Date: 2003-05-10
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

I had a great nights sleep. I awoke feeling refreshed. We were suprised to find Foxie, Two Speeds, and Chafe already packed up and gone when we woke up at 8 am. They waited for the rest of us at the first shelter, so we all had lunch together. They said they didn't get much sleep in the shelter because someone was snoring loudly.We eventually all made it to a major road and what do you know there's a sign advertising a restaurant with all this good food. They know that is our weakeness. So we hang around for awhile trying to be strong, but the sign says the restaurant is only 2 miles--that's so close. We decided to make a sign for the cars passing by that will express to them that we would like some soda. So I start to write on that says "THIRSTY HIKERS--SOAD". Yes, that's right, I spelled soda S-O-A-D. Of course I'll never live it down. Guess I got too excited thinking about soda or the gnats finally chewed through my brain. So Two Speeds took over and make a nice sign that said in bold letters "SODAS PLEASE".Well, we didn't even get to use the sign because two cars pull up with day hikers. So Moo (our negotiator) goes over and gets us all a ride to the restaurant. It's 2 girls about our age and one of their dads. They have a little Bronco and then a little Ford pick-up truck with deer bones in the back. I guess one of the girls collects deer bones she finds in the woods--for what I didn't quite understand, but I nodded my head like I did in fear that she might add my bones to her collection.So off we go deer bones and all to get a good meal. They were so kind to give us all a ride. Poor Chafe missed out on our town run because he had decided to leave lunch earlier than the rest of us.While we are finishing up our dinner, in walks Sheep Stuff's husband. Sheep Stuff is a hiker friend of ours. She is a wonderful lady around 65-years-old that lives south of Pittsburgh and owns a sheep farm. She also runs a soup kitchen that has been running for about 7 years and they've never had a fundraiser or charge money, and they still have money in the bank. So Mr. Sheep Stuff offers to drive us all back up. He is super sweet and cute as can be. Sheep Stuff told me once he is 18 years older than her, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. He also lets us know that Sheep Stuff is about a day or two behind us and that she will be having a huge spaghetti dinner tomorrow night in Damascus. It will be great to see her again as well as chowing down on some pasta!We are all so proud of ourselves for coming back to the trail and hiking the 4.8 miles to the shelter. We got back on the trail at 7 pm and just slipped in right before it got really dark at 9 pm.Earlier in the day when we were waiting by the road, making our soda sign, Mr. Sheep Stuff came by. He was checking out that spot because that's where he'd be picking up Sheep Stuff tomorrow night. We all chatted with him awhile and then someone asked him his name and he hesitated for a moment and said almost shamefully, "Oh, I'm just John. John Spalding." Foxie replied "It's okay, that's a fine name." It was cute because it was like he was embarrassed because he has a normal name and not a trail name. I told him we'd call him Mr. Sheep Stuff, so he'd have an official trail name.