Date: 2005-06-23
From: Catawba, Va.

To: Home - temporarily
Miles today: 0.0

I'm typing this entry from the back seat of a swaying Grayhound Bus as it rolls north up I-81 towards Washington, D.C. and home. It's a bit sureal watching the scenery speed by at 65 mph after six weeks of 1.5 - 2.0 mph!Last night's stay at the Down Home B&B was very nice. Dave and Lucy, the owners, made my stay a very pleasant one indeed. Breakfast this morning was delicious - coffee, banana nut bread, OJ, fruit, and an egg and cheese buritto.They invited their old friend, and my shuttle ride to the bus station, Jeff a/k/a Southpaw, to join us for breakfast, and we had a super time sharing experiences of the trail and talking about mutual acquaintences.It turns out that Skylark (who was with us that first night at Hawk Mountain back in March) stayed with them, and Southpaw shuttled her to the airport to fly home for her son's graduation. (She is back on the trail, and doing well last I knew.) I really liked Southpaw, and would have enjoyed hiking with him, I'm sure. When we got to the bus station, he refused to take even gas money from me, saying that it was his way of keeping in touch with the trail and the trail community. That's the sort of thing that happens within this community. It is truly amazing how close a kinship people feel to others who have shared the AT dream - regardless of whether they lasted 3 days on the trail or made it all the way to Katahdin. It is such an intense experience, and the memories of people and events are so vibrant, that they provide a strong, immediate, and otherwise inexplicable bond within a community of almost strangers. I guess that's why it is sometimes referred to as cult-like in nature!When I got to Catawba yesterday and downloaded my email, I had three messages of particular note - one bit of good news, and two definitely not good news. The good news was that Glory Bound is still on the trail and heading north. He and his dad were the first two hikers I met on the trail that first day back in the Smokeys - up at the Mollies Ridge shelter. The next time I saw Glory Bound was outside Erwin, and I was really glad to have another chance to talk with him. I'd heard he was having a bit of a hard time after his Dad left the trail to go back to work, and I did my best to cheer him up and encourage him to stick it out. According to his Dad, Glory Bound wanted to talk with me, was trying to catch up after being off the trail for a few days, and was close to doing that but will miss me now that I'm temporarily off the trail. I gather my words of encouragement proved helpful, which all but brought a tear of joy to ol' Private Longhaul's eyes. I have his cell phone number so I'll see if I can reach him when I get home.The next one was from my dear friend and shelter register nemisis, "good ol' what's-her-face" - the devine Ms. B herself, Breakaleg. She reported that she had suffered an ankle injury 30 miles into the Shenandoahs, and would be temporarily off the trail. Major bummer! This probably means that she will use her time off to write all kinds of brilliant journal entries (she was about a year behind in her entries the last time I checked), and could, therefore, possibly, just possibly, catch up with the number of hits that I have ammassed. May you heal quickly, Ms. B, and getcherbutt back out there in the woods where you belong. (For those assembled eyes who may be unfamiliar with my love affair with the tall and beautiful and kind to animals Ms. B, I mean that in the kindest way!) In all seriousness, Breakaleg is one of those I am personally betting will make it all the way to Katahdin.   And then there was the really, REALLY, awful news that my old hiking partner and early inspiration, Butterfly Moon has suffered a stress fracture in her foot and was leaving the trail - hopefully also only temporarily. I can just imagine what she is going through, since - like me - she laid off for a week hoping it wasn't serious, watching her hiking partner, Socks, head off into the Shenandoahs without her. Then, after a week of hopes and prayers, her worst fears are realized. Like Breakaleg, BfM is someone I would put money on making it all the way to Katahdin. Hang in there, Butterfly. If both Phoenix and I can do it, I KNOW you can! Today's hike (okay, today's bus ride) is dedicated to all of my dear friends who are currently suffering hike-delaying injuries. May you all heal quickly and return to the trail in the quickest possible time. Godspeed.Peace and love, Longhaul