Date: 2015-05-19
From: Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro, VA mile 861.7

To: Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro, VA mile 861.7
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The plan was to do laundry, get our boxes from the Post Office (for me, 3 exciting packages bearing new shoes, a box I bounced from Woods Hole Hostel because I had too much food, and a care package from my friend Raymond bearing delicious vegan homemade Zion bars!), go to WalMart, eat lunch and then Nero 7.6 miles to the first shelter. At breakfast we met Rabbit and 3 Mile who told us about their zero day going to the movies and eating and how great it was and they couldn't believe we were planning to leave town so quickly. Andreas, Crafty and I looked at each other and immediately decided to zero instead of Nero. It has been 3 weeks and we still felt the effects of yesterday's 27.1 miles. So we finished breakfast with big plans. I took out laundry down the street to a laundromat which was closed so walked a few more blocks to another one. When it was done, Crafty and I went to the post office where they found only 2 of my 3 boxes. The Woods Hole Hostel Package was missing which wasn't critical but now I needed to totally resupply instead of supplement. I needed new shoes and Raymond's delicious bars. Thank you Raymond!! I quickly ate two for lunch!! I sent back my warm weather stuff too which will be nice to no longer carry. We then called "Miss Lady" who is on a list of volunteers to give AT hikers free rides around Waynesboro. She agreed to pick us up at 12:30 and take us to WalMart. Fortunately the post office finally found my missing package because they had filed it under my husband's name on the return address instead of my name. She kindly stopped at the post office where I retrieved my box and was able to add the items from that box I had planned to ship home to the box I had just sent. She also showed us where the new movie theater was located. Andreas was still chatting with her after Crafty and I had exited her car. She is a fun feisty lady so she smiled at him and politely said "Get out!" while he was in mid sentence. We laughed hysterically.After WalMart, Crafty wanted to try Target which was a mile away. It was hot but we started walking until we discovered the road was a divided highway without sidewalks that crossed over I-64. Too risky to walk so we crossed the street and decided to hitch. After a couple minutes I asked a ADA service van driver who had been at the 7-11 if he could drop us off. He told us to climb in the back and told us how he hitch hiked across the country to California 20+ years ago. I caved and bought my first pint of Ben & Jerry's The Tonight Dough ice cream on the trail. My first and last pint was in Hot Springs at Trailfest. Crafty got a pint too and we sat and ate in Starbucks Target. We decided it was too late for a movie so I called at least a half dozen names on the volunteer ride list until Mr. Gizmo answered and agreed to pick us up in 20 minutes. We arrived back at our hotel and saw Heisenberg and Mighty Mouse had arrived and sitting outside the room next to us. We sat outside sharing drinks, cookies and great conversation for awhile. I gave them some Zion bars from Raymond. We grabbed dinner at Ciro's and caught up on some stuff in the hotel. Watching the weather forecast predicting temp in the 50s just because we now only have shorts and t-shirts but thrilled to hear less humid and highs in the 70s instead of high 80s like today. Better hiking weather!