Date: 2007-04-27
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

It's 2 in the afternoon and I'm sitting on a rock at a campsite in a gapsomewhere waiting for my laundry to dry. Well, it's my laundry and my gear thatgot wet during the rain last night and this morning. I had to pack up a wettarp, and then my shorts got soaked when the rain came down my back. Found outthese shorts are not good for rainy weather as they dry too slowly. Stilllooking for a good pair of shorts that don't chafe my thighs, dry quickly, andhave little seaming at the waist so the hipbelt doesn't grind me. I'll keeplooking. But when my shorts got soaked, all I had left to put on were my rainpants. These things are great, because you can adjust the warmth factor withthe side zippers.I wish the sun would stay out. That's why I stopped. I'm about 90 minutes from the shelter, but I wanted to catch the sun while it was shining, but as soon as I got my line up and everything hanging out, the sun went under! It's windy, so most everthing is already dry, but those shorts! They won't be dry til I put them in a dryer in Damascus.We're making great time today, over 2.5 miles per hour. We left at 7:30 and got to the first shelter 7.6 miles away by 10:30! Today will be over 16 and I could have been in by 3:30 if I hadn't stopped to hang out the wash.This storm front does not seem to be leaving us yet, so I do hope there's aspace in the shelter for me tonight. Better get my stuff packed up, and thefeet a moving.Got to the shelter before 4...what an early day! No sense going further because there doesn't appear to be any water sources or campsites. And besides, Damascus is only 10 miles away and I don't have a reservation until tomorrow night. So I've stopped with Slinky Dog and we've put up more lines to dry our stuff. Turns out my platypus water bladder that rides in my pack leaked a liter of water all down my back and some moisture got in my pack because my leaf bag turned pack liner is so worn and thin and holey that the water got through. I've been duct taping all the holes, but new ones are popping up every day! Maybe I can mouch one from the B&B.We camping with 4 guys out for the weekend. There's often "weekend warriors" at the shelters when the weekend nears. They often know the trail quite well and can give us tips about things to see and do up ahead.I saw my largest animal yet: 2 deer! I'm still hoping for a bear...We have a campfire tonight, but no marshmellows. I think I'll bring some out of Damascus when I leave on Monday. Hikers don't have many fires because we go to bed so early, but I was chilly, and besides, the other guys can watch it...I'll be sleeping soon. Going to get harder asnd harder to go to sleep early as the sun stays up later and later.Oh, let me tell you about a great lunch idea I came up with: sliced cheddar in a pita. I made up 3 days of lunches using just that and they were great: already to eat, simple, and tasty. I'll do that again. My homemade dinners still aren't cutting the mustard. I think I'll try and get Mountain House dinners. But I can't get those in the local stores, so I still need to find some other options. I'm also trying the no cooking method, where you just soak your food and eat it cold. Still got to find something I like to eat, warm or cold. Step lightly