Date: 2012-05-25
From: Pinefield Hut

To: BearFence MTN Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: few clouds

Separate entries for Peeper and Jay " Big Gulp" were on there own and I was in Waynesboro. Gumpy: Awoke rested in the Hostel. Planned to Meet All Smiles at 8:00 am at wheezies. Went to get some resupply at the Grocery store for I had given some of my supplies for the next few days to the kids. Met All Smiles and Hawk on the highway walking to Wheezies. Great to see them, they reprimanded me calling out " hey you Hiker, don't you know which side of the Highway you should be walking" Of course we jay walked to cross the highway to get to the Restaurant. Breakfast was very enjoyable, found that Mike has been doing well, Sheila his wife can be reassured. He has started to "walk his own hike". He and Hawk planned to move somewhat quickly ahead and do what is called "Aqua Blaze".( Canoe trip down the Shenandoah River about 60 miles to just above the Harpers Ferry.) We hope to join up and hike together again after this adventure. Hawk has been having issues with an ingrown Toenail, I went back to the hotel with them and did a little surgery. Hopefully successful. He was a good patient, did not scream much. I have been a reluctant doctor much of the way, but word seems to get out.We made arrangement to be transported back to the trail I too my 30 miles up and they to the entrance to the park. I went to Walmart to get a Camera, we met Mike and Hawk at the post office ( They looked hungry there and I guess people had been giving them food all morning, they did not want to stop for lunch).Wally and Pat( I am bad with names so if I am wrong please correct me by a note, I want to give you two all credit due), our transport Trail Angels, drove us to all our needs. Errands done, dropped All Smiles and Hawk off, Wally, Pat and I went up the Park to my drop off. Thankfully we passed the Wayside and I sprang for lunch, for they would take no other payment. Of course I got to eat as well. Wonderful people, previous PCT thru Hikers. They were a joy to spend time with and hope they come up to NH to visit!Dropped off at Ivy Creek Overlook, my trail resumption point. 2:00 pm and I had some mileage to do to catch up to the kids, Expected rendezvous time tomorrow pm.Hot , hot, hot and humid, off and moving on. Water scares. Ran into Sugar plum, she and I had hiked a few weeks together previously.We hiked most of the afternoon together. She wanted to learn how to do my Controlled falling technique of running down mountains. I left her at the Hightop Hut, and continued on in the evening, putting 16.6 miles away. Camped in the woods on Saddleback MTN. Almost camped in a cemetery I found in an off trail, early 1900's graves, a few more recent, but this spooked me a little and I moved on.Fun note. Peeper had received a gift from Blue Fox a week ago, a 4 oz, jaw breaker, slipped in her pack, she forced it on me. I had the opportunity to sneak it in All Smiles pack, expecting he would find it when I was long gone. I found it back in my pack today. Little sneak gave it back to me, I put a few derogatory notes in the logs at the shelters about he being ungrateful. ( Often tricks on fellow hikers are to slip items in their packs to increase wt.)(More to follow)