Date: 2017-06-23
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter 

To: Stealth Campsite/Petits Gap
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Day 52Friday, June 23, 2017 Bryant Ridge Shelter (759.8) to Stealth Campsite/Petites Gap (774.8)Miles: 15 miles in 8 hours with two breaks 2017 AT trip miles: 774.8Total AT miles to date: 2064.3Weather: Cloudy to partly sunny, warm, sprinkles, breezy, 70sDinner: Pasta with PeppersHikers: Cindy Lou Who, General Hendricks, Warden, Luke, Derby, RockyWildlife: Deer, TortoiseSo. It did rain last night and I'm alive. The rain was lovely, but our chain smoking, possibly meth head, was odd, to say the least. He ended up sitting at the picnic table out front for at least six hours. The rain started around midnight, which is when I looked at the time and still saw the glow of his cigarette. The rain might have been the only thing that forced him away from the table and into the shelter. This morning there were four empty cigarette packages and a tableful of wet food and gear. He did manage to set up a sleeping bag and blow up mattress. He remained in his bed while everyone packed up around him this morning, and when he did get up, he paced and asked another hiker for a cigarette. Cindy Lou Who and Hendricks arrived just as I was getting ready to leave. They had camped three miles short of the shelter. Hendricks was going to make breakfast but the chain smoking meth head made him feel uncomfortable too. We later learned that from other hikers who had stopped by that he hadn't moved all day and wanted to know the closest place to buy cigarettes. The trail today was mostly up. Hendricks caught up to me after his aborted breakfast and we spotted a yellow and brown tortoise in the middle of the trail. I had been hearing about sightings both years, but this was the first tortoise I saw.Stopped at a shelter at the 10.9 mile mark, where I again ran into Cindy Lou Who and Hendricks also taking a break. Cindy is ending her hike in Harper's Ferry so she can get ready to leave for Nepal this fall. Hendricks wants to aqua blaze (canoe) the Shenandoah River instead of hike the trail through the national park. Weeks ago, I had said goodbye to them, assuming they would be faster. However, the three of us have had very similar paces and I jokingly keep telling them; ¢Well, this is it. Goodbye!¢ Today, however, they talked of doing 17 and 18 mile days, whereas I have to slow down, working with Sam¢s arrival date on June 30. Warden and Luke arrived (bearing the news of the chain smoking meth head. Actually, Luke is the one who suggested that), and took a photo of the three of us¢because I think this is really it. Tomorrow they should be getting ahead of me and staying ahead. Today I learned their real names and they mine, so we can find each other on Facebook. It's like we all have an alias--but it's our real life.Hiked another five miles after the shelter, following the Blue Ridge Parkway again, as well as two very tame deer. Am camping alone just past a forest service road. The official campsite three miles back was in a damp, dark although relatively rhododendron-free spot with a note scrawled on the water sign saying bears visit here. Even though it was dated 5/2016, I didn't feel like testing that warning. Tonight's campsite has a perfect bear bag branch¢best one yet to date. Grade School told me she lost her ill-hung food to a bear at the Wise Shelter back by the Grayson Highlands, the same shelter I talked about regarding the guy who didn't think bears bothered shelters where there were lots of people. At least, I hope it is a perfect bear branch and better campsite tonight. As of today, or maybe yesterday¢the meth head preoccupied my thoughts¢I have less than 100 miles to the finish.