Day 64 - Rusty's

Woke up at 7:30, and everyone else had already gone downstairs. It wasn’t raining yet, but the decision had been made to stay. Dave and I each got a T-shirt ($18). The only way to get them is to hike to Rusty’s (no hitching allowed!). And they’re not sold anywhere else. 

Rusty had an appointment at 8, but said he hoped to be home around 3 and would take us to Waynesboro to do our errands. I was going a little stir crazy and decided to go for a walk during a break in the rain. 

Had a very relaxing afternoon. Decided to go into Rusty’s living room, where it’s warmer because of the wood stove. Tilted the recliner back, put Dave’s hat over my eyes, and drifted in and out of sleep as I listened to classic rock hits of the 70’s and 80’s. 

Rusty came back around 3:30, and we headed into town for the usual errands. Got oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies from Mom. Also a couple of pictures of Kaya and Tigger! They look good and healthy and happy. Hope they still remember us when we get home. 

Rusty picked up food and made sloppy joes and a gigantic salad for dinner. About six lucky hikers strolled in at just the right time. Oh, Rusty calls himself the “AT demon” in reaction to all the trail magic “crap.” It’s true that you become greedy and almost come to expect trail magic at times, which is wrong. Often there is some marketing gimmick attached – such as cold drinks at a road crossing from the owners of a particular hostel. 

Also, putting food in the woods can be dangerous – a bear was hit by a car (and killed) trying to get into a cooler.

Slept pretty well. We only added one person (Shambala) to our bunkroom. Up around 7, several hours after the roosters started their wakeup call (thank you, ear plugs!).

Day 63 - Harpers Creek to Rusty's

Some things I’ve been meaning to write about recently. Oh yeah, for the most part I’m glad the trail is what it is – ascents and descents and all. I may complain about the terrain, but if it wasn’t this hard then it wouldn’t be this rewarding. If I could pick my own trail, I’d probably make it relatively flat and do 20 miles every day. But then I wouldn’t get any of the views.

Also, worst sandwich concoction: cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter, tuna, and American cheese.

I hiked on my own Thursday morning. Knew the terrain was going to be tough, and I wanted to be able to go at my own pace. Was chugging along til I came upon a baby bird in the middle of the trail. It was so cute, just sitting there, so I took a picture:

Then I figured it must be hurt, and I got very sad. Didn’t know what to do. The mother was flying around, squawking, and the baby would make a peep every now and then. But the mother wouldn’t go over.

I finally figured out maybe I was in the way and stepped back. The mother did go over, then I saw the baby hopping away from the trail. I asked Murph and Stray if they saw the baby, and they didn’t, so I guess he was OK after all!

Oh, they renamed me Blur. It’s better than Pack-On, so I’ll try it out for a while.

Walked the 2 ½ miles off the trail to Rusty’s Hard Time Hollow. None of us really knew what to expect, except that his place is legendary on the trail. First we saw the signs along the side of the driveway. “Nothin’s free” and “If you’re not having fun, get the hell off the trail” stick in my mind. 

Then we came to a number of old-looking buildings with signs posted here, there, and everywhere. But no people. Kind of eery. Had heard about the driveway lined with crushed soda cans, but it’s not how I pictured it. The cans are everywhere, and it looks pretty messy.



There are chickens wandering about, rusty wheels, an old cluttered work bench, etc. Flies seem to really like it here. Inside the porch the walls are lined with photos of hikers.



A note on the chalkboard said they’d gone to town and to hang around til they got back. So we did. Kind of awkward at first, since we weren’t sure where we should and shouldn’t go. Rusty has no electricity or running water. This means no fridge (he keeps things floating in a cold spring in the barn), no TV, no shower, no toilet. But he does use propane lanterns and has a battery-operated radio. I guess he hates electronic devices and has been known to shoot them, so I was sure to put my Walkman away before stepping on the property.

It was a good three hours or so before Rusty showed up. He’s older than I expected, with a kind of wild beard. He had red candy residue smeared in the corners of his mouth, which gave him sort of a crazed clown look. But he’s very friendly and open and seemed glad to welcome us into his home. He’d just had an experience that upset him, he said, and started talking about a hiker who cheated him out of money. When he said Western Union, we all knew it was Ebb.



