Date: 2008-04-07
From: Troutdale, VA

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

By 7a, I was awake and trying to move around silently so as not to wake everyone else, but it didn't go as planned. So, we all cleaned up the hostel and packed our stuff. At 7:45p, I decided to walk to the Post Office and check if my mail drop had arrived. I had to wait for 30 minutes for the window to open because the hours had changed from 8-->8:15p. When the Postmaster arrived, I gave her my name and she checked for my package. Unfortunately, she came out and told me there was no package with the name SINGH. So, I just sat there for about 5 minutes, re-thinking what I was gonna do, because this package had some things from Med. School. Then, the Postmaster came back out and told me that she would check in today's mail. Well, I decided to thumb through the FBI's Most Wanted Posters and eventually she came out saying, "Singh?" I jumped up, thanked her for finding my package, and then headed to Jerry's Diner to meet the team. When I arrived, the guys had already eaten, but I ordered my traditional meal of Eggs, Biscuits, and hashbrowns anyways. While waiting, I opened my package and discovered lots of goodies: My Med School packet from Kentucky, encouraging letters from my friend Ryan Naegele, Dad, and Briana, and a colored picture from my nephew. I quickly ate my food and then repacked the extra into a "bounce box" for Pearisburg, VA. I think my family is starting to get the hang of packing my maildrops because they sent enough food for this and the next resupply! After paying our tabs, Jerry, the owner, drove us to the trailhead. We all put on our stuff and hit the trail...except for Fester, he lagged behind today, which made me think something might be wrong because this is so not like him. We were all making really good time, especially with a 10:15a start. Eventually, we crossed a meadow and saw an abandoned bus and realized that Fester's dream of becoming a substitute bus driver may soon become a reality!!! Oh! Two nights ago, Fester told us that he had a dream that he had become a substitute bus driver. In his dream, the kids were all frozen and he crashed the bus. After hearing this story, Fester jokingly told us that everybody in Maine aspires to become a Substitute Bus Driver. Then, he re-enacted a "conversation" he had with his parents before he left: "Mom, Dad, I'm gonna quit my professional job to hike the AT." 'Fester, what are you doing? You're gonna quit your career for a hike? Then what are you gonna do when you're done hiking?' "Mom, Dad, I'm gonna become a substitute bus driver!!" 'Well, now that you've said that, go about your trip!!!' After we finished taking some pics with the bus, Yeti had the funniest, we headed to the Holston Forks River and took a lunch break. We finished our meals and then pressed on. This second leg of the trip had more uphills than the first half...they weren't hard climbs, but they were just long! As usual, Stovie took off while Toddy Bear and I sweated out our hike (my thermometer said it was 75*F). By 3:45p, Toddy Bear and I reached the shelter and found Stovie's pack, but no Stovie. So, we headed to the Visitor's center to buy some soda for our pizzas that would soon be ordered!! While there, we bought sodas for ourselves and Fester/Yeti, incase they didn't make it here before they closed. As we were headed back to the Shelter, which is a lot better than the HILTON, we saw Yeti. We told him that the Visitor's center was closing soon and we all hustled back so that we could buy post cards and take a "shower" in the bathroom. After our awesome experience of bathing underneath a faucet, we went back to the shelter and saw Fester. He climbed upstairs and put his gear up there too. We were all pretty shocked that he didn't want to be with us. So, asked what was wrong and found out that Fester's childhood dogs were put to sleep yesterday and he was in mourning. Then, Stovie and I went and ordered the Pizzas. Even though Fester said he didn't want one, we ordered him one, in an attempt to offer him some consolation. When the Pizza guy arrived, Stovie and I were praised like kings. After some pics, we all ate like refugees who hadn't eaten in years!!! Fester was the first to finish his pizza, but after that, everything became hazy. I finished my two Momma Mia Pizzas and was VERY full, but it was well worth it. I then filled out my postcards and we all began chatting and planning. Tomorrow's supposed to be a big mile day, 25.5, but the terrain doesn't seem too rough. If it does, I can always set up my tarp near a water source and push on the next day! Well, it's getting late and I'm gonna catch some "shut eye."