Date: 2006-12-05
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I came to the trailhead on Rte 522 today and tried to hitch for about 7 minutes. A lady named Cindy stopped, and after throwing my gear in the trunk, she said "I bet you didn't think you were going to be taken care of so well when you came here!" She offered to drive me around until I found the cheapest place to stay the night, and in the process she gave me the tour of the town. Thanks Cindy!Earlier I posted an upcoming journal entitled: "What is it that a thru-hiker eats on the trail?"Whatever it is that hikers eat on the trail, I would assume, does not get eaten in town. I would not, for example, eat instant mashed potatoes or Snickers in town. That is pure trail food, and I crave greasy cheeseburgers, pizza and sirloins when a town draws near.   I normally carry enough food for about 4-6 days, depending on where the next reliable resupply point is at. Sometimes it varies, of course. I left Harpers Ferry with only 2 days of food, knowing that I would need to stop in Front Royal to resupply for the 100-mile trek thru the Shenandoahs. Food is heavy. I generally eat 2 lbs or more/day, and if you put a mixture of tuna packs, instant mashed potatoes, snickers, pop-tarts, honey buns, oreos, rice crispy treats, coffee, etc on the scale to equal 2 lbs, you will see that it's quite a pile of food. Multiply that by five, and you'll see what it is you have to stuff in your pack along with a tent, sleeping bag and pad, jacket, gloves, first aid kit, and all sorts of miscellaneous items like this nifty gadget I'm using to type this journal entry.   It's good for a hiker to find some foods that you can eat daily without getting sick of. It took me a long time to find the foods that I can eat daily. Those foods have already been mentioned: Snickers (i only eat snickers on the trail), PopTarts (only the frosted strawberry flavor), honey buns, Oreos, and thats about it for the foods I can bear to eat everyday. The rest of the food I have to mix up a bit. Every night I fix up a pot of something steamy. Idahoan inatant mashed potatoes have been a recent favorite (thanks to Trailboss). You can get many flavors...my favorite is butter & herb. I cook some ramen noodles first, then I add the potatoes (the ramen is just to add some substance...more carbs), then I throw in some cheese and tuna. I know this seems like a strange mixture, but it is highly rated by trail standards!I also use Lipton Pasta Sides. I found that any pasta side that requires milk tastes much better. I have many favorites. Lets use the tomato-parmesan pasta side for example. So, I bring two cups of H2O to a boil. Then I add powdered milk, then the contents of the lipton package...then I wait....and wait...and wait..."ok, I'm hungry...I just hiked 20 miles"...still waiting....OK! Now the pasta is tender. So next I add cheese (Cabot sharp cheddar reserve from Vermont is THE BEST!). Then I add tuna...(they sell tuna filets in foil packages that are already cooked and marinated). So i choose the tuna filet marinated in lemon & cracked pepper. I throw it on top of the hot pasta dish, and bon apetit! The biggest challenge of the day is naming my dish...mmm...Filet of tuna dashed with lemon served atop penne pasta tossed in a creamy tomato parmesan & cheddar cheese sauce of the mountain! "Would you care for some fresh ground pepper on your pasta, sir?"   Peace,Easy