Date: 2008-05-28
From: Waynesboro, Va.

To: Skyland Lodge
Miles today: 70.4

Hiking in the Shenandoahs has been nice. The trail follows or crosses Skyline Drive many times. I am dissapointed in the cell service though. My cousin Marvin and Yvonne Stutzman live near Harrisonburg and were offering to meet us near Elkton but no service. Yesterday we crossed a bridge at US33 by Swift Run Gap. There was a sign welcoming us to Rockingham Co. I believe that's where Harrisonburg is located. Tomorrow around noon we will be at Thornton Gap US211 which is only 6 miles from Luray Caverns. Back in the mid 60's my sister and 2 cousins were in Va. for a wedding and stopped at Luray Caverns. Somehow the guide that was supposed to be at the back of the group got ahead of my cousin and I. There were also some older folks with our group. We were left behind in the caverns. The lights were turned off and we were stuck below. If any of you have ever been in a cavern when the lights were off you can imagine how dark it was. The older folks started to panic but we told them our sisters were in the group ahead of us and would tell the people upstairs we were still down in the caverns. They did not believe them for a while but finally agreed to go down and check. The older folks credited us with saving their lives. They offered us our money back but we refused saying it was an exciting adventure. Now in retrospect I am wondering if the statute of limitations has run out or if I could still litigate for emotional damages. 40 some years of being afraid of the dark should be worth something. I see a lot of deer along the trail. They are not afraid of us at all. Yesterday I was a minute ahead of Shiloh and Rethinker when I walked right past a bear without seeing it. They got a good picture of it. Last week one day I caught up with Mountain Sailor and got to meet his son Christian. He is a nice young man enjoying his hike with his dad. I am hiking with 2 other 50 something men. I have been averaging around 20 miles a day lately. It feels good to hike without pain again. I usually go to bed at 8 o'clock and up at 6 o'clock. We usually camp close to a shelter which is where the water is located. It also is at a lower elevation which is why I do not ever have cell service in the evening. I will be in Front Royal Satarday and Harpers Ferry by Monday evening. I passed the 900 mile mark yesterday. I am still seeing new wildflowers. I have been enjoying munching on each new one. Way back when I first saw the white phacelia flower I was laying on my back relaxing when I spotted 3 phacelia flowers bobbing and nodding at me. I reached over and plucked them to see if they had an aroma. I then wondered how they would taste. I made sure 26.2 and Mountain Sailor were not looking and popped them in my mouth. The irony is that a day later in another bed of Phacelia I left the remains of the eaten flowers. Yes dear Lord I fertilized your wildflower garden. There is no charge. I then decided that every time I spotted a new flower I would eat one. Here's how I see it. If God is indeed our father that makes me a son, so I imagine it is quite an honor for any flower to be eaten by me. They almost beg to be eaten. I was reluctant to eat the Rhododendrun since it is so big, but last week when my stomach hurt from all the pain pills I decided it couldn't hurt. I found a nice one and down the hatch she went. I try to see what food tastes similar to each flower. The other day I found a nice new purple one that tasted like watermelon rind. I sure hope there are no hibiscus flowers up here anywhere. I may have been in the mountains too long. Last night it rained hard but I was safe and dry in my tent. Today was beautifull. I must go to bed. So much more to talk about but it's time for bed.