Rusty said for the first time in almost 20 years, he took a “Hard Time Hollow” T-shirt away from a hiker. Imagine that! Ebb has quite the scam going under that quiet, gentle, slow-talking exterior. I wonder if we’ll see him in Waynesboro or beyond. That would be interesting. Some people will be sure to give him a piece of their collective minds!



Rusty had tears in his eyes when he was talking about Ebb. People like that are causing him to consider closing his home to hikers. I guess he hasn’t been getting as much foot traffic in recent years, and donations are his only source of income. We threw our stuff in the bunkhouse (real mattresses, just don’t look too close).

Found out Rusty had an appointment in the morning and wouldn’t be able to make his famous pancake breakfast. But then he offered to make some for us at night. Perfect! He cooks on a humungous cast iron skillet. The pancakes were very big and very fluffy and very good. I guess the record is six. I had 2 ½. We couldn’t decide whether or not to hike the next day, but the forecast of rain was pushing us towards staying.

Then Rusty said he’d be able to take us to Waynesboro in the afternoon so we could do our errands. We wouldn’t have to hitch into town or pay for a motel room. Sounded pretty good, but I didn’t know if Murph and Stray would go for it. Stayed up til 11, waiting for Rusty to come home so we could discuss the next day’s plans. But he was late, so we went to bed. Warm and comfortable; slept well.

Day 62 - Seely Woodworth to Harpers Creek

Took our time getting up and out, since lunch didn’t start til 10 and we had only two miles to do to get to the road (plus another two into town).

Smittee takes a break

Stopped at a cute country store (had two bananas and two cups of coffee). Mailed home my fleece, heavy socks, and first journal. Just so happened that one of the owners of the B & B was at the store, and offered us a ride.

The place was really nice, kind of rustic looking with lots of wood inside. We sat at a cloth-covered dining table and were treated to nachos, cranberry juice, spaghetti with homemade sauce, garlic bread, lemon poppy seed cake, etc. It was amazing and best of all – free. The B & B has only been in business for a year, so I guess they’re trying to get the word out. We’ll be happy to spread some good PR!

Earl even drove us as far back to the trail as possible, so we only had an extra mile to do. Still 12 miles left, though. Stopped for a good long break at Spy Rock. Then up to the Priest mountain, followed by a knee-pounding 5+ mile descent.

Got to the shelter at 6:45. Still space, but we’re tenting it on somewhat slanted ground (hope the tent luge  --  i.e., ground pads sliding toward non-existent back door -- isn’t too bad).

P.S.: It was pretty bad. C’est la vie.

Day 61 - Brown Mountain Shelter to Seely Woodworth

Slept til after 9, I think. I know it was late. All the people at the shelter were long gone, except for Smittee.

Dave and Smittee had planned to hitch one mile to a town with a store and phone. I didn’t need anything, so I pushed ahead on my own. Tough uphill, and it was also a lot hotter than it’s been in a while. The heat drags me down!

Man who gave Longshanks and Smittee a hitch

Murph and Stray Cat left a note that the store was closed and there was no phone, so I expected Dave and Smittee to catch up to me at any time. Wrote in my journal and had lunch on top of the bald. Kept going. I like when there are a lot of signs telling mileage on the trail. Two miles to the road, 3.5 miles to the shelter, etc. I try to break my day into small, manageable goals, which seems to help.

Today was going by slow. Just wanted to get to the shelter, and even the radio wasn’t helping that much. I got to thinking about the impact that I'm having on the natural world. How many bugs have I accidentally squashed? How many seeds have I kicked that will no longer produce a seedling? What damage are my poles doing to the trail?

Got to the shelter around 4:45. It’s now 7:30, and Dave still isn’t here. Been waiting for him to have dinner and set up the tent. Hope he gets here soon! Oh, I passed Bear and Mark after lunch. They say I hike really fast (they didn’t get here til after 6). Kind of funny, since I felt so draggy today. They said they might hitch a rope to me to get up the trail faster.

