Date: 2015-05-26
From: ?

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.6

Red Panda is back on the trail!This morning I woke up early, packed up most of my stuff, and then strung up a line and hung up my tent to dry. Then Chris and I headed off to the YMCA to shower. It was closed yesterday for Memorial Day, but we arrived around 6 a.m. SO READY to be clean. "See you in an hour." Chris said as we parted ways at the locker room doors.And it was glorious. Even though I had to hold that stupid button in the whole time to get the hottest water, and scrubbed myself one-handedly while trying not to slip and fall, and used a combination of camp and dish soap to wash my hair (I had conditioner, at least) it was amazing. I also bathed my leg, all scratched from my fall on The Priest, in rubbing alcohol I found in a hiker box. I shaved my legs (yay!!) and felt so clean. We really actually spent about an hour there. I could have easily taken at least two more showers...Then we headed back to the hiker pavilion and packed the last of our things. I bid farewell to Chris, with double hugs, as he set off for the trail. I figured that my errands would eat up a lot of the day, and put me way behind him. So I thanked him for being an awesome hiking companion, and hoped we might cross paths again. You never know on the trail.Then I went to Kroger because it was super hot out and Kroger has AC. I wandered the aisles for like 45 minutes before deciding to buy more M&Ms for my trail mix. This was based partly on the fact that I had eaten a bunch of them already and partly because they were on sale. Who could pass that up?Then I walked to the post office and mailed home 4.5 pounds of luxury and unnecessary goods from my pack. I held my enormously bloated food bag in front of me instead of trying to load it into poor crippled Bertha. I knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.Then I headed to Rockfish Gap Outfitters, sweating profusely in the blazing sun with Bertha on my back, food bag in one hand, and umbrella in the other to block the sun. I got there ten minutes before they opened and they invited me right in. I explained Bertha's multiple issues again and they called Granite Gear, who said they would check into it and call back. In the meantime, the associate searched their inventory to see if they had a similar pack. He had me try a Crown pack, which is the same capacity as Bertha but super ultra-lite and minimalist. It only had three pockets, and no top pouch. I emptied Bertha and sorted through her endless tons of junk, until it was kind of organized, and began cramming it into the new pack. I was amazed that everything fit.And then I put it on. That glorious, feather-light pack. Straps smaller than Bertha, so light and wonderful... and I fell in love. I wanted it. I NEEDED it. It was what a pack was meant to be. I wandered around the store, adjusting the straps and feeling the heavy load sit on my body so comfortably. I didn't want to take it off. While I waited for Granite Gear to call back, I contemplated poor Bertha. No matter what, she was done for. I had to abandon her. I lovingly checked all of her nooks and crannies to make sure I had all of my belongings, and all of my lucky coins. I sat next to her and patted her grimy blue fabric consolingly. Poor Bertha. She was a good pack. Big and fat and unwieldy, but good.And then, the moment of truth. The verdict from Granite Gear. They had no more Berthas in stock. The new pack was MINE, a free replacement.I jumped for joy. I LITERALLY jumped in the air. I was PSYCHED. THIS PACK IS SO FREAKING NICE. IT IS LIKE A DREAM PACK. I was so happy!! I still am SO HAPPY.I said a tearful goodbye to Bertha as one of the salesman carried her off to be destroyed. He returned with a piece of her fabric, with the Granite Gear logo... my last memento of Bertha. I will miss her. She helped me for many miles. Please hold a moment of silence for Bertha.The new pack seems like it is half the size of big fat Bertha. It is amazing. I love it. A million thanks to Granite Gear. Seriously. Red Panda is thrilled. Can you tell I am excited yet?!I managed to get my pack situation fixed in about an hour, and then hit the trail... at the same time as the Aussie Legs! I was so happy to see them. They put in a couple long days, as Chris and I took a couple of short days, and caught up with us. They asked where he was, and I explained that he was ahead of me now, and showed off my new pack.Camping options today were TERRIBLE. I ran into a ridge runner shortly after filling out my back country permit and entering Shenandoah National Park. The first shelter was about 8 miles away, the next one 13 miles farther. There were NO WATER SOURCES for the last 12.5 miles. Also, you are supposed to camp only at established campsites as much as possible. So I basically had the choice of a short day or a long day. I didn't want to take another nero after two low-mileage days, so I decided to shoot for the second shelter. It meant a late end to hiking, but I had my awesome new pack to break in. Besides, even though I got on the trail much later than usual, it was still way earlier than I had expected. I thought the pack issue would