Date: 2005-06-01
From: Wilson Creek shelter

To: Bryant Ridge shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After an easy 2.5 miles I get my first look at the Blue Ridge Parkway. I have great timing because soon after I pass the overlook Scholar comes driving up. She's got Trailmagic! She has some sort of apple pie and apples too. A nice addition to my breakfast. I call Indy over. He was enjoying the view and hadn't noticed Scholar. He's loving the food too. We're very lucky that we catch it now because this cache is going to be placed 14 miles further down the trail. Probably not much will be left when we get there.Scholar lets out a bunch of slackpackers. They are taking it real easy though and I pass them soon. The hiking is nice. Not too much up and down and smooth trail. That's a nice change!The trail crosses the road a couple more times. This is very convenient because I get to dump my garbage at the overlooks. Right before Bobblets shelter I meet some trail maintainers. I thank them for their work and they seem to enjoy doing it. The .2 miles to the shelter is a 'nice' descent. I have no choice though. No water for the next 10 miles. I meet Snowman from Wales here. His wife and sons are out here to join him for a while. Also here are Not Guilty, Indy and Clearwater. Clearwater tells me how he's planning on raiding our packs (we'd left them on the AT). Very nice... He also makes me believe that the privy is nasty. It's not until I tell him that I'll go somewhere else that he tells me it is actually quite nice. And it is. It actually has a sky light and it doesn't smell bad at all.I'm ready for lunch when I see Indy on a bridge at Bearwallow Gap. As I walk over there Mr. Sweepers drives up and offers me a soda. Nice! He gives me one for Indy too. Lunch is a lot of fun because a bunch of slackpackers walk up and pause with us. Most of them have been walking the road because of the better views and the easier walking. Apparently one of the trail maintainers wasn't too pleased with this. Oh well, everybody should hike their own hike : )The hike in the afternoon is easy. Lots of fast downhill. I almost pass Cove mtn shelter. I just happen to look to the right and see some people otherwise I would have missed it. From the shelter it continues to be easy hiking all the way to the road. All the slackpackers congregate at the bridge and lots of them are playing with the water. Stilts and Sunshine have been swimming and after deliberating for a while I decide to go for it too. Refreshing!!! There is an awesome chocolate cake here. Clearwater and I take a huge chunk of it. Yummy!!! I'm very spoiled today!All refreshed and with my tummy filled I climb back up a ridge and finally descend to Bryant Ridge shelter. This shelter has a very cool design. Different platforms and great cooking space. Which is nice because it started pouring right after I came in.I finally got to meet Free Radical today. I had a look at his calves. Not as curvacious as Free Radical PCT 03's calves (just a little inside joke) Funny to meet someone with the same name as my good PCT buddy.There are a bunch of people at this shelter that I've been leapfrogging with these last couple of days. Fun!