There were lots of deer around the shelter last night. Dave and Smittee showed up around 8:15, 15 minutes after I had scarfed down my freeze-dried tuna lunch in desperation. Wasn’t too happy. I guess they had hitched 10 miles to get to a store/phone and didn’t get back on the trail til after 3.

We saw a flyer at the shelter about a B & B 2 ½ miles off the trail offering free lunch to hikers. It would mean five extra miles, but we were only planning to do 14 to begin with. I was happy because we’d actually be doing 19 miles. Dave was happy because not all of the miles were on the trail. Win-win situation. Slept very well. Is it my new pink pillow (from the Wildwood hiker box)?

Day 60 - Wildwood Campground to Brown Mountain Shelter

The rain actually stopped before we got on the trail. Ken from the campground gave us another ride
.
Tough climb (about 8 or 9 miles) back up, but we took our time. At a road crossing, we met a man named Finnegan (’99) who gave us each a piece of fruit and chatted for a while. He’s writing a book about the history of the trail towns.

Got to the campsites at 15 miles, and Murph and Stray said they were going to go on. Smittee (Bean) said he’d go, too, since he didn't want to be so close to the road. Dave wanted to stay, but I was feeling really good and not tired at all. Maybe we can start alternating who picks the destination for the day.

Walked the 4 ½ miles to the shelter in under 1 ½ hours. My feet were on fire (and the trail was pretty flat). The section of Brown Mountain where we stayed was inhabited by freed slaves for a while. A couple of signs gave interesting history lessons.

Day 59 - Marble Spring Campsite to Wildwood Campground

Saw another deer in the morning. I’m really glad we stayed where we did. Did an easy seven miles to the road, and a man picked us up right away and took us to the Wildwood Campground.

Murph, Charlie, Stray, Honkey, and Ebb were already here – along with Dude (formerly Duracell and Stretch) and his girlfriend and Bean. It’s a nice place. Most of us are staying in a room above the store. The sun has been out, and there are a lot of people here to celebrate Memorial Day.

(l-r) Honkey, Charlie, Longshanks, Beano, Dude, Murph, Stray Cat, and Pack-On

Getting the usual chores done – laundry, food shopping, phone calls. Forgot to mention all the gypsy moth caterpillar destruction along that last section of trail. Every leaf you looked at had a caterpillar on it, and you could hear the collective sound of all of them munching.

We decided to have our own cookout rather than going out to eat. As usual, Dave volunteered to do the shopping. I foolishly forgot to tell him to buy some earplugs and held out little hope that he’d remember. But lo and behold, he did. I gave him a huge wrap-around hug, which I guess I haven’t done in a while. I was so happy.

He also bought peanut butter with Nestle Crunch pieces mixed in. That made me happy, too. Now he says he knows the trick to getting a big hug – earplugs and peanut butter.

Cookout was good. Mother Hen and her mother joined us. I ate two fake chicken patties and a hot dog.
Dave and I got the bed, since there wasn’t another couple. And I had one of those nights where my heart won’t stop racing. Was it because there were so many people in the room? Nervousness about the next day's climb? I really don’t know.

Woke up to grey skies and rain. Really hard to get out of bed, but someone said it was supposed to clear.

Day 58 - Cove Mountain to Marble Spring Campsite

 
This was our longest day yet mileage-wise – 24. Feel pretty good. Started at 8 and finished at 7.

There was a long eight-mile climb, which slowed us down a bit. Had planned to do 17 miles, but the sky actually cleared and we decided to make it an easier day tomorrow.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, though it doesn’t really feel like it. We did see some car campers this morning. The men were coming back with coffee and a box of Krispy Kremes. None for us, though.

Crossed over the Blue Ridge Parkway a couple of times. Yesterday it was so foggy we could barely see the blazes. Today we actually had a view.

Did the threat of rain keep all the day hikers away? We only saw one man this morning and a small group of guys late in the afternoon. No thru hikers at all. Everyone’s ahead of us or behind us. I don’t mind.

