Date: 2008-05-07
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Apparently there was a bear wandering our campsite last night. We were told this by our fellow campers. I guess it was really loud and really close. We were so tired from our 19.9 mile day that we didn¢t hear anything. We really need to get a bear rope though. This sleeping with our food thing is getting a bit dangerous. We had bear ropes at several times, but we would put a clothesline and then forget it in the morning. Still, something we need to re-invest in.Our feet were happy to have rested, but are still pretty tender. The Trail holds nothing too exciting this morning, just the usual ups and downs. It¢s hot and sunny. I am starting to fear the summer. I don¢t know if I can survive hiking in the heat.We do pass the old school bus parked on the hill in a field. It¢s the one shown in the movie ¢Trek¢. We want to get a picture of Busdriver in it, but he is behind us and we can¢t wait in the blazing heat in a wide open field, so we are forced to move on without our picture. We climbed over Brushy Mountain twice today and will do it again at least three more times in the next several days. Each one is a different mountain, just has the same name. Not real creative in these parts, I guess. We make it to Partnership Shelter, the most talked about shelter so far on the Trail. Why? 1. There is a shower. 2. You can order delivery. We are quite happy to be here! First we take off our boots and head to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters, essentially the visitor¢s center. We find an awesome menu for an Italian restaurant and we call in our order along with Mr. Bones, Stubbs, Briar and Jackaroo. While we wait for our delivery we shower. The shower is supposed to have hot water but the woman who works at the visitor center informs us that the pilot light keeps going off and they need to send maintenance down to re-light it. Well, they don¢t. Brad goes first and after hearing the torture, I decide against it. Then I ponder it as I lay in the warm sun and I finally give in. It is the coldest water I have ever felt in my entire life; so cold that I think I go into shock. I start by washing one limb at a time, which is okay. Then I have to wash my business and so my whole body goes under the water. It is painful and hurts and a steady flow of curse words come shrieking out of my mouth the duration of the shower. But, in the end I am clean and happy as I sit in the sun shaking violently. I ghetto wash my clothes in the sink and half dry them in the sunshine. Our food arrives and all the hungry hikers are swarming the delivery guy like sharks. The food is delicious! Brad has a hamburger, I have a crab-cake burger and WE get a pizza to pack out for dinner. We digest our food for a bit then decide to push on.We climb another Brushy Mountain on our way to Chatfield Shelter. It starts to rain so we scramble to get our pack covers on. Then of course, it doesn¢t rain. We make it to the shelter and enjoy our leftover pizza for dinner. It¢s great not having to cook and clean up. We have a little fire with Stubbs, Mr. Bones, Briar and Jackaroo and then we all pile into the shelter as the weather is calling for a rainy night.