take hours to resolve.I also had like 13 pounds of food and 3 liters of water after leaving the water source right past the first shelter (where I met Billy, for about the third time during the day). My new pack was full to capacity. It was a long day for my poor feet with all that weight crashing down on them all day.I passed quite a few people today. Clank was chatting with some guys sitting on a rock eating lunch ("Where's homeboy?" he asked, referring to Chris). Billy came up behind me after I returned to the trail after a pee break. He followed me for a while, talking nonstop, telling me my arches were collapsed and asking if I wore insoles. Then he said, "I'm going to take a video of you walking so you can see it later." What the heck. Is that not super weird?! I mean, I know he was trying to be helpful by giving me feet advice but it is seriously weird to record someone without ASKING them first. I let him pass me as soon as I started going uphill, thankful to be alone again.When I stopped at the last water source before my destination, I drank a TON and filled up my bottles to last the next 13 miles.One guy, whose name I can't remember, was slackpacking southbound and told me "I saw your partner about an hour ago. You're doing a good job!"It was like 2 o'clock. I was already tired and knew I still had hours of hiking ahead of me. I did not feel like I was doing a good job. I felt like collapsing in the middle of the trail and taking a 3-day nap. I appreciated his encouragement, though.Then I had to pee every ten minutes for the next hour, after downing a liter at the spring. It was terrible. At one point, I put my new pack down (still thinking of a name for this one) so I could pee. Just as I was about to pull my shorts down, I saw a figure on the trail approaching. I had to pee SO BADLY. I had to wait for them to go past.The guy was walking SO SLOWLY down the trail. I thought I was going to die. My bladder was ready to explode. He just freaking meandered slowly closer, taking his sweet time (by the way, I am so glad I have not crossed paths with Sweet Time in a long time). I wanted to scream, PLEASE PLEASE HURRY UP AND PASS ME, I HAVE TO PEE SO BADLY. As he approached I recognized him. It was Hot Chocolate, slackpacking. He complained that slackpacking wasn't as easy as he expected. Hiking is hiking, still hard even without 35 pounds on your back. It was nice to talk to him, since I have seen him around a lot lately but never spoken to him. The entire time, however, I was just thinking, "Shut up and keep going, I have to pee I have to pee I HAVE TO PEE." I was SO GLAD when he continued on, though, and I raced into the woods to rapid-fire pee behind a fallen tree.I passed a few motorcycles when crossing Skyline Drive today, which reminded me of Dan. The trail smelled so nice and fresh, too. Maybe that's a weird thing to include, but I do love that fresh air. It started thundering and raining around 4, and all I wanted to do was stop and stealth camp. But I knew I was dehydrated and it would be stupid to stop without water, and it was raining anyway. So I hiked on!I didn't roll into camp until just before 7, soaking wet, hungry, and exhausted. I expected the shelter to be packed, but upon my arrival there were only two occupants: an unfamiliar hiker, and Chris. Go figure. He looked surprised to see me and commented that I must have been super fast. I explained that I managed to get a new pack and back on the trail quickly, and laughed at our reunion less than 12 hours after our solemn farewell this morning. I was glad to see him again. He spent half the evening eating the crispy M&Ms out of my trail mix, so I assume he wasn't too put off by my reappearance.I am so tired and went about chores super slowly. It is going to take me a few days toget accustomed to my new pack and figure out how to organize it. I hate not having more pockets. At least my water bottles don't fall out of these ones as easy as Bertha's, though. I did buy an extra dry bag from the outfitters to put all the odds and ends that I kept in Bertha's front pouch in, at least. I wanted to support the outfitter and Granite Gear with at least one purchase after all they did to help me. Hopefully I can figure out a system that won't drive me crazy.There is a freaking whippoorwill that I want to strangle (not REALLY, I love the wildlife... I do wish it would shut the heck up so I could sleep, though) calling incessantly nearby. I am reminded of the night I camped alone at Trout Creek, when another whippoorwill was also being obnoxious. I got so mad at that one that I screamed at it. Yup. I was yelling at the top of my lungs at a bird in the middle of the night. It totally ignored me, too.Time to TRY to sleep. We've got two snorers in the shelter tonight, too. Fantastic. Good thing I am exhausted, I am sure I can sleep right through it.I am thankful for my sick new pack. Thanks, Granite Gear! Also to the YMCA for a free shower, and the kindness of so many strangers in Waynesboro. I am thankful today didn't have to be another nero. Band I am thankful for plentiful amounts of M&Ms in my trail mix, even after Chris ate a bunch of them. I am looking forward to eating them tomorrow.