Date: 2006-05-30
From: Sleeping in my truck again, Atkins, VA

To: Sleeping in my truck again, near O'lystery Pav, VA
Miles today: 11.8

TRANSCRIBER NOTE: I am unsure as what to check off when a hiker sleeps in his truck!!! It's not a tent, hostel, house, or hostel, therefore I am using the "shelter" option. Stumpknocker's notes: I slept really well last night in the back of my truck. It cooled down nicely and sometime in the middle of the night, I had to pull covers over me. I woke up this morning about 7am and opened the topper door and the tailgate and sat there brewing coffee and enjoying the songbirds. I was leaning back on some pillows and sitting sideways in the truck bed. It was very comfortable. I am only walking 12 miles today, so I only ate one fruit pie for breakfast. :-))) At 8am, I started packing stuff I needed for the day, then at 8:30, I started walking south, back to Groseclose where I made it to yesterday. I got into some cow pastures and had a beautiful morning walking along listening to more birds singing and smelling some wild roses. I ran into Garden Gnome just before I started climbing Big Walker Mountain.It was about a 900 foot climb. I ran into A T, then Needles, then Walker, Texas Ranger who recognized me when he saw me. He even remembered my name and I had only met him for a few minutes last year at Abol Bridge in Maine. He and two friends were attempting a sobo thru hike and one of his friends was quitting the trail about 15 miles into his hike.His trail name was High Hopes last year, not Walker, Texas Ranger. I was still climbing Big Walker Mountain when I ran into Weeks and Pixie.I talked to Weeks for a few minutes before walking on. The southern half of today's walk was beautiful with lots of the rhododendrons, yellow azaleas and orange azaleas that I've been seeing for a few days now.I also saw a huge fungi and got a photo that I'll post when I can. I walked down Big Walker Mountain, then climbed Little Brushy Mountain. On the way down that mountain, I ran into Grim Reaper.I ran in Forrest shortly after that. It's so warm, or I should say hot and humid today that it's hard to suck in enough air when I'm climbing. I got to Davis Path Shelter and was ready to use some smiley face stickers in the register, but there was no register. :-((( I just hung my head low and walked on. :-))) I ran into Baloo next and we stopped and talked a while.He was telling me that when he came through Grayson Highlands, they had a couple lightening storms come through. He told me that a horse got struck and killed by lightening...not a short horse, but a horse that someone had rode in there. I saw Librarian next. She was not a librarian, but got her trail name because she was carrying 6 pounds of books.I told her about a friend of mine that hiked in '02 by the name of Book Burner and that he would burn the pages of the book he was carrying to cut down on the weight he had to carry.She told me that he's written a book on backpacking and that she had already read it.Hey Book Burner, if you read this, how about sending me a book...I need some kindlin'. :-))) I ran into Ramblin' Man and Doc Gnarly next. I had never met Doc Gnarly even though he's hiked the last two years, but I have run into Ramblin' Man a number of times out here. It was good seeing him again. Right after they left, Jam Man and Harley Hog Pit came walking up.I met Harley Hog Pit at the Pa Ruck earlier this year.She started asking me questions and had a video camera rolling. She said she was making a documentary and if she did, would it be alright to use the footage of me. Well, it's too late to ask after you already shot me!! ;-))) I walked into Groseclose and Shortcut was parked at the truckstop.I walked up to the truck and was just unloading my stuff and grabbing an ice cold Coke when a car pulled up behind me. It was Paladin who I had run into a number of times last year on the trail. He looked horrible!! Ha, just kidding Paladin. :-)))He was telling me about how he's getting all excited to walk the trail again in '08, only this time his son is going along. Shortcut and I went over to The Barn for lunch.It used to be called The Barn, then a few years ago, it changed to Rhonda's, now it's back to The Barn and the food was really good. We headed into Wytheville and bought a few items for the next couple of days, then I showed Shortcut where to pick me up at Bland when I get there.We then headed up Rt 623, where I'll walk south tomorrow, then north from the Rt 623 on Thursday which will put me in Bland. I ate a sandwich I had packed out, then started writing my journal entry when 3 hikers came by. Mouse Hat, Billy from Philly and Whooley Bear.Mouse Hat was out of food and fuel, so I gave him enough to get him to Bland and we sat there and all had an ice cold Coke before they walked on to the next shelter 4 miles away.