Date: 2013-06-23
From: Campsite near Skyline 87.4/Black Rock Gap

To: Loft Mtn. Wayside, Skyline Drive
Miles today: 12.2

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. Ralph Waldo Emerson    Here comes another day in SNP on little sleep. I sometimes get about 4to 5 hours a night.   I had lots of chemo and radiation treatments in 2007 to address breast cancer and have had this sleep thing as a lingering aftereffect ever since. I thought hiking hours a day would induce additional sleep due to sheer physical tiredness, but that hasn't been the case for the most part. Last night I slept a little, but I was up reading and listening to my music a lot, and hanging my head out of my tent to see the moon.   It didn't help that several other hikers noisily set up camp nearby at 11:30 p.m.    Today was fun hiking as I looked at the trees, saw many new flowers in bloom and loved having a view here and there. The AT crosses the Skyline Drive regularly and today we would hit the first of the Skyline Drive waysides. To a hiker, this means a bathroom, running water, a little store and an eatery with ice cream. OK, I like it!   The humidity was high and I wondered if there was a thunderstorm brewing. The trail is close to the road so car and motorcycle noises are ever present. I still haven't seen a bear, but enjoy seeing deer, squirrels, birds and a gazillion insects. Some of them bite me, and I now carry an itch remover "pen".   I seem to be a magnet for the 'skeeters and gnats and have a rash of bites on my legs. Lovely.    My stomach wasn't quite right this morning so I ate lightly before hiking out, knowing that I'd have an opportunity to wash my face off and get something to eat later. When we reached the Loft Mountain wayside, I could smell food. I should have been hungry but went in to get cold drinks first. Maybe something would strike me after I'd had a minute.       As I paid for the drinks, I saw several hikers wolfing down plates of burgers and fries, hot dogs, sandwiches and ice cream. My stomach felt OK, but tiredness had set in and the food was not appealing.       Alex hadn't had the best day either so we chatted about our next move. He had a package that he needed to pick up. I realized that I needed to stop and address some issues, too. I wanted to call my doctor to discuss things, but had no phone service. We opted to go to the nearest town, Elkton, VA. Now all we needed was a way there.    I had been chatting with a nice family from Chesapeake, VA. They were on a 9 day trip, camping and hiking in the park. The young man in the photo is their youngest. He and his brother were terrific, catching cool bugs and showing them to me. We shared info about the hike so far, and the dad, Eric, offered to drive us to town. What a kind gesture. We gratefully accepted.    Off we went, down the mountain on a steep highway. Elkton was a small town and we found a roadside motel. I've often shared rooms with various hiking partners to economize. Sometimes, I get a single room due to my sleep issues.   A bunkhouse is a poor choice for me, as I'm up a lot and always worry about bothering others. In Elkton, we found a roomy little cabin with lots of space for just $25 each.    I fell asleep right away, napping for a while before my growling tummy woke me. Pizza delivery made dinner easy and we made a plan for tomorrow. The proprietor of the motel could take us to Luray, VA in the morning. There was a pharmacy there, and I could speak to my doctor and hope to resolve some things.    The motel owner was named Bob, a delightful man who was under the care of UVa. medical folks in Charlottesville. He was on the list for a lung transplant. I love meeting the local peeps, and we shared stories. Bob was supportive of hikers and had the most beautiful hiker box I've seen. It contained the best stuff, too--a selection of books, good food choices, small packages of tissues (a fav of mine!), a water bladder, a pair of boots in pretty good condition and a Nalgene bottle. You could practically outfit yourself to thru hike from this box!!   My earlier nap kept me from falling asleep right away, but I eventually put my head down and hoped for some quality dreamtime. Its all good, especially when you come across a hiker box that is like a treasure chest. Tie Dye. (Extra pix--hiker box)