Date: 2003-05-30
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Miles today: 0.0

White blaze Day 67 5/30/03We left camp at 7:15 am planned on a 20 mile day. We hiked across a rocky ridge and then down a steep muddy trail. We hadn't gotten very far before Seneca got a shin splint and was in pain, so we decided to get off the trail at VA.606 and we hitched a ride to Pearisburg in the back of a pick up truck. We sat in front of the Dairy Queen waiting for mom and dad to pass by. We saw a lot of hikers that are ahead of us on the trail. I walked down to the Food Lion and saw dad's new car in the parking lot, so I surprised them in the store. We spent the nite at the RV in a park in Christiansburg VA.   Mom cooked a pot roast with potatoes and gravy asparagus and an apple pie. Day 68 5/31 0 milesWoke up this AM to rain and decided not to hike and to give Seneca another day to heal. Got pictures developed and enjoyed wine thirty with mom and dad. (We call happy hour "wine thirty"). Day and I played a game of chess ( I won !) I weighed in a 192 lbs.Day 69 6/1/03 10 milesAfter breakfast dad and mom drove us to the trail head near Woods Hole Hostel, off VA 663 and 199. We started hiking north at 9:30 am and met Kimo, Firefeet, Pokey and Strider at Doc's Knob Shelter where we all took a short break. We found mom and dad waiting at VA 100 in Pearisburg at 3:45 pm. Day 70 6/2/03 13.3 milesMom fixed a great breakfast and then we drove back to the trail head at Woods hole. This time we are hiking south to VA 606. This will bring us up to Pearisburg at mile marker 617.4. We took a lunch break at Wapiti Shelter a nice log structure with lots of flat tent sites close by. We met Psycho Pat, Old Bill, Strider 60, Skidmarks, Baloo and her dad. At the end of the trail on Rt. 606 we talked with Wounded Knee. Mom and dad picked us up at 5:30 pm. We went food shopping and out to dinner.Day 71 6/03/03 0 milesWe had breakfast with mom and dad and then they dropped us off at the Dairy Queen in Pearisburg. It was raining pretty hard. Mom and dad left for Gettysburg on their way to NY and we decided to check into the Holiday Inn Motor Lodge. We are not alone, Gretel, Rumbler, Jersey, Footsloger, Bad Ass Turtle, Pockets, GI Gypsie, Puff Daddy, Bluebird, Skidmarks and Baloo are all staying her tonite. The weather is supposed to improve tomorrow. Day 72 6/04/03 MM 629.6 12.2 milesI took a long hot shower at 6 am to loosen and stretch my muscles. It felt so good! We went to breakfast at Dairy Queen. Then we packed up and headed out. It was almost a mile to the trailhead. We crossed the New River on the Shumate Bridge and started up a very muddy trail with lots of dense foliage. It started to drizzle and it wasn't a pleasant morning. The loud hum of the machinery at a Delco Factory was with us until we reached Rice Field Shelter for a lunch break. Knats were bad and water was ? mile on a blue blaze trail. We hiked until 5:00pm and stopped at Symns Gap Meadow where we decided to set up a camp. Footslogger and Bad Ass Turtle came up with 10 qts of water from a spring 3 miles back as this is a dry camp site. Later GI Gypsie, rumbler, and Jersey showed up. We all ate a quick dinner and went to bet to get out of the cold wind. On a sad note Gretel was forced to get off the trail again because of her ankle problem. Sparrow and Raven became engaged in Pearisburg and went out ahead of everyone at lunch time. Our tent is set up on the north side of the trail in W. Virginia and the others are about 50 ft away in Virginia.