Date: 2005-05-17
From: Compton Gap Trail

To: Stealth camp just north of Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

start: Compton Gap Trailfinish: Stealth camp just north of Manassas Gap Sheltermiles: 14.8day: 71I was tired last night and neglected to mention what a great hostel Terrapin is.  The owner, Mike, is a former AT and PCT thru-hiker, and he makes you feel at ease.  There are all kinds of snacks to buy, including microwave pizza, at reasonable prices, all on the honor system.  And the music!  He's got a great selection of 60s and 70s on vinyl: Grateful Dead, Dylan, Cream, New Riders, Jefferson Airplane, even Iron Butterfly.  All the old stuff I used to have as a kid.  We played the tunes all last evening and this morning.  Thanks Mike!Last night and this morning Cotton Joe was "causing trouble".  He's from the south and has been teaching Tea Break some better phrases to use to pass as a redneck: "Ain't skeered" and the last words of many a redneck: "Watch this".  I think Tea Break is the british equivalent of a redneck because he's picking this stuff up so quick.  Cotton Joe has been playing a little game in that he hasn't slept in a bed in something like 40+ days.  He said Tea Break was unable to match this feat - at one point he asked very quietly: "You chicken?"  Well, Tea Break said he could not only do it, he could not sleep in a bed for longer.  By the time they were done upping the ante I'm not sure either of them are allowed to sleep in a bed for at least a year.We didn't see Mike this morning, as he had to work.  We piled into the van and went to breakfast.  My latest favorite restaurant: Fox's Diner in Front Royal.  The prices were quite reasonable so I had steak and eggs, home fries, scrapple, toast, french toast, tea, grapefruit juice.  And a cheeseburger to go.We went to the grocery store to buy more food, and saw Bones there.  Then we went to the Post Office to drop off Tea Break and Kodak.  Goldilocks had left his resupply box at the hostel so we had to go back and get it.  Cotton Joe had finished all his town business so he left from the hostel to start hiking.We got back to the PO and went to work refilling from our bounce boxes and redistributing all the food Mrs. Moosie shipped for us.  Our strategy of shipping a big drop every 500 miles and then redistributing northward is working pretty well, but it's a bit of work.  We're getting pretty efficient, though.  Tea Break was pleased because he got his pack weight down by mailing forward a whole bunch of junk (really, junk.  He should have tossed most of it in my opinion)  There's stuff he doesn't need, but it's pricey to ship to the UK, so he shipped a box to my house (Moosie's Hostel) for safekeeping for a while.  (Mrs. Moosie, please just put it aside, and thanks for the wonderful home baked cookies you put in our boxes!  You even sent some for Underpants, but he wasn't here so we gobbled 'em up.  Sorry Underpants.)We had run into Heidi and Maruchen at the PO and we gave them a ride to a motel and the laundromat.  They seem like fun folks to hike with - hope they catch up soon.We drove back to the hostel.  Tea Break was anxious to hit the trail, as he'd had to make a decision as to where to mail some stuff he needs for Costa Rica.  Consequently he has to be in Duncannon in 8 days.  It's not so bad, just 21 miles a day, but he's feeling some pressure, so he said goodbye to us.  We won't see him again until he gets back from Costa Rica, and then makes up the 5 days mileage he lost.  It could be a while.  We all hope he can catch up before we get to Connecticut so he can spend time at Moosie's Hostel with us.The forest was different today.  Not very pretty.  All young trees, overgrown with vines - real messy looking.  And poison ivy everywhere!  We've been seeing some here and there since Pearisburg, but today it was like running a gauntlet.  I'm sure I touched some.  I've heard good things about Zanfels to get rid of it, perhaps I'll be picking some up soon.We got to the Manassas Gap Shelter at dusk and got water from a great spring, but we moved on because there were lots of people camping around there.  The only difficulty was determining if stealth campsites contained poison ivy in the dark.  But I think we did OK, and we camped comfortably under the stars, as there's not a cloud in the sky.I've been asked to provide mail drop information - I think people want to send us food!  Here are two:Joe or Colin Vannuccic/o General DeliveryDuncannon, PA  17020and:c/o General DeliveryPalmerton, PA  18071Mark: Please hold for AT Hiker.Duncannon is first and we should be there in about 9 days, then Palmerton roughly 5 days later.Going to sleep now, with the distant sound of the interstate and the occasional train whistle.