Surprise, Surprise.  It’s Sunday, May 14, and everybody is packing up, leaving Damascus, Virginia, and the end of Trail Days.  It was so good to see everyone from 2003 – some I knew and some I met for the first time – and to meet new friends.

 I especially enjoyed my time with Tinman, Sunkissed, and Greenman.  It’s hard to leave people like this – who become such an integral part of your life.  And starting so late  this year (mid April), I miss  the groups of thru-hikers.  Most thru-hikers will start late February to early March.  So most of them were way ahead of me, and it was not uncommon for Jack and I to be the only ones at a shelter at night.  We might go all day and only run into one or two hikers on the Trail. 

 I like to be around a lot of hikers.  I like to see ten, fifteen, twenty on the Trail during the day and be around a group of six, eight, or ten at night.  I like to know what lured them to the Trail, how they are adjusting to life out here, and exchange ideas on life on the Trail.

SO,,,,,,,I decided to jump ahead and right into the middle of the pack.

 You remember Biscuit, who I first met at Miss Janet’s in 2003, and who I ran into again at Trail Days…well, she has been hiking with English Bob, and I decided to join them.  Of course, that meant leaving BJack behind, but he was okay with it and we agreed to meet up at a later date to hike the 100 mile Wilderness together.

 Rancid, a hiker I met on Whiteblaze.net, and who was at Trail Days, gave us a ride in his Van to Petite’s Gap (in Central Virginia), which is where they left off.  It is about 86 miles South of Waynesboro, Va.  It was quite a ride from Damascus, and we were tired.  We camped at Petite’s Gap this evening, and I was glad to get into my sleeping bag.

 Monday, May 15 – We headed North today – me, Biscuit, English Bob, Matt and a guy named Porter.  After about ten miles and a long series of switchbacks, we came to an overlook, showing the James River, crawling through the Blue Ridge Mountains toward the Atlantic Ocean.  We crossed the James River Foot Bridge, the longest foot-use only bridge on the A.T.  This bridge is dedicated to the late Bill Foot, a 1987 thru-hiker who applied for grants and funding to make the bridge a reality.

 We hit the steepest part of Three Sisters and got to the top of Rocky Row.  We kept going until we got to Fuller’s Rocks.  After a meal of Ramen Noodles and Mac n’Cheese, we sat around and talked.  I enjoyed this evening.  We pitched our tents on a rock outcropping (this is why you need a good pad under your sleeping bag).  We only hiked 13.7  miles today. 

 Tuesday, May 16 – After packing up and grabbing a Poptart, we headed out.  It feels really good to be back on the Trail after the little “vacation” in Damascus.  We passed Saddle Gap and Saltlog Gap and came to Bluff Mountain.  There is a monument here to a four year-old boy named Ottie Powell who, in the fall of 1890, went into the woods to gather firewood for his school and never returned.  They found his body on top of this mountain about five months later.

 We went across Rice Mountain while eating tortillas stuffed with Taco Bell hot sauce and cheddar cheese.  What I would give to have a Mountain Dew right about now.  The weather has been beautiful, and I am holding my breath for no rain.

 Biscuit, English Bob and I stopped at Brown Mountain Creek Shelter this evening.  We had come 16.2 miles today.  This is a small Shelter, sleeping only six people.  It has a privy, and there is a spring a little uphill from the Shelter.  Tomorrow we are going to catch a ride into Buena Vista.  After my evening meal of Teriyaki Noodles and several miniature Snickers bars, I hit the sack pretty early.

 Wednesday, May 17 – We got up bright and early and had no trouble hitching a ride into Buena Vista.  The first place we went – Hardee’s, of course, for a big, big breakfast.  Then we went to the Dollar General Store, resupplied, and hitched back out to the Trail.

 We went up and over Bald Knob Mountain, which is anything but bald.  It  has giant ferns and pretty white phacelia along the steep ascent.  Then it was on to Cold Mountain which is actually a bald mountain.  I think that maybe the movie – Cold Mountain, with Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, and Renee zellweger – was named after this mountain, but I don’t think it was filmed here. 

 We went through Hog Camp Gap and Salt Log Gap, a descent of about 800 feet.  At Tar Jacket Ridge, you can see the Alleghenies off to the west.  I had some cheese and crackers for lunch.  I wish I had had the presence of mind to buy an apple at the Dollar Store.  We hiked on about six more miles to Seeley-Woodworth Shelter.  This Shelter has one of the best springs on the Trail.      