 
Decided to stay at a campsite with a spring. Thought Murph and the gang might be here, but they’re not. Kind of strange camping alone – but at least the lack of earplugs won’t be an issue.

I went down to wash up and saw two deer. One was pretty fearless, so I was able to get close enough to see her chin hairs! No camera, though. Now there’s an owl here. This is pretty cool!
 
Later, the whip-poor-will was doing his thing. Then we heard something rustling near the tent. It was a deer, and I guess it was licking the salt out of Dave’s pee. Eww.

I slept really well. I’m sure being exhausted and overtired didn't hurt. 

Day 57 - Fullhardt Shelter to Cove Mountain

Went to bed early and slept late because it was, believe it or not, raining again. Had planned to be out by 7, but we were fashionably late – checking out at 9:10.

Started off slow, but the terrain was surprisingly easy. Took a break at the first shelter, lunch at the second, and decided to push on – even though it would be a 20-mile day.

Stretch (formerly Duracell), Bean, and Longshankss

Oh, this was my second day completely without makeup. Just couldn’t be bothered, especially with the rain. The first time was the day we climbed Dragon’s Tooth – also in the rain. I am aware of the fact that I don’t have any makeup on, but not having mirrors around spares me, at least, of the details.

Anyway, we saw a wild turkey on the trail today – jumped up from the bushes and scared the heck out of me.

Got to the shelter around 6, I think. Mother Hen is here, and a section hiker named Dave. Will probably bump into Charlie, Murph, and the gang tomorrow. Cookout with Bean and Stretch is set for Sunday.

Dave the firefighter snored, and of course my new earplugs weren’t working out (they hurt!). And I'd already thrown the old ones away – despite the fact that they weighed one-millionth of an ounce. Made for a very long night.

It actually didn’t rain, even though (or maybe because) we left our dirty pots on the picnic table for Mother Nature to clean. Got out by 8. It was foggy and damp.

Mother Hen was saying how Trail Magic should be renamed Trail Love – because a lot of work goes into those special surprises. I agree, but it still seems like magic when it happens to you!

Day 56 - Daleville to Fullhardt Shelter

Slept pretty well, but the pillow was too puffy. Poor me (just kidding). We finally got the stench out of the room by leaving the door open and turning on the fan.

Went down to the breakfast buffet. It was a good one – cereal, toast, bagels, donuts, bananas, yogurt. Naturally, I ate my fill.

Went to the local outfitter and supermarket. I pretty much resupplied out of the hiker box with freeze-dried meals someone obviously spent a great deal of time preparing. Left around 1:30 to do 11 miles to the second shelter.

The sky started getting darker, and Dave proposed stopping at the five-mile shelter, since the other might be full. But when we got here, the sun started shining again. Alas, motivation had already been lost. 

Thunderstorm set in around 7:30. We’re in the shelter with Vitamin and Dungeon Master. Both are nice.

Oh, on the trail today we saw 39 caterpillars walking in a continuous line. It looked like a fuzzy rope til I noticed it was moving. Definitely one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen.

To bed early, I think.

Day 55 - Catawba to Daleville

I don't think I said enough about how badly yesterday was going. I was feeling the Virginia blues, big time. It was disgustingly humid, the terrain was very difficult, and it was raining for the eighth day in a row.

Anyway, being able to stay in the feed shed, and having the store still open, absolutely made my night. That was the softest concrete floor I've ever slept on!

No rain, no slanting floor, no bugs, no mice… The only problem was the outside light shining in my face. But I just pulled my hat down over my eyes and was OK. Woke up at 4 and had trouble getting back to sleep – got excited thinking about breakfast, I think.

Bought breakfast and just enough snacks for the day. Got a hitch back to the trail. It was a beautiful clear day with bright blue skies and no humidity. What a change! We certainly appreciated it. Took our time walking, even though we left kind of late and had 20 miles to do.

Our first stop of the day was McAfee Knob, the most photographed spot on the AT. It was impressive. We all took the opportunity to dry out our tents and socks and boots. 

