Date: 2005-06-09
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Started @ Rockfish GapDestination: Calf Mtn. ShelterMiles today: 7 Total Miles: 856.6Stayed in a shelterDay 90Today we did not get started on the trail until 1PM. RedHat wanted to go to the library to work on her journal entries and I just wanted to see the pictures Toto had posted. We saw Ol' Graceful in the supermarket yesterday evening and he said he was planning to head out today, also, so we planned to meet at the library and Ol' Graceful was going to call a trail angel that shuttles to ask if he could pick us up and drive us to the trailhead. After I left the hostel this morning I went to the post office to mail a box of things home that I do not think I need any longer--at least, not at this time. I am trying to make more room in my pack and get the weight down a few pounds. At the shelter last night was Masa, Steady-On, Hazy Sonic, and another hiker whose name I cannot recall. Masa is trying to wait for another Japanese hiker (whose name I cannot remember either) to show up. Hazy Sonic is hiking alone now without Firefly since Firefly went home for her sister's wedding; but she may or may not come back to hike a little more before she goes into the Air Force. Steady-on is going to a clinic today to have an area looked at that he thinks is poison ivy and hopes to get medicine for it. When we got to the trailhead we met him and he said it is poison ivy and he now has medicine. The hike today took us up and down. RedHat has as much trouble on the ups as I do and we hike at about the same speed so we are a pretty good match for hiking. The trail went through a lot of weeds and poison ivy. Ol' Graceful asked if I got hot walking in long pants and I said I did but I did it mostly to keep the weeds, bugs, and poison off me. I just have to be careful about touching the legs of my pant legs and my shoes. Just before we left today the sky got pretty dark and we heard thundering. We did not get any rain until after we were on the trail for an hour or so and then it let loose. I had my pack cover on but did not bother putting on raingear since it was so hot. The rain actually cooled me off. At the shelter I had dry clothes to change into. I was sorry though that I had sent home my second bra since the one I had on was soaked and I left it on all night. Next time I think I'll take it off for the night no matter what. At the shelter tonight is Ol' Graceful, Brownie and Soulman, Nimblefoot, a section hiker--MacPac, from Australia, section hikers--Pokey and Gonzo from upstate New York, and thru-hiker, Princess, from Colorado. Princess actually started in Maine but could not climb Katahdin due to the weather. The part she did hike she said was awful because the trail was very muddy and the bugs were terrible, and there were streams to ford that were waist high and dangerous. So she decided to come south and go north where there were more people and the weather was better. Well, it is humid and hot and there are bugs but there are more people along the trail.By the time we got to the shelter the rain had pretty much stopped but it may still rain tonight. I am glad to be in the shelter and dry and am definitely tired and ready for sleep after only 7 miles of hiking today.