 We were in for a surprise when we got to the Shelter.  There was a couple here who were members of the local Trail Club – Flash and Hot Flash!  They had some trail magic for us.  Pepsi-Colas, a fabulous Onion Pie, oreos, and a delicious cake. 

 Thursday, May 18 – This morning we hiked about four miles to Spy Rock, which was a vantage point for the Confederate Army during the Civil War.  Then we had to conquer the Priest Mountains.  Hiking the Priest Mountains and the Three Ridges Mountains is quite a challenge so when we got to Tye River and Highway 56, we decided to hitch into Wayneboro.

 Well, Waynesboro is about thirty miles from here, and it took us four and one-half hours to get there.  Our first ride got us to  the Blue Ridge Parkway – about ten miles – and then we finally caught a ride with a cowboy who had worked on a horse ranch with Feral, a guy I hiked with in 2003.

 Waynesboro is a very friendly hiker town.  There are a lot of Trail angels here. We pitched our tents at the YMCA campground, which is located on a grassy area near the South River.  The YMCA offers showers for $2.00, restrooms and phone.

 Friday, May 19 – We got up early enough to eat breakfast, leaving our tents at the campground, and got a ride back to the Tye River where we left the Trail yesterday, and slackpacked the thirty miles from Tye River to Waynesboro.  That’s 30 miles, folks!  We started at 9:15 a.m. and got back to Waynesboro at 7:15 p.m.  And we had to climb Three Ridges – steep ascent and descent.  If you are ever in this area and have time to spare, the Mau-Har Trail - which is a three-mile blue blaze trail – is a pretty hike with lots of waterfalls and good swimming holes. 

 Right before you get to the Waynesboro-Rockfish Gap area, there is the Paul Wolfe Shelter.  I am sure you would want to stay here on your hike since the Trail passes through an old settlement of homes and cemetery, all of which is haunted.  At least you wouldn’t be lonesome during the night.

 Needless to say, we were pretty tired when we got back, even if we weren’t carrying packs.  I don’t think I have ever hiked 30 miles in one day, I’ll have to go back to my 2003 Journal to see.  We decided that we are going to reward ourselves tomorrow and have a zero day.

 Saturday, May 20 – I slept in this morning, passed up  breakfast to just lay in my sleeping bag and enjoy the beginnings of a day off.  Took a shower, and about noon we went to the Chinese All You Can Eat luncheon buffet.  I don’t see how these AYCE restaurants on the Trail can make any money.  It was very good.  We just lounged around this afternoon, talking with other hikers, reorganizing my gear, doing some resupply, and whetting my appetite for dinner.

 We went to the El Rancho Mexican Food restaurant for dinner.  Mexican food is my favorite.  I love Chimichangos, beans, and rice.  Then, we headed back to the campground and after sitting around enjoying the company of all the hikers camped there, we hit the sack.  We are leaving out tomorrow and heading into the Shenandoah National Park.  I wonder what Baltimore Jack is up to?

 Hey, Digger – I’m closer to you that you thought.  Got your message on my Journal. Mairnt…..

(for those of you who are wondering what that word means, it was a call we gave out to each other back in 2003 to let each other know we were getting close, or in one case, somebody got lost – I can’t remember who right now – but he let out that call and we were only about 100 yards away).  Kind of like the “Call of the Wild”.         

 And was I surprised to hear from RestStep this week on my Journal webpage.  RestStep is one of the 55 ‘ers I have told you about, that I hiked with in 2003.  Hey, it was so good to hear from you.  I thought I had lost touch with you and Beekeeper and Hatteras.  Since I jumped up ahead, maybe I will run into you in Pennsylvania or Vermont.  In any event, I will e-mail you later.

 Bgone – are you surprised? 

 Thanks, Mike in Hackettstown, N.J. for the invite for the meal.  You have got to do this someday.

 Ron – We haven’t hit anything near as good as the “Haven”.  Go ahead and link us up. Everybody on the Trail needs to know what a great, hiker-friendly place Haven’s Budget Inn in Franklin, N.C.  Folks, Ron has shuttle service to and from the Trail and will accept and hold hiker packages for you.

 Well, that’s all this week.  Hope you enjoyed the Journey so far.  Stay tuned in for next week.  I see trouble ahead.

 A surprising and adventurous Mountain Dew.