Then after a climb we reached the Tinker Cliffs. Awesome place to sit and enjoy the view, which we did. Still had a long way to walk, but the terrain was a bit easier.

Dave and I have been talking about building a shelter in the backyard when we get home. We could put it where the screen house used to be. I think it would get a lot of use.

Made it to Daleville around 8. The Best Western is right off the trail. Hit the local steakhouse for AYCE salad bar. My feet were really hurting at the end of the day. Felt like my toes were being crushed against the front of my boots. So glad to get into town!

The Best Western was really nice. Six of us shared the room. Dave and Charlie volunteered to do all our laundry, and didn’t finish til 1:30 a.m.

Day 54 - Niday to Catawba General Store

Last night was one of the most severe thunderstorms I've ever experienced. The lightning was so bright it hurt my eyes. Dave kept turning on the headlamp to check that the tent seams weren't leaking. I was at an angle, and the combination of all the above factors led to a very restless night. 

Tough getting up in the morning. We didn't get out til 8:30, second to last ones of the group.

Very muggy as we began our first climb up Brushy Mountain. "Your ass is really mine," someone should have written about this baby. Got to the top and checked out the Audie Murphy memorial (most decorated WWII veteran).

Before we got to the first shelter, it started raining. Another tough climb over rocks leading up to Dragon's Tooth. Very long ridge walk to get there. Finally got to Dragon's Tooth around 3:30. The sky started to get dark again, then the thunder and lightning came. Quite a challenging and treacherous descent scrambling over wet rocks. Would have been difficult even without the rain.

Longshanks at Dragon's Tooth

Still had 8.4 miles to get to Catawba. They were long miles. My feet were swimming in my boots, my heat hurt, and my stomach was growling. Was walking very slow. Got close to the road, and there was a register. Murph, Stray Cat, and Ebb were headed for the Catawba General Store. That's where we were going, too.

Got a hitch pretty easily into town. They were already here and had made arrangements to sleep in the shed with the chicken feed. A roof, no wet tent! The store was still open! Turkey and cheese sandwich, pizza with everything, chips, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milk! A bathroom nearby!

Ebb, Longshanks, Murph, and Stray Cat

We can resupply here and do 20 miles into Troutville tomorrow, where there is a Best Western, a bed, laundry, and free continental breakfast! Very content.

Day 53 - War Spur Shelter to Niday

It started raining around midnight, and it was still coming down at 6, and at 7. We were all being lazy -- no one wanted to make the first move. Got out a little after 8 once the rain had let up a bit.

First climb was Kelly Knob. I was a bit worried, since in the register someone wrote "Your ass is mine," and signed it Kelly Knob. And the first Kelly Knob we climbed was no picnic. Actually, this one wasn't as bad as I'd been expecting.

The rain began to let off, which was good. Just before a road crossing, there was a farmhouse on the left. A sign on the post said they had soda, candy bars, and ice cream for sale. It was just someone's house. They've been living there for two years and keep coolers on their back porch for hikers coming through. The woman was really nice. I had a Sprite, a banana, half of Murph's apple, and a Three Musketeers bar.

Homeschooling family in Virginia

Oh, Charlie caught up with us at the house. Also, we saw a really old oak tree -- allegedly 18 feet in diameter. Pretty cool.

Another tough climb to the top of the ridge. Then it started to rain again. We were walking on a ridgeline, but much of it was huge exposed rock we had to climb over. This isn't easy under good conditions, but especially in the rain. It was dangerous and I knew it.

Maybe half an hour later, we came across a group of women. One had fractured her ankle falling on a rock. Help was on its way. We passed the first crew (four guys over 65 wearing overalls and carrying nothing but a stretcher) and were a bit nervous, but they assured us that others were coming. A bunch more people did go up, but now it's 9:45, raining again, and no one's come down. Hope everything 's OK.

The shelter was full, so we're tenting it. One more wet thing to pack up in the morning...

Day 52 - Pine Swamp Branch to War Spur Shelter

It was a pretty good night. Ten of us and our smelly, wet gear filled the shelter to capacity. Dave had to keep his legs curled up, since we only had about 5 1/2 feet of space.

