Date: 2010-05-19
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 73It seemed like it took forever for the early risers to get packed up and out of the shelter this morning before us sensible folks could have some peace and quiet. My food bag is getting pretty empty and I only had two iced honeybuns remaining. I ate both of them anyway. It meant I would be eating dry ramen for tomorrow's breakfast, but what if I fell off a mountain today? That last honeybun going uneaten would be a travesty. The hike back up the hill 0.5 miles to the AT was just as horrible as I imagined it would be. At the top I met Funk who had tented rather than take the long hike down. He is a past thruhiker who is hiking with his dad, Spirit Walker, who has section hiked most of the trail. They missed out on a great shelter. I hiked and chatted with Funk for awhile even though his pace was blistering. I kept up on the flat but when we hit the downhill he quickly became a blur in the distance. Eventually I met up with seeker and Rich getting water and seeker asked how much further did I think it was to the shelter. I answered 1/2 to 3/4 miles. They scoffed at my optimism, but after litlle more than 0.1 miles I passed a campsite that was supposed to be 0.5 miles from the shelter. I have discovered that my distance measuring is like a bar clock, always running a little fast. Whenever I am about 1/2 mile from my next destination my internal clock thinks I should be there by then.   Its almost fool proof, which is a good thing for anything I want to use.After a quick lunch I was off again to my next stop 5 miles away which was the Audie Murphy monument. He was the most decorated American soldier of WWll and a Hollywood actor. We passed through a pretty valley then up a very long and tiring climb before getting there. The plaque on the monument stated he died nearby in a plane crash. A nice touch about the monument was that there was a bench. Thin Munt said that she had seen a total of 3 benches on the AT and that I had been sitting ob two of them. We pushed in down the long 4 mile downhill to VA620 and Trout Creek where Thin Mint planned to camp. I was moving on to the next shelter 1 1/2 miles away even though it was a 1/2 mile off the trail. Trout creek turned out to be a big traulhead parking area with lots of car camping spots, not a place most thrus like to camp. Plus their was a guy sitting in a car that barely acknowledged us as we went by. Thin Mint decided she wasn't camping there and we moved on. I heard later that Kashmirs parents came by that spot a little later with lots of trail magic.Later at the shelter after dinner, GreenDog came in after a 22 mile day. He was too late to partake in the culinary masterpiece that thin mint had cooked (yummie pancakes). Thin mint had been hiking slow eating for him to catch up because she had his wallet and money ever since trail days. While they caught up on old times I tried to catch up on my journal, but apparently I was asleep and snoring even before full dark arrived.Good night and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the Audie Murphy and Pancake with Syrup Dream.