Date: 2010-06-10
From: Jennings Creek

To: BRP 76.3
Miles today: 13.7

10 June 2010, BRP 76.3   Ken was at the campground at 7 am this morning. I walked over to his car and made sure I had told him 8 am. He said yes, he is usually an hour early. He told us to take our time; we did not make him wait too long.   We walked under The Guillotine today. It is a large rock stuck in between two rocks that you have to walk through and under, hence the name guillotine. While at the guillotine we met a couple from Vermont.   As we were walking through the fields prior to Apple Orchard Mountain Hopper pointed at a grasshopper and said look a cricket. It was in reality a grasshopper and I pointed that out to her. She insisted that it was a cricket because it was black and crickets are black. I told her that it was a grasshopper and she wanted to argue with me about it. She actually got pissed that I insisted it was a grasshopper. I know my grasshoppers and this was one. She hates to be proven wrong; I have seen that of her many times. She is also a sour loser when playing games or anything competitive. I let the grasshopper thing slide and did not say anything more about it.   The walk in to Cornelius Creek Shelter was fairly easy. I got to the shelter at least 10 or 15 minutes before Hopper and Ben. There was a deer on the trail into the shelter. It was not scared at all by me. When Hopper and Ben got to the shelter the deer arrived at the shelter. I think it might have been looking for hand outs. When Ben saw it he took off chasing it. He was gone for a while. I was irritated at this. Ben chases everything on that is in the woods, this is not going to stop, I can tell.   We pass Chef, Tiger Woods, Denver, Rocky, Skid Mark, Playboy, Wendigo as we were heading south. Denver asked me to see if he left his head lamp in the cabin at Middle Creek Campground when I got back. I asked Rocky and Playboy where they were going to be tomorrow night. They said they would be outside Glasgow probably because they had a mail drop to get there. I told them that my hiking partner Hopper was jumping ahead about five days to hike with her sister in law and sisters. I told them I was looking to find someone I could hike with for a bit. They said no problem, anytime. I told Playboy I would send a text message to see where they were on Saturday. Most everyone we passed today told us how nice Bryant Ridge Shelter was and that they thought it was the best one on the AT so far.   I was walking my pace today and was well ahead of Hopper. In the past she had constantly complained about me walking behind her and falling behind. I was doing this on purpose to give her space and not to crowd her. Now I was walking my pace to honor what she wanted me to do and see how she would react to it. I arrived at Bryant Ridge Shelter a good 25 minutes ahead of her. I was making my lunch when she arrived. I could tell she was not happy. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that I left her all alone and she was pissed. I told her I was just walking my normal pace and that I was honoring her wish to not fall behind her all the time. She was still pissed. I left it alone because I could see it did not matter what I was going to say she was going to be pissed no matter what. She says one thing but then when I do it she does not like it. She is in decisive.   When we got to Bryant Ridge Shelter I was amazed. I have to agree. In my opinion this is the best shelter on the AT so far. I am not sure if it is classified and a double or triple decker shelter. It can sleep 20 people easily. I took a few pictures. The trail maintainer for that section was at the shelter when I arrived. I thanked her and talked general trail talked with her. I took a step back when I first saw the lady had a slight resemblance to my doctor at the VA back home. When we left we caught up to her on the way out. She filled us in on some history and reroute info. She was very nice. I thanked her for doing trail maintenance.When we reached Jennings Creek, Hopper took Ben down to the creek so he could take a swim and cool down. I went over the bridge to the other side of the creek so that I could call Ben over to the other bank. When I got down to the other bank I ran into a group of thru hikers all sitting around taking a break. They were Permetheous, Evergreen, Fox, Moment, Hobo and another whose name I cannot recall. The last three I mentioned were from Maine. I met Moment in Erwin but had not met the other two. Hobo was from Manchester which was also very close to my house. The person¢s name which I could not remember was from Ellsworth. We chatted for a bit and then I called Ben across the creek and Hopper called him back to the other side. I was told later on that this group of hikers was called the Cowboy's, I am not sure why.   When I got back to the campground I asked the owner if she found Denver¢s head lamp in his cabin, she said she had not seen it when she cleaned the cabin. The next thing on the agenda was ordering a burger and fries. After eating I laid at the pool for about an hour and then got in for a little bit. I twisted my knee while in the pool. Now I wished I had not gone into the pool. This is one thing to add to the not to do list again while hiking, "don't go swimming, and remember knee injury". It seems like when I go swimming it irritates my knee.   Tomorrow will be the last day I have Hopper as a hiking partner for a few weeks. She will be leaving Saturday morning and getting a ride further north of the AT, to Waynesboro to hook up with her sister in law and family. She said she is hoping to get back on the trail in Harpers Ferry at the same time I am there. I don't know if this will plan out like she said, I am not holding my breath for this to happen. It would be nice if it works out. I will keep my fingers cross. Hopper is a good hiking partner even though she irritates me. I was hoping to hook up with Bismarck again. I have no idea where he is right now. He has not signed any shelter registries for the day or so. Last I knew he was going to go to Buchanan to the post office to get his new boots he had ordered in Daleville and had sent to him in Buchanan. I am wondering if he is still there waiting for them.