I guess at some point during the night his legs brushed against me, and I had one of my bug nightmares. All I remember is waking up Dave and saying, "Get the light! Get the light!" because I wanted to show him the giant blue bug. Of course, it wasn't there. Murph was up, too, and I was wondering how she got involved til she told me I had jumped on her. Oops.

Dave and I got up at 6:30, but he wasn't packed up and ready to go til 7:45. At home, he waits for me. Here in the woods, I'm always waiting for him. Kind of funny how the roles have been reversed.

Tough climb in the morning under extremely muggy conditions. I was absolutely dripping with sweat. Took a few breaks, then made it to the 12.7 mile shelter around 2. Word had it that the next shelter was going to be full, and that the forecast was for rain at night. It didn't take too much to convince me to stay.

This will throw off our schedule a bit, but I guess that's OK. I have extra food anyway. Saw a red eft on the trail today, a snail, and a garter snake. The locals had been warning us that the snakes had been driven to higher ground with all the water. Not true so far.

We have been hiking with Moose and Fiddlehead and Smiles from New Hampshire. They are really nice. Out of the eight of us in the shelter tonight, only one (Ebb) is not a New Englander. Go figure.

Oh, we found out that some of the tales about the water levels were exaggerated a bit. The suspension bridge wasn't under water, but people did have to take off their boots to get to the stairs. And the streams have been passable, though sometimes it is quite a challenge to maneuver the wet logs, slippery rocks, and raging water.

The mice started coming out before dark, which is never a good sign. They were quite active during the night. I could hear the pitter patter of their little feet on the wooden floor, even though I had my earplugs in and hat on. Kept my arms in my sleeping bag even though I was roasting.

Everything was damp -- even things that hadn't been exposed to the rain. Picked up Sue Grafton's O is for Outlaw. A luxury item, but worth it nonetheless.

Day 51 - Pearisburg to Pine Swamp Branch

It felt good to finally get packed and ready to go. This stay was too similar to Gatlinburg.

Said goodbye to Blowin Sunshine and Shiggy, who were going to Damascus. Charlie also decided to go at the last minute, surprisingly.

Hit the road a little after 7 to do the last section of trail in Pearisburg. It was really overgrown and jungle-like. Stray Cat calls it a car wash, since the wet leaves and branches hanging over the trail give you a cleaning as you walk by. Bought breakfast at a store on the trail – sausage and egg biscuit, huge honeybun and frappucino. Yum.

A little tough to get back into the swing of things, but I was anxious to start burning off some of those buffet meals. Lots of strongly flowing streams from all the rain, but otherwise the trail wasn’t in too bad of a shape. Couple of tough climbs, but the miles went surprisingly quick – I’m sure, in large part, to my new Walkman. It really helps me take my mind off the miles and the time.

Very hot and especially humid. Sweat just pours out of my head. As we neared the shelter and the 20-mile mark, the sky darkened and I heard a warning on the radio about a severe thunderstorm and flash flood watch. We picked up the pace, but alas too late. About 10 minutes before we got to the shelter, we were dumped on. Almost like taking a shower! The sweat pouring down my face was incredibly salty.

The shelter is small, but 10 of us are cramming inside. No sense getting the tent wet. The new stove worked perfect tonight, and I was happy to do my own thing. It stopped raining, but everything is damp and musty. Wet clothes, especially socks, smell bad!

Not sure if I wrote about this already, but the miles are really starting to add up. I meant to take notice when we hit the 500-mile mark, but we were so busy it didn’t even register. Now we’re around 637. Seven hundred miles will mean we’re one-third of the way to Katahdin! At this point, I'll say that five or six months of this will be plenty for me. On the other hand, I’m sure part of me will miss living with no real schedule or obligations. We’ll see if that changes...

Day 50 - Pearisburg

Slept pretty well last night on this very soft bed. Blowin' Sunshine and Shiggy shared the other bed.
 
Murph called at 7:20 a.m. to tell us that they were all staying another night. It was absolutely pouring out. The suspension bridge we crossed a couple days ago was under water, and someone coming south couldn’t cross one of the streams on the trail and had to go way out of his way to get around it. That was about all we needed to hear to make up our minds.
 
