waynesboro Virginia would be a most welcome sight.

 

June 17^th, Wednesday

I awoke at 5:00, packed up, ate cereal for breakfast and left my camping spot by 6:45. After hiking about two miles, I found Storm Cloud camped at the Humpback Rocks. It was a great little spot for camping. There were houses built along the ridge that ran parallel to the area. I then hiked the next two miles over Humpback Mt., where there were several rock fences that were used to divide property in settler times. Thirsty Boots had told me that these were also used to keep cattle from wandering. The fences weren’t just rocks thrown in a heap; but they were piled evenly and in order. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble, as some of them were almost four feet high. I made it to the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter by 11:30. As I approached, a large gray squirrel inside the shelter got startled. He banged himself against the plexi-glass windows thinking it was an escape before he turned and leaped off the front steps to freedom. These squirrels were the most timid animals I had ever seen. Soon, Storm Cloud and a new hiker named Townsman came to the shelter. We asked Townsman how he got his name and he told us it was because he goes into every town along the way. He had started in early March and we, the middle of April, so I believed him. I had a Snickers bar, drank some water and wrote my account of the lightening episode in the shelter register.

 

After a half- hour we all started off for Rockfish Gap, five miles away. The trail went down fairly gently but it seemed to take forever. Once we got to Highway I-64, we checked the maps and signage to attain the right direction. Before hitting the highway, we went to a store to buy a pop. Outside the store I met an older gentleman who asked me if I was hiking the AT, to which I said yes. He told me he was a retired doctor from Pearisburg and had treated lots of hikers over the years. It was easy to spot a thru-hiker. They were often rough looking characters, usually dressed in shorts and t-shirt sporting a beard or at least a few days growth. We met Teddy and Levin as they were heading out to the Shenandoah National Park. Teddy was Japanese and couldn’t speak English. Levin, a Jewish guy, had worked in Japan and was Teddy’s interpreter. They were very nice folks and I hoped to meet them again. I felt I had known them just by reading their entries in the shelter registers. It was always nice to put a face to the name. We got on the road and waited only ten minutes before getting a ride.

 

My most constant companion

An older fellow drove us to the Comfort Inn Motel in Waynesboro.  Sunburn and I shared a room and Stormy got one beside us. After a shower, we got into our town clothes and hiked to the post office to get our mail drops. There was nothing quite like the anticipation of receiving a mail drop! We took our precious packages back to the hotel and broke them open. I shared some of Gram’s cookies. Two or three pounds of cookies were a bit much to carry on the trail. A Financial Post, cigarettes, jerky and a note from home rounded out the package. When I stepped outside our room, I saw Bagman. We got together with him and went down the street to Pizza Hut. We each had a medium pizza and then hobbled back to the motel and congregated around the pool. Kozmo and Frank Ivy showed up. Kozmo had yellow-blazed (hitch-hiked) ahead to Waynesboro because of his foot problems. He was taking a week off and letting Shutterbug catch up. Frank was going to stay at the YMCA but decided to get a room instead. We swam, lazed around in the sun and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. Stormy, Sunburn and I went to a movie downtown in the evening. The Truman Show was playing. Those two liked it but I wasn’t impressed. When we came out of the theatre, I headed for the store and bought some ice cream and snacks before walking back to the hotel. I watched TV and got some letters ready for the post in the morning. It sure would have been nice to watch a bit of hockey but the Redwings slaughtered Washington in the finals and the last game had been a couple days ago. I crashed in bed at midnight.

 

June 18^th Thursday

 

          When I got up at 7:00, I turned the TV on to watch the weather forecast.  They said that the weather would be good for the next few days. There was not much truth to that report, as the skies were overcast and it was drizzling. I had the Continental breakfast (cereal, coffee, and muffins) with Frank Ivy and Stormy.  We said so long to Bagman who was headed out for a 20-mile day. Sunburn went to do the laundry and while it was being done, I wrote four postcards. I ran back to the hotel and got my disposable cameras.  King’s Photo said that they did that kind of film developing and so I dropped them off before I went to pick up my clothes. We called a cab and drove to the Outfitters. The manager of the Outfitters told me that the tread wear on my boots was so significant, I would not get any reimbursement for them. I picked up some socks and a new pair of hiking shorts. We walked over to Weasies Kitchen Diner for lunch, where I had a hot dog and fries. From Weasies, I went back to the Outfitter and bought a new pair of boots. I didn’t want to risk falling and injuring myself this far down the trail. (836 miles) I also picked up some mink oil to treat the boots and then walked back to the motel. I checked to see if my film was developed on the way back.  Not everything had been completed. In fact, one package had been sent out for processing by mistake. The salesclerk and I worked out a method whereby I could receive the pictures by mail.  I gave her the address for Harper’s Ferry. When the photos returned, she would forward them to Harpers in a box marked “Hold for thru hiker.” Sunburn, Stormy and I went grocery shopping and then went next door to eat Chinese food. I picked up some ice cream to take back to the motel. We took turns phoning home, watched some TV and hit the sack around midnight.

 

June 19^th Friday

          I was up at 7:00 and strolled to the Continental breakfast room to eat with Frank Ivy. When the mall opened up, I walked there to look for camp shoes and a cheap camera. No luck! It had started to rain so we decided we wouldn’t head back to the trail this day. I went to the post office to send my boots home and mail some postcards. Cuppa Joe and Jellybean were there and walked me back to the motel. Sunburn and I watched some World Cup soccer and then a movie. Stormy came over around 6:00 and we hiked to Kroger’s grocery to get food for supper. I bought a T-bone steak, chicken, some salads from the deli, potato chips, ice cream, pastries and French bread and then took everything back to the motel. On the way back, we met Shutterbug, Second Nature, Mirage, Old Moose, Skiddah, Mushombo and Japhy.  Back at the motel we cooked the food and ate.  I couldn’t get off the bed. We watched the movie, The Saint, and went to bed at 11:00. I was very, very tired. It must have had something to do with digesting all that food!