Date: 2010-06-19
From: Steath caampsite

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

I had a good day. I slept well except my head wasn't comfortable and I woke up with a stiff neck and a headache. The good news was that my gear, my food bag and myself were all intact. There were no nocturnal bear visits.I got out at six. I headed to Loft Mountain Wayside for breakfast. I got there shortly after they opened at eight. After breakfast I headed back to campground, where I showered and did laundry. I did my trail journal entry for yesterday. I bought a little food at the store. I hung out and waited for the BlackBerry batteries to charge. I met prometheus, zeissou, and Evergreen. We figured out they had passed me just before Humpback Rocks. Prometheus inspired me to buy a Corona to take with me to go with supper.I went back down to the wayside where I had a burger and fries and coffee. I couldn't finish the fries so I gave them to another hiker. I bought a tuna grinder and chips for later. I discarded the bun and just took the tuna salad and the veggies in a ziplock. I had put the beer and the platypus of cold water next to each other and I snuggled the tuna salad up against them to keep it cold.I left a little before three. I went up the Frazier Discovery Trail to the AT. I got to the Pinefield Hut about six. Evergreen came in right behind me. It was a little early to stop, but I didn't have the motivation to move on.The boy scouts were there. Evergreen and I went up the hill to take a look at the designated campsites. Most of them were downwind of the privy, which really stank. I pitched camp. It was a little challenging on the hillside with very little soil to put stakes into. Evergreen wasn't sure she was going to stay. She had a book and was waiting for some others to catch up.I got out my beer and supper and realized I didn't have any way to open the bottle. I went over and asked Evergreen if she had an opener. She didn't, but opened it with her lighter. I knew there was a trick like that, but I couldn't remember what it was. Not that I am carrying a lighter.After supper I went down near the shelter to hang my food bag. In Shenandoah they have these tall metal poles that look like coat racks for giants. You put your bag on the end of a pole that has a u-shaped hook and you lift it up and try to get the loop of the bag over one of the hooks. The lifting pole is heavy, even more so with a food bag on the end of it. Maybe it is easier for taller people. The leverage (or lack of it) stinks for me.Anyway, the other day I saw that someone had put his rope over the loop and tied his bag off to a tree. So that's what I did. Its much easier to get the light rope up over the hook.When I went back up to my campsite I ran into Dr. Evil. It was great to see him. I had been thinking about him the last couple of days. I figured he was close behind me, or had passed me when I was in Waynesboro. He is hiking with his son, Superman (2006). They seem to be having a good time and I felt happy for him that he gets to be out hete with his son.I climbed in the hammock about 8:30. Shortly after that it became obvious that there was a thunderstorm approaching. Dr. Evil moved down to the shelter. People stayed up, watching the storm approach. It was happy noise, so it didn't bother me. I woke up at 10:30 when the storm hit. It was a big one. Big rolling thunder across the mountains. Oohs and ahs from the crowd. And some guitar music. Very nice.