Date: 2011-06-20
From: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 64This morning I attempted to use the internet at the diner. It was so horrifically slow, I decided it would be faster to hike somewhere I had service!Jellybean and I ended up getting a ride from the Hostel cleaning lady to the trail head. I felt bad not being able to say goodbye to Imagine so I left him a note with my contact info and off we went. The first shelter was only 4 miles in and of course it started to threaten rain! Jellybean pulled ahead, but I caught up with her as she was stopped talking to The Voice and VT. They had walked the entire way back to the trail head! Again Jellybean pulled ahead and the thunder started. I put on my pack cover and my hat and just hoped I could make it to the shelter before it started raining. I JUST got everything (almost) dry!!!I got to the shelter just as Jellybean was coming back from getting water and it started sprinkling. I announced that I officially hate VA for the weather! This shelter (The Trimpi Shelter) has a fireplace in the back wall and someone left a bunch of wood, kindling, and tinder. VT and The Voice showed up not too long after. And shortly after that (totally drenched) came Imagine. Another guy, Tuna, came along too. We all ate lunch and Jellybean and I tucked into our sleeping bags as it was chilly. JB took a nap and I kept nodding. The rain stopped at about 2:30 and we all decided to plod on. I used the privy before I left and noticed a bit of a rub on the back of my right heel. I took off my boot and redid my socks and all. Imagine asked if my boots had dried. My answer was "mostly." Well, 10.6 miles and 6 hours later, I am right back to where I was in the Smokies! I am so pissed! And that's the first time I have gotten actually MAD on the trail. I stopped numerous times to try to prevent it. I relaced, put on a bandaid, added glide, everything I should have, but when I got to the shelter and looked...UGH! GRR!Oh well, damage done. On the way I met a couple (Tami Jo and Scratch) Scratch has a bad ankle and so we leapfrogged each other along the trail. I caught them as they were resting. They caught me as I was bandaiding. Etc.Partnership Shelter is at the Mount Rogers Visitors Center and has a shower! (Alas, They are out of propane...) and a "bathroom" (a privy with walls and cement floor) (which was in desperate need of a pumping out GAK! give me a good old trail mouldering privy any day over that vileness) Aaand...there is a phone at the visitor's center that you can use to order PIZZA which gets DELIVERED! JB was up there with her pizza in hand as TamiJo and I came up to order. JB recognized TamiJo from her blog on White Blaze and they hit it off. After the pizza came JB stayed at the visitors center cuz her husband was going to call. She has been having a bit of a rough time. Her kids are 10 and 15 and she misses them a lot. I don't think I could have even tried this if my kids were that age.I am in the upper floor of the shelter alone tonight. Downstairs is full with The Voice, VT, The Pokey One, Dragon and someone else. TamiJo and Scratch are hammocking. I think JB is going to come, but she might cowboy camp at the visitors center. To get to the second floor you have to climb a vertical ladder about 12 feet or so. Now, historically I can't even get up a bunk bed vertical ladder! I scurried right up with MY FULL PACK ON!!!How did I end up getting upper body strength??