Date: 2006-05-27
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Bama was only able to get in a brief call this morning. She and Little Wing are on their way to Mom & Pop's Motel in Glasgow - I don't know what Oly is going to do tonight. Technically the motel and the restaurant are closed, but the owners still rent out rooms. If you want to stay in a motel at AT mile marker 771.0, call Doris or Stanley Wright at 540-258-2027 and they will rent you a room ($42/night). The phone number noted in Wingfoot's handbook is no longer in service. There is a convenience store there that also sells hot dogs and such. Wingfoot says there's also a laundry nearby.Update: Bama and Little Wing arrived about 1:30 and set out to get a hitch to Glasgow. I was telling Bama about the profile map I had put on TrailJournals. She said that what you can't see is the footing hikers have to endure. The trails are often very rocky or covered with tree roots or both and the footing is like walking on, well, rocks, not gravel. It is very easy to trip, especially when you're tired. Wildlife report! Bama saw a frog - a brown one! Now, I don't know about you, but this cracked me up. I normally try to pry details out of Bama for the journal about what she's seen and she's usually tired at the end of the day and just not in the mood for reports. Yesterday was one of those days, and I said, "Didn't you see ANYTHING of interest?" She said, "Yeah, a frog - a brown one!" I still think it funny.They saw Oly who had been waiting unsuccessfully for a ride. After the girls joined him, two very nice Black ladies stopped to pick them up. Now, you are going to have to imagine what it looked like trying to get three adults into a sedan's back seat with three large back packs (only one would go into the trunk) . Well, the driver, was whipping around curves and had our trio wondering if they would make it to town. After having heard what Bama and Little Wing were doing, the ladies warned them about the dangers of the trail, especially snakes. Oly recounted he had seen a snake earlier, but it was only a harmless black snake. The driver said those black snakes have been "mixing" with others and now the badness was over all the snakes, even the white ones. It might have been their tiredness or the way she was telling it, but they all just cracked up and everyone laughed the rest of the way into town. Once there, Bama and Little Wing found the door to their room open as Doris promised me yesterday, although she left the key to the room under the mat just in case! When I asked her about payment, Doris said, just leave the money on the bed or TV, but don't leave the key inside or lock the door or they wouldn't be able to get in. Ah, a reflection of the good ol' days in small towns where folks really don't lock their doors. There were clean beds and bath, even shampoo, which the EconoLodge had not supplied until Bama asked for some (The EconoLodge desk clerk said, "Well, this IS an EconoLodge."). No phone, but a TV and cable. Not bad.Oly parked his pack in the room and went shopping and to eat. The girls bathed and got cleaned up and ready to go do laundry. Oly returned and gave the girls some ice cream and got his pack and headed back to the trail for the night. Bama and Little Wing went to the Dollar General and then to do laundry. Dinner was at the convenience store. Bama had a barbeque sandwich, potato chips, an ice-cold beer (trail luxury!), some sweet tea and a pint of ice cream. So far, so good! Tomorrow, on to either Punchbowl Shelter or a tent camping site beyond there so they will be able to get to a B&B on Tuesday night that's been recommended to them by other hikers. They plan to meet Oly there.Bill