Date: 2019-06-26
From: DevilÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Backbone Brewery

To: Stanimals Waynesboro 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we all packed up quickly to get to the breakfast. They serve a ¢hiker breakfast¢ that¢s only 5 bucks for a lot of food and you get a free T-shirt!! We made it and ate up! The shirts are cool! It¢s funny because there¢s technically a mistake on them and there¢s a map of the AT and all the states on it, but an extra line in ME, adding a state. Maybe that¢s why they¢re giving them away haha. But it was still cool! And breakfast was yummy! And they had big bins full of supplies and toiletries! They really nailed it. I mean if there¢s a way to treat hikers well, this is it. I was very impressed. I¢ll definitely stop here again when I come to do these miles!The lady who was coming to shuttle us from Stanimals was also a thru-hiker, Pink Panther, working for a week for a little extra cash. She was very friendly and helpful. We loaded the packs into the car and Sister and her gang headed off! I finished my breakfast and headed to the trailhead with a ride from the brewery, another wonderful service provided to hikers. I started my slackpack quickly, but was soon discouraged by a ton of rocks and slippery sections, which made me slow down. I got to a few nice views though, and the rest of it was not too bad.The most exciting moment happened as I was coming down towards a shelter. I saw a couple and they said, ¢watch out, there¢s a bear down there. But he¢s fine, he won¢t bother you.¢ I was already very nervous. I haven¢t seen a bear on trail!! I was sort of hoping he had run off, but also hoping I¢d see him. And then, as I came down one of the switchbacks, THERE HE WAS! A big black bear! He was just sitting on a rock about 20 feet from me. I froze and stared at him, and he stared at me, and then he just bolted and ran down the hill. I was disappointed I didn¢t get a picture. He ran off so fast! But I was also happy he ran off and I didn¢t have to clang my poles or anything. The only issue was, he ran down the hill and I was going down there too! The switchbacks went exactly where he went! So I was shaking and quite nervous that I was going towards him, and as I went down every dark fallen tree looked like a bear and I was scared.I made it to the shelter without seeing him again. I laughed when I saw a sign on the shelter wall that said to watch out for bears in this area! No kidding!! I sat and had a snack. I had about 7 miles to go. I was pretty nervous the whole 7 miles, again thinking everything was a bear, but I saw nothing else and ended up at the road! I called Stanimals and they sent someone to come get me. I got to the hostel and saw Thumper! And George and a woman named Falcon. Stargazer was also there and the old folks that had slackpacked. I set my stuff up in the room and hung out with everyone. They had sodas in the fridge and another massage chair!! Thumper and I got pizza at a place with slices the size of your face! It was very yummy. I tried to eat two, but was unsuccessful and only ate one and a half. Thumper told me last night that he had been at the Brewery before with The Champ and he had said ¢yeah Little Debbie, I¢m gonna have myself a little snack¢. Lol barf, eye roll, second barf. I thought we were friends. But no, I guess I¢m just a ¢snack¢ to you. Not interested. It felt so good to do miles today and get my mind back in the game. Slowly getting through this tough period on trail. I remember a quote I heard the other day, ¢I¢m out here to enjoy it, not to endure it.¢ Little Debbie