Date: 2015-06-17
From: Port Clinton

To: Campsite near Pocohontas Spring
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We enjoyed continental breakfast at the Microtel and bid goodbye to Funk. He wouldn't have asked us to, but I had suggested to Chris that we each hand over $20 each as thanks for letting us crash on his floor. Twenty dollars were more than worth the reunion, company, conversation, and ability to do laundry and shower (and order pizza!).Funk is now ahead of us again, but has a niece nearby who he might stop to visit. So I may run into him again at some point on the trail. I really hope that will be the case... Funk is one of my favorite people on the trail.On a related note, I have another confession: for some reason, I sometimes breeze past people I meet on the trail at first. In retrospect, I feel guilty about this. Sometimes, I meet people at times when I just don't want to be social, and don't want to talk. Like when I am starving and trying to get chores done as fast as possible so I can cook dinner (I don't want to be distracted!). Or when I am hiking... I get in the zone. I don't always want to stop and chat, especially when I am trying to keep up with Chris and when I pass a stranger and they immediately set in on a story about the animal they saw or amazing restaurant they visited in town, it sometimes throws me off. "Just let me hike! I am falling behind!" I think. Usually, I love to stop and listen to people's stories, or answer questions from day hikers. But sometimes, I am just a grump.I know that this is bad... and almost invariably, when I am more relaxed and in a talkative mood, I really enjoy conversing with other hikers. This is another attitude adjustment that I know I need to work on. I have to learn to be more patient. There have been so many people I have met where I have just been initially overwhelmed by their TALKING that it turns me off. Not that I am ever rude - at least I try not to be! I try to smile and say Hi to everyone I pass. I am sure I have probably had some grouchy moments with some innocent friendly hikers, though... if you are one of them, I'm sorry! If you meet a bulky girl carrying Gertrude on her back down the AT and she isn't friendly, say, "Red Panda! Take a break or ear a snack and chat with me! You'll feel better!"I don't need to talk to be happy. But I understand that out here, so many people hiking alone get lonely and latch onto the opportunity to chat. So I am trying to be better when I meet new people.Back to today's story...While I was taking my last shower, Chris ran into Magnus in the hallway. He and Coco had come to the Microtel to do laundry (apparently the lady at the front desk had no problem with it... she was very nice during the multiple encounters I had with her today). We let Coco and Magnus use the shower in the room (which Funk had turned over to us), then set out for Cabela's.Cabela's kind of freaks me out because of all the taxidermy. It is just so weird. Is it really necessary to put dead, stuffed animals everywhere? Are they supposed to put me in the mind of being outdoors? Are they supposed to sway me to purchase more things? Is a ferocious bear supposed to convince me that I need to buy a pistol and camouflage vest?I have no idea.Upon entering Cabela's, I made a beeline for the bargain "cave". Many people let their children sit in their shopping carts while they peruse the aisles. Me? Instead of a shopping cart full of child, I had a cart full of smelly Gertrude, trekking poles, and disintegrated trail runners. Wheeling around my cartful of junk, I searched the bargain shoe section for something cheap that might last me five days, until I could pick up my stupidly expensive New Balance running shoes (I'm still mad about those) with my next mail drop.No luck. I crammed my feet in some discontinued New Balance boots, but they were NOT comfortable. I really hate buying shoes.So I headed to the full-price section and asked an associate what they had for wide, low-cut, not waterproof (waterproof shoes take forever to dry), lightweight hiking shoes.I settled on a pair of men's Merrells. I decided to go with an 8 1/2 regular, which were slightly snug around my toes, rather than the 8 1/2 wides, because they were too big. They didn't have any 8 wides in stock.Although I am annoyed at having to buy another pair of shoes, especially when I JUST bought a pair, the Merrells are pretty nice so far. I have hiked less than three miles in them, but they are superior than sneakers for the rocky trail. They might actually take me to Katahdin. I hope I didn't jinx myself by writing that.I can't believe Katahdin is so close. Where is the time going?After I picked out my shoes, I ran into Coco and Magnus again. Coco clued me in that there were children's rain jackets on sale. I eyed the one she had picked out with interest. It was very light, perfect for summer on the trail. And Columbia, a good brand. And only $30! I considered the option of buying one, too. The rain jacket I have now is REALLY NICE. I got it at EMS and was hesitant to even bring it on the trail. It's a bit thick, nowhere near as small and light as the one Coco had. If I got a new jacket, I could send my nice one home, saving my nice one from getting more trashed on the trail. Although I am super cheap and usually not willing to spend money (why buy a rain jacket when I already have one?), I did want to save my nice jacket from the brutal trail.So the idea of getting a new jacket was tempting. But the jacket Coco had picked out was pink. Like I said, I am not really a fan of pink. "Are any other colors?" I asked skeptically. No way would I be purchasing a pink jacket, no matter how light. I just can't do pink. But Coco