Date: 2010-05-10
From: Rice Field Shelter

To:  campsite 1/2 mile South of Angels Rest ovetlook
Miles today: 9.8

Day 65The first thing I did this morning was start a fire. I laid in my cold sleeping bag hoping that someone else would do it but alas and alac no one did. The heat was just what I needed to put a good start to the morning. I was never freezing last night but I was never warm either. Still it was warmer in my 45° bag than outside it so I probably would have stayed in it longer but I heard little john talking about the mountain tops being islands in a sea of fog. I wanted to see that so up I got. It was more like the valleys were full of rivers of fog but it was still nice.The three of us were the last ones to leave the shelter since we were only going 10 miles. The water source south of the shelter was a barrel in the ground in the middle of the trail with scum floating on the surface. We left it undisturbed and hiked on. I was hiking to pearisburg because there was a Dairy Queen a half mile off the trail. I needed a banana split for my calcium and potassium needs. Brian thought it was strange that I wouldn't go a half my off the trail for a shelter or water but I would for ice cream. Water and shelters are everywhere on the trail but I have yet to see an ice cream tree. It seemed a very long 3 miles from the water source. We were walking very close to the town for a while including walking over a 4 lane bridge for a couple hundred yards. That made it seem even longer. The road into town was closer to a mile than it was to a half mile, but it was all worthwhile when i took that first bite of the banana split. Just what the doctor ordered. It almost made me forget about my splinting shin. Almost. I saw a parade of thrus going in and out of town as I ate my lunch. Soon it was time for us to go as well. We were only a little ways up the road when I saw Kashmir coming towards me. We stopped to talk and just then a pick up truck pulled up and offered us a ride to the trailhead. I told Creek and Brian to go ahead because I wanted to talk to Kashmir. Which I did before walking the 3/4 of a mile to the trail. At the tralhead I met GrolarBear and chatted with him for a few minutes before starting up the two mile long hill. It was steep in places but mostly it was good hiking. My shin protested the steep parts and the rocks, and 800 mg of Vitamin I did little to quiet it. Near the top I caught up to Creek and Brian who were surprised to see me so soon. Apparently 600 miles of hiking has made me a better hiker than I used to be. Creek dancer used to outhike me all the time.   Anyhoo, together again we continued up the mountain passing Chewy and Skipper along the way.At the top we took the 50 yard side trail to Angels Rest overlook which gave an awesome view of the Pesrisburg and the trail we took down to it. I took some pics which will be on my web album. Back at the AT Brian had found a crevice in the house size rock formations that he could slither through. He followed the cave in for 25-30 feet before the next turn was to narrow to go through. I know I've lost a lot of weight but my mind was telling me my fat butt couldn't go as deep as Brian did but it was still pretty cool. There was also a hole in the ground in between some rocks on the other side of the trail that Brian wanted to check out. It dropped down about 9' then he went out of sight. A minute later he was climbing up from the side of the mountain about 40' away. Too cool, so I went down the way he came out and forced Creek to follow me back through the cave. It took a little blackmail but I think she is glad she did it. We filled up with water at a spring a half mile further on. We didn't like the campsites there so we went the 0.2 miles back to the trail and continued hiking hoping to find a nice campsite. Almost immediately we came across a flat grassy area on a ridge with great views. I chose a ridiculous tent spot right on the edge of the ridge so I could look out over the valley all night then catch the sunrise from my tent if the predicted rain held off.We ate dinner next to the nice fire that Brian built and water water watched the parade of thrus that I didn't know head on into Pearisburg. Just before dark Thin Mint showed up and set up a tent. We talked while she ate her dinner and caught each other up on where everyone was on the trail. Then I retired to my tent to enjoy the valley lights, update my journal and be nervous as heck about rolling out of my tent and off the mountain . If you think I am kidding check my web album for pics of my tent and from my tent.Goodnight and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the Nesting On the Cliffs Edge Dream.