Date: 2007-11-20
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

mi. 15.9sleep shelterdest. Sarver Hollow Shelter day 131 Well another cold night on the ground. I am thinking that I either want to pick up my sleeping bag when my parents come down or in Damascus, which is right on the southern border of VA. My only reason for putting it off would be to make my pack a little lighter for just a little longer. It is 14 oz heavier than my top quilt that I would be replacing out. It also depends on how many shelter or ground days I am feeling. But those are hard to guess. Probibly a last minute decision. It is coming down anyways for my dad to use. Well my plan of getting up early didn't happen. I woke up early but couldn't pull myself out of bed. I even heard my alarm go off. I learned that it only goes off for 5 or 10 seconds. No way I am going to get up to that. I finally got up and hit the trail after breakfest by 8:30. Not an early start by any means. I had a hard time getting motivated today. Problem with that is that I already arranged the place to meet my parents. I wanted to do the big day today and the short tomorrow. Short being 17 or 18. But it looks like that was today and tomorrow will be a 23 or 24. Doable I'll just have to get a good start and keep moving. I think I told them to meet me around 5:30. I tried to call them and tell them I would be getting there all of dark thirty, but I couldn't get a signal anywhere. For once I did what I didn't like about havng a cell phone. Usually it is turned off with the battery off in the pack. I usually don't even get it out until I am either in town or close to it and can recharge the battery soon. Logistically it's nice to have. I'll try tomorrow. Looking at the map there is a place earlier I can get off cutting a couple miles off. I am thinking it will be harder to find via car though. So it looks to be all or nothing. Kind of the way I like it. I think I am rubbing off on Torque. We were sitting taking a lunch break by a creek, this creek by the way had the worst tasting water I have had to date. I put in a drink mix and didn't taste it for the first liter. I ended up dumping and getting new at the first shelter past it. If someone knows it's poluted please don't tell me. Not something I want to know. But 3 people walked by. When learning we were thru hikers they wasted about half a second asking Torque where we are from, like it was some condishioned response. He replied Oh around. I think they were not happy with that and moved on. I thought it was great. My next response is going to be my mom. Very grade school, but funny none the less. I hope someone asks that when my dad is around. I am going to say from him. That should be worth a couple laughs. Once again we got to the shelter just before dark. The last little ridgewalk was a little harder than I expected. A lot of walking on solid rock slated at a 20 degree angle. Not depected in the profile. I think I need a weekender to ask about every like bump coming up. Tonight I am staying at yet another shelter .3 off. This one is well worth it. A nice one with a covered eating area. Tonight is also a cystal clear night. The moon isn't full yet, but it's getting there. It is almost bright enough to read by. I know I keep talking about stepping it up, and I am. I figured up that after tomorrow I need 16.1 a day to finish on new years. I am thinking that I will push it until Damascus. There is a good hostel there. I am thinking a half day into there. Maybe something where I can be done by noon with all my town erronds. Then I can sit around and read or veg the rest of the day. I think my body is feeling a true vegg-out day. I hadn't had one of them since my rainy day zero in PA. That got me thinking and talking with Torque about it. I am feeling another zero day in the woods at some point. I am thinking at a cool shelter somewhere in TN or NC. Either Roan Mountain of Overland Mountain shelter look good in the guide. Both are big. Overland is the converted barn. Roan is the highest one at over 6200 feet. Maybe just a short nero and stay at both. They are only 6 miles apart. Torque brought up a good point. Sure the rainy days are nice. It feels goos to say yeah !I'm glad I'm not hiking in this. But a sunny day would be nice too. A lay in the sun with a warm campfire at night day. It'll happen, just a matter of when. I'm also thinking about doing that when I get back home. It should help with the readjustment. Or at least help me get back in the woods for a couple nights. Side note next day. Originally my plan was to hang my hammock in the shelter. Everything looked solid. After in it for awhile I had my doubts, the woods was creeking, so I moved to the shelter. I didn't feel like screwing with it at 11pm. Plus this is a really cool shelter.