Date: 2003-06-26
From: US 220-Daleville

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Date: 6,26Zero dayLocation: Daleville, VaSo...we went to breakfast, packed up our backpacks and checked out of the hotel. Then, as we were standing in front of the hotel, melting in the heat, Bumpkin said, "I don't feel like hiking!". I kind of thought she was joking, so I said,"Yeah...we could stay and eat all day and take a nap and go to the movies...". Well, she looked at me, we looked at Charlie, and decided to let fate decide. Yep...we flipped a coin! :)Heads we hike, tails we zero (a hiking term for hiking 0 miles in a day, as opposed to a 'nero' which is 2-3 miles into town- a near zero). Tails it was!! It worked out cause Bumpkin was feeling kind of sick from the Chinese food, and she had not had a zero day in two weeks. That is a long time to hike every single day! The funny thing is that our trail angel friend, Dell, called the motel right then looking for us! It really was fate! So, we had an extremely tough day! Shoneys breakfast buffet, get a ride to Holiday Inn Express, Cracker Barrel for lunch, take a nap, go to a movie, O'Charleys for dinner...then bed! Hard day, huh?! :)   It was nice, cause it is hotter than blue blazes, no pun intended :), out there! 97 degrees up on a ridgeline with a pack is a really tough way to spend a day! We did get a lot done, however! We went to the Outfitters to get me a water filter replacment and I came to a stunning conclusion! In a store like this, only about 10% of the stock actually applies to true outdoors people! The other 90% is just for people that want to look like outdoors people! :) I got really tickled at that! We also agreed that thru hikers make terrible customers, cause in less something was broken, we don't want to carry anything else!    Then I went into one of those big super Krogers. I literally wandered around in a daze due to sensory overload. We are used to this in everyday life, but when you spend 95% of your life in the woods, I am telling you, this place is stupefying! A kaliedescope of colors, smells, sounds, everyone moving too quickly,.....it is a barrage to the senses. All I needed was bread and peanutbutter....but I wandered for 15 minutes! I just couldn't seem to focus! I was relieved to finally escape. :)   Lunch was another adventure. I have two words for you...meat loaf!!! When it came, it took several attempts to stick my fork in it, but when I screwed up my courage for that first taste......oh myyyyy! I was like a starving person! I just kept going, "Oh my gosh...this is so good!"Bumpkin and Charlie just laughed at me and shook their heads.    After nice long naps, we joined up with Dell and went to see Finding Nemo. This is a wonderful movie! Perfect off-trail entertainment! No fast car chases or guns going off! Just gorgeous animation and a cute story. And having Dell join us for dinner and the movie made the day even more special! It is so great when a person can start out a trail angel and end up a friend!   Before we knew it, with a strong sense of deja vu, we were speeding through the country roads in the back of the pickup. This time, night had fallen, and as the wind whipped our hair, Charlie and I looked up at the stars. As I thought about my hike, I made a promise to myself to remember this day. Hike hard and your reward is good food, good entertainment, and most important of all.....great friends! Tomorrow we hike!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com