Murph decided to share our room, which is cool. And BS and Shiggy are still here, too. There was some guilt about taking a second zero day, especially when the sun came out late morning. But we had already booked the room for another night, so what can you do?
 
We hit the Italian pizzeria all-you-can-eat buffet when it opened at 11. Much better than the Chinese place. Dave didn't feel like doing much of anything afterward, but I needed to get out. So I walked to the library, then to Walmart. I bought my own pot, so now I’m almost fully independent. 

We sent back our Whisperlite stove and are going with one of those homemade soda can jobs that burns denatured alcohol. It’s all about pack weight (reducing it).
 
Some people went out to play pool at the local pub, but I hung in the room. Watched the end of There’s Something about Mary and went to bed. Slept OK (too hot). This marks the first time that we've spent three nights in the same place.

Day 49 - Pearisburg

Had to get the rest of our chores done so we could leave late afternoon. Got a box from Mom and Dad containing film, newspaper articles from the Metro West Daily News, and a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies (they didn’t travel well but were tasty nonetheless). Also got a few letters. Nice to get mail!

Then it was off to the drug store and supermarket to resupply. There are way too many kinds of food in the supermarket. Everywhere you look, there’s something good to eat! I have been thinking, though, that when we get home I really want to start cooking healthy meals – lots of fruits and veggies, brown rice, couscous, etc. We’ll see if I’m able to stick to it.

Check-out time at the motel was 1, and it was clear we weren’t going to have our act together by then. So we reluctantly decided to stay another night (the rain helped seal the deal). We knew everyone else was planning to take a zero day, but they were all at the hostel a couple of miles away, so we hadn’t talked to them.

Town errands take up so much time that a day off doesn’t feel like a day off. Bought sandwich ingredients so we could make our own lunch – and a box of Krispy Kreme donuts for dessert. I’m not sure if they’re better than Dunkin Donuts, but they sure are good.

No idea what we did the rest of the day, but it went by pretty quick. Blowin’ Sunshine stopped by and asked if we knew anywhere he and his dog Shiggy could crash. We invited them in with us.

Murph, Shiggy, and Blowin' Sunshine

Day 48 - Woodshole Hostel to Pearisburg

Happy to get up at 6:30 because town was near! After breakfast, Tillie took a picture of the whole gang (16 of us, I think).

Then the rains came again. It rained continuously and hard during the night. I was awake for a lot of it, so I know it’s true. Heard that the mountains got three inches. Anyway, it’s very hard to leave someplace dry to go someplace wet. But we made the move at about 8:30.

Beano gets his feet wet.

I slipped and fell on a wet rock and nearly had one of my crying episodes til Bean and Phil came walking over. That ended it quick. Overtired and wet and cranky, I guess.

I’ve been having this mental image of myself at work with my Platypus strapped to my chair, sipping water and Crystal Light out of the bite valve. Also, I wonder if I will continue to remove all packaging from my food when I get home from the grocery store. It’s become so automatic now. Chuck the cardboard, empty bags into Ziploc baggies, repeat. Because we do all this prep work, our trash after being out in the woods for three or four days can fit in one hand – not a trash bag or garbage can. Makes you think a little.

When we got to Pearisburg, Dave and I were standing outside the local Pizza Hut when Charlie waved us in. Stray Cat, Ebb, and Honkey were already there. It was a beautiful thing to behold the lunch buffet. And I was so wet and dirty and smelly I can’t believe I was in a public restaurant. I went to town - it was so good.

Then we checked into our motel room. Nothing fancy, but what can you expect for $36. It did the trick for me. Helped Dave shave his head, then he went out to do laundry and I had some quality time with those tweezers of mine. Took a shower and then sprawled out on the bed to watch Oprah. Heaven!

We all met at the Chinese restaurant across the street for the dinner buffet. It was a disappointment, but of course I ate my fill. Chilled out on the bed in front of the TV for a while. Had some trouble sleeping – I think the bed was too soft! Up at 9.