Date: 2008-04-27
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Wildwood Campground
Miles today: 14.6

In case I don't get to a computer in a timely manner, to my sister Jan, I send you a big Happy Birthday May 9th! I'll be thinking of you Super hike day. Mostly cloudy, good breeze only got sweaty on one uphill pull when the sun came out and wind quit. Ran into 3 men(Michael from Wilmington now living in Raleigh area; Specs, and another guy) at a forest road. They said we should've passed their friend hiking with a dog, but we didn't! Maybe he got lost at the fork in the path? Worrisome. Fantastic views overlooking the James River. Saw lots of trillium carpeting the forest. Neatest event was running into Chemo, whom we met hiking last yr! Chemo was traveling southbound today, doing about 210 miles this yr, in keeping with his goal of finishing the trail in 2010 when he turns 67 years old. He'll do 100+ next yr, then only has about 50 for 2010. He says he's kayaked in 50 states, has hiked in each one; doesn't know what his next personald challenge will be. Chemo's feeling good and having a fun life. At the shelter before the rd, met Hit and Miss a 20+ yr old married couple Thud's met before on the trail. Just Rick, Thud and Take It EAsy and I reached the road crossing where we wanted to get a hitch into Wildwood Campground about 5 miles away. Waited over 30 minutes, no ride . Piglette & Smoky walked in from the trail, too, to join us in our hitching efforts during which our optimism was fading. Who wants to walk extra miles on a rd?--No one!! Thud walked back to the footbridge over the James River and managed to secure rides for all with a guy who said he'd go back and forth til all of us were delivered to the campground--nice! Of course, good things happen in multiples--another fellow pulled over right then and gave some Just Rick and me a ride to the campground. So we all caravanned in together, one vehicle following the other. Take It Easy and I are sharing a cabin with Just Rick, Thud(who turns out to be a Michigan 1/4 mile running champ--he and Take It Easy talked about track training, etc.), Moneylost Max stayed on the porch. Thud's a nice guy. Smoky and Piglette are tenting under the awning of the rec area cause it's raining and they didn't care for the assigned campsite. Take It Easy and I chatted with a couple from Quebec(staying in their rv). The Quebec man is a retired p.e. coach, wife a retired r.n.. They gave us a beer each as we talked--nice Tomorrow they head down to Florida in their state of the art camper. Just Rick announced he's getting off the trail tomorrow--going home cause homesick and no longer having fun. He's gonna get shuttled to the airport to rent a car, go visit his brother in law in Pikeville, Tenn. Now Rick's at the cabin of the couple next door, cooking up his last 2 hotdogs he bought at the campstore, and cooked up the last of the eggs he bought. Saw a snake on the trail today. Highlight today was a shower and washing clothes--delightful! I Ate microwave pizza and chicken pot pie for dinner. Take It Easy ate "junk food" and a nuked frozen hamburger and nuked Philly sandwich.Take It Easy drank 3--yes 3, Pepsi's before bedtime---bet he doesn't sleep! I've been thinking of Karen all day--wondering what's happening in her life--hope all is going well, Karen