Date: 2006-05-17
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Petite's Gap
Miles today: 15.0

I won the yogi contest adn sent the word up the line to Mr. Breeze that I kicked his ass. A day of trail magic, yogi-ing and the unexpected.My plan to get to Lynanne's was completely upgraded. I had intended to get there bu Friday morning and Andrew would be there in the afternoon. Now I'll be there tomorrow, 2 days early. Today I headed out on my hike to Big Island. Tomorrow I'd hitch into Lynchburg and run errands and then sleep in the train station like a bum. Friday I catch the 6am train to Lyn's. Instead I'm in Lynchburg now and will catch the train in the morning. No stealth camping on the edge of town or anything or on a bench in the train station.This morning started as usual with a steep climb up a Good Morning Mountain. That's what I've named all the mountains that greet me the first step out of camp. Today's was a beaut and the start of a planned 22 mile day. I don't mind these climbs first thing in the morning. I'm well rested and they get my heart pumping and my blood flowing. Mr. Breeze left before me on his way to yogi all he could get. Turns out there are just a couple of crossings on the Parkway so I'd have to work hard. The day was sunny and green after yesterday's cloudy wet finish.The view halfway up Mt. Floyd was worth the climb. I could look back and see yesterday's final reviene. Again, whoever says Virginia is a long green tunnel is just wrong. From Grayson Highlands to Tinker Cliffs, I've had 3 weeks worth of beautiful hiking. I've had a little downtime but it doesn't subtract from the landscape.The trail was challenging today and I had to cover over 20 miles of it. I also had to put on my hungry hiker face at at road crossings. My plate was full.I had a solitary hike again into the afternoon. While taking a break at a Forest Service road Heald and Chou Chou came from behind and went on ahead. They said they had moved on from the shelter last night and camped about 3 miles up the trail at a beautiful vista on Floyd Mtn. It sounded great to me. I've done some camping in the woods on the trail but mostly stick to tenting at the shelters. I want to start camping along the trail more often.Earlier this morning, after the Floyd Mtn. climb, I stopped for a break at Cornelious Creek Shelter. Miss Parkay was there making a leisurely departure. I've heard her name and seen her in the registers. This was our first meeting. I thought she said we'd met very briefly back in Tennessee. I was testing my sore shin when she and Coach K passed quickly by. Great memory. I remembered it as soon as she mentioned Standing Bear. I was having a snack as she got on trail.The next climb up Apple Orchard was also a tough one but worth it. The summit was covered by an old orchard gone wild. There were great views from an open meadow. There is also a big white ball of a radar dome on top. While there I heard loud rustling in the bushes but saw no bears.I got no yogi action at either of the Parkway crossings and I hoped Mr. Breeze had none either. My luck changed at Parler's Gap. When I got down to the Forest Service road Miss Parkay was there sitting with a trail angel. He called me over and offered candy, doughnuts, and soda or beer. He had started a thru-hike in March, was injured, and left the trail at the end of Georgia. His name is Lounge Lizard and he's conducting research for his PhD thesis. He was interviewing Miss Parkay and started to interview me as I stuffed my face. As we talked Heald and Chou Chou came off the trail and sat down. Lounge Lizard conducted a group interview asking about impressions, behavior and relationships on the trail. I liked it because I got to hear my fellow hikers talk and got a better sense of who they are. This was especially true of Heald. He's a quiet guy who seems to keep to himself. My first impressions were incorrect.Lounge Lizard mentioned he was staying in Lynchburg. My luck was changing. Time to yogi. I told him my plans for hitching to town after a long day and asked how safe it was to sleep in the train station. That was the kicker. He offered to drive me into Lynchburg, put me up, and take me to the train in the morning.I had to turn down his first offer and say it would be an imposition. When he asked me again, I feined indecision while the others all urged me to accept the offer. It all worked perfectly. He even offered to pick me up at Petite's Gap so I could put in 11 more trail miles. Deal.I churned through those last miles to the next gap. I was on a high and didn't slow down. Lounge Lizard, real name Clark, picked me up 30 minutes later. We talked as we drove into town. A very clean cut guy from Ontario but lived in Lynchburg for years. He originally moved to Virginia to attend Liberty University. Somehow I wasn't surprised. He did one small double take when I said I was going up to Culpepper to see my boyfriend who was coming down from Maine.Clark is staying at his brother's house while doing his research. His sister-in-law welcomed me in even though I was unexpected. I showered and threw my laundry in the washer. I politely accepted a beer when offered and nursed it through dinner. There was a full table tonight. Clark, his 2 brothers, their wives and 2 nieces all made me feel welcome. Most of them are runners, all graduates of Liberty. We talked about running and hiking. Clark had planned on trail running most of the AT but injury took him off trail after 4 days to the end of Georgia. It took me 9 days to finish Georgia and I still ended up with shin splints. We had a very nice evening, just sitting talking in the living room. A close knot family enjoying each other's company and making me feel at home. I did feel like a foreigner going in. I had preconceived notions about how a gay man from New England would fit in in a conservative Christian home in the South. All I know is what I read and see on television. No worries. This trip has taught me to put aside me own judgements and not to expect anything but the best from people I meet. My evening in Lynchburg was reinforcement. I've been pretty sheltered in my cozy corner of the world. Along with leaving behind home and things familiar I'm also leaving expectations of how people in other cozy corners live and relate. Meeting and being with people in unfamiliar situations is the hallmark of this entire experience. I think that if you want to look at everything from your own perspective and be unwilling to look at other perspectives you are missing out on something.