Date: 2007-07-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

There has been a dramatic turn of events in the past week and half. I'm currently typing this entry on a friend of Barbarossa's computer (Karen, she's awesome) in Bar Harbor, Maine. But I'll get to that laterAnother day was spent in the field behind the YMCA and by that time all of the hiker's had headed onward except for Seagull. So, naturally, him and I drank from 4 in the afternoon until 4:30 in the morning. I promise that I'm not a lush, it's just being on the trail has made my appetite huge, consequently I'm also able to stomach a riduculous amount of beer for my size... life is good. My friends from NYC finally arrived late that evening so we headed out to hike the next day. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly cut out for the hike. It was wonderful to see Anu again and we had a great time hanging out off the trail but on the trail it was pretty slow moving and then tragedy struck in the form of a twisted ankle- but I'm not there yet. The first day we hiked 7 miles out to the shelter just prior to the Shenendoah's, and the next day I was able to squeak 13 miles out of them to the next hut. They were really proud of themselves and it was pretty awesome that we made it that far. The next day we were planning on another 13 miler to the next shelter but half way through we stopped at Loft Mountain Campground to do some laundry, showering, and eating. (And I drank a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale... doh!) Anyways, while Anu & Jesung were napping in the field Toodles and Ridgerunner Mike (Grateful Greenpeace Guy '95) showed so we all got to chatting and ended up scoreing an 11 mile slackpack from Mike. It was already the afternoon and in hindsight my friends should've just stayed at the campground but we all rounded up and hit the trail with little on our backs... a few miles in Jesung sprained his ankle so at the next road crossing the two of them hitched back to the campground and I decided to run/speed hike the next 8 miles to the campground. I caught up to Toodles and we enjoyed a couple hours of conversing and what-nots. She's part of a fledging clown troup out of Asheville, NC and is raising money for her cause... nicest lady ever, her son, Jolly, is also hiking the trail. They're not hiking it together and occassionally cross paths which I find completely hilarious and endearing. We got to the final crossing and it was 7:30 (camp store was open 'til 8) with 3 miles left, buuut, there was a 1.5 mile short cut and we really wanted to get supplies for camp. So I busted out the run uphill on the road (misery), I threw my thumb out at the first pick-up that drove by and, low and behold, Toodles was already in the back... we made it to the store with 5 minutes to spare. (Impecable timing!)That evening was enjoyed at camp around the fire. Mike is the coolest dude ever, I couldn't even begin to explain the amazingness (?!) of his life. He's seen the Dead play 135 times, Dylan 45, and pretty much every awesome concert of all time. He was gassed in the Democratic riots in Chicago in '68, worked for Greenpeace, hiked the AT and PCT, and owns Terripin Station Hostel in Front Royal, VA (which is closed this season and next). He offered to let us stay at his hostel for free that Tuesday and Wednesday which was really really nice of him. He only had one other group of hikers stay there all season. Okay, I'm getting sleeping (after a 12 hour day in the car today) so I'll continue this entry tomorrow!!