Date: 2004-05-07
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, there were no 2600+ foot climbs today. In fact, the largest uphill was only about a thousand feet. There were, however, lots and lots of rocks-- walking over fields of large rocks makes for a long day, and it was made more frustrating by the fact that I wanted to hike quickly today so we could get into town early.Still, the day wasn't all bad. About 2 miles into the hike this morning, I crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway just as a car pulled him. The lady stopped, rolled down her window, and asked, "You a thru-hiker?""Yep," I replied. "Started March 8th.""Wow," she said, then paused. "You gotten a lot of trail magic on your trip?""Yeah," I said, hoping this was leading where I thought it was leading. "A little.""You want some more?" she asked.I smiled, and replied quite earnestly, "I would love some more."So she opens the trunk of the car and offers me brownies, crackers, and lemonade. It turns out that her name is Pam Bennett, and she's a trail angel (aka "The Cookie Lady") in Waynesboro. She also gives me a brochure listing all the services available in Waynesboro, and a long list of people who offer free shuttles for hikers to and from Waynesboro (the town is about 5 miles away from the trail). Score!I take some trail magic for myself, and also take some for Scorpion, since he looks too shifty to get any trail magic of his own (though his luck has been improving lately).So I say good-bye to The Cookie Lady and head back off onto the rocks. The hiking does get a little easier in the afternoon, and we reach Rockfish Gap, which is where US250 (the road into Waynesboro) crosses the trail. Fireball has offered Scorpion and I a ride into town with his wife, who's supposed to meet him at the Gap, but she's not there and he can't get service on his cell phone. AS we sit there, Fireball messing with his cell phone, a guy in a pickup truck pulls up."You folks going into town?" he asks."Yep," we reply."Well, hop in the back and I'll give you a ride," he says, so we do.He takes us to the Comfort Inn, which was our first choice of a place to stay, but it's full, so he takes us to a nearby Budget Inn. That's full, too-- apparently there's a big Soapbox Derby or something in town. Tourism in the Shenandoahs is beginning to pick up, too, I suppose.Anyway, we head out to an Interstate junction with several motels, and the Holiday Inn we check out costs over a hundred bucks a night! Screw that, we say, and head for a "Super 8" Motel across the street, the sort you would only stay in if someone had stolen your wallet and all you had was loose change from under your car seat to pay the bill it. "How much for a room?" we ask."Ninety bucks," says the guy. "Best rate you'll find in town this weekend."Well, forget that. I'm not hiking on a really tight budget, but I sure as heck can't justify spending that kind of money on a motel room. We head for the YMCA instead, which lets thru-hikers tent for free on their lawn. So much for a nice, relaxing zero day in a hotel tomorrow like we had planned.Still, it's not so bad-- it's near the downtown area, and within walking distance of a Chinese buffet that turns out to be one of the best I've ever eaten at, We eat, buy groceries, and head back to our tents. Along the way we meet Kakapo and Kea, the New Zealanders from a few nights ago, as well as a thru-hiker named Chestnut who I've met briefly a couple times before. Scorpion says he's not going to zero-- he'll probably head out to the trail mid-afternoon at the latest and just get a few miles in. Me, I'd like to take a zero day, since I have a lot to do. I'll probably stay behind and catch up to him in the next couple of days.