Date: 2007-06-03
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: moderate rain

The trio from the shelter were just passing our tent on their way out as we emerged from it. Made granola and mocha. Later, in Troutdale, I found a mousehole in one of our foodbags and some mocha splattered around. Our first run-in with a mouse. We pictured that mouse after it had eaten enough instant coffee granules. We packed up in the rain (not hard rain) for the first time. We did about 4.5 miles to Dickey Gap in sometimes harder rain. When we were up on the top of the mountain it was windy and rather cold, but not too bad. There seemed to be signs every two miles telling us how far we'd gone or have left to go. That helped us not feel too bad about the rain. After we'd gotten on the road, it was about 25 minutes and 12 cars passing us before Seth (pronounced "Sayith") and Tray picked us up in their truck. We stood around wet waiting for Jerry (of Jerry's Kitchen and Goods) for about 20 minutes. He drove us up to the hostel and waited while we changed into dry clothes and took us back to the Jerry's Restaurant & Store before taking two other hikers who had no dry clothes to Marion to do laundry. We ate the only things on teh menu that a "vegetarian" could: fish and grilled cheese. We watched the weather channel and looked at internet weather and it looked like more rain for a day or two from hurricane Barry. It's a bit ironic that we were actually headed for Hurricane Shelter when we made the detour to Troutdale. Cigarette smoke got horrid and we left for the hostel. The rain was done. I moved a space heater from the other room and we put our stuff out in front of it to dry. A hiker named Politician showed up, then the two who'd done their laundry in Marion. It started getting crowded. Then Captain Jack and two Sobos with their dog Phil. We'd seen them at Partnership Shelter, but didn't know they were heading south. They started at Springer and are only doing to Damascus and then going back to Partnership to head north again. An old guy named Charlie, who vague resembled Saint Nick stopped by and talked (mostly to WJ - she is pretty cute!). He is missing his center two lower teeth. He lives nearby and takes care of the hostel rooms sometime. He got out of the service in '53 and sawed logs on Catawba Mountain where we started the hike - with manual saws, it was before chainsaws. He later worked in a handle factory (hammers, axes, etc.) When he left he said, "Say something nice about Troutdale when you leave." We both thought he was very sweet. Two other hikers arrived. WJ showered in the nice shower there that had soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste, clean towels, etc. and then we went to dinner. Not much choice. I had more greasy fried fish. Yuck! Back at the hostel we decided to tent and so set that up and got whatever was dry and left some wet stuff on a chair in the room. I showered and we went to bed after foot and calf rubs. During our last leaks we saw the stars for the first time in weeks. Beautiful! WJ didn't sleep too well. She said I had jumpy legs in my sleep which didn't help her get rest. We met Jerry's wife Suzanna, from the Phillipines. We didn't know about Balut then!