and Magnus didn't think there were any colors. I decided to investigate anyway. And I found blue! The medium was too small, and the large a bit roomy. I went for the large. I don't know what it says about the size of American children that bulky Red Panda (I keep on getting bulkier, too, hahahaha) is the size of a large child.After Cabela's, we went to...Are you ready?THE PIZZA HUT LUNCH BUFFET.THAT'S RIGHT. PIZZA TWO DAYS IN A ROW.UNLIMITED SALAD AND PIZZA.I ate so much. Bulky bulky bulky. It was glorious. Magnus and Coco had clued us in on the possibility of the buffet, and we walked from Cabela's (past the bizarre horse corral) to Pizza Hut together to inquire. Apparently lunch buffet at Pizza Hut is a thing. I can't believe I didn't know this. We all shared a table, loading our plates with salad before we even had drinks and silverware, eating whatever veggies we could with our fingers while we waited for the waitress to return with forks.As we ate, we chatted about the trail, and about siblings. Magnus, who makes cakes, showed us pictures of his masterpieces. I was floored. He is seriously skilled. I can't imagine being able to make some of the things that he showed us. "That's all edible." He said. "You can EAT that knife." Super cool.And after pizza? Walmart so that Chris could resupply. I know that I am supposed to be eating more protein and less candy, but I couldn't resist buying a bag of M&Ms to add to my trail mix. There just weren't enough in there to last the four days until my next mail drop. I also bought Powerade (electrolytes!) and Chex mix. I love snacks. I love snacks way too much.We got a ride back to the post office in Port Clinton from Sandy and Leah, who we met in the Walmart parking lot (the kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze). I mailed home my trail runners and sleeping bag. I will try just using my fleece liner for a while. I still have my base layers and puffy jacket to wear if I get cold. It doesn't make sense to keep carrying both my sleeping bag and the liner at this point. It was hard to decide which to send home, but the fleece weighs less and is more comfortable (and washable!). The sleeping bag material always feels sticky on my skin in the humidity. Chris is a copycat and decided to send his sleeping bag home, too. Cabela's didn't have any fleece bag liners, though, so he ended up buying just a blanket at Walmart. A Batman blanket. Very cute. I voiced my approval of his choice when I saw it, laughing.Chris mailed some of his food ahead and let me throw some of my trail mix in the box, too. After I added all of those M&Ms, I realized how ridiculous the amount was. I didn't need to carry all of it. I was going to mail it home, but mailing it ahead is better, in case I decide that I need to pick out more M&Ms at that point.I saw Miles outside of the post office in Port Clinton, and greeted him with enthusiasm. It was really weird to see someone from my starting bubble... he was in the Smokies at the same time as me, but I hadn't seen him for weeks - since Erwin, apparently (I don't remember seeing him there but that was the craziest weekend of the trip, so it's not surprising).We decided to hike less than 3 miles out of town, to the first water source and campsite, because the book doesn't list camping at the next shelter (which is 2.9 miles north). I am happy with it. In the morning we had debated zeroing, and even put a reservation on a room at the Microtel. About half an hour later, however, I thought to myself, "My clothes are clean and I just took a shower. Why would I pay to stay somewhere when I could just camp?!" Luckily, Coco and Magnus shared their intentions to hike here tonight (they are camped nearby). Chris asked me, "Want to just do that?" and of course I was totally on board. The bonus is that the big climb out of town is behind us. Although it sucked to get all sweaty again (sweaty enough to turn my butt pink again, by the way), it was best to ascend with a belly full of town-calories.As we hiked today, we saw a deer scampering away through the woods. "At least it's scared of us, not like the deer in Shenandoah." I said aloud. I think it is much healthier for animals to be scared of people.This turned into a conversation about dead deer on the side of the road. Over the winter, on my way home from trying on bridesmaid dresses, I hit a deer. It was horrible. I just clipped it, and it didn't die. It just flopped around on the side of the road helplessly. Thankfully, a woman who lived nearby pulled over and said that her husband was going to come and shoot it. I cried so hard, just picturing the poor thing trying to get up, imagining the pain it was in, that mom had to drive the rest of the way home.I told Chris this story tonight. An interesting conversation topic...After we reached tonight's campsite of choice and set up, Chris wandered off to eat dinner with Coco and Magnus (their campsite is down the trail from ours), but I stayed behind to enjoy a bit of alone time, snacking on my Chex mix and pondering the upcoming miles.Now, we are looking at four easy days to Delaware Water Gap. We both have mail to pick up there, so we plan to arrive Sunday night to get into the post office Monday morning. There are shelters along the way placed conveniently enough that we can enjoy days between 15 and 20 miles (what I always hope for!) am looking forward to some extra leisure time and book-reading.I am incredibly thankful that I was able to find shoes that fit and haven't killed my feet yet (keeping my fingers crossed!), and to people for giving us rides, and for the kind post office lady, and for the trail. It is always weird to get back on after going into town, but it still feels like coming home.