Date: 2017-03-06
To: Fun times in the Blue Ridge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last week, shortly after I got home from backpacking, and before I had started unpacking, Just Blue Skies asked me to go on another backpacking trip. Like, in three days. I said yes. Of course I did. And then I started doing stinky hiker laundry.It was intended to be a hike to shepherd some newbies on a backpacking adventure, but the predicted lows kept falling to the point where I didn't think it was safe for somebody without a fair amount of experience to be out there. Even with us there, it's just too easy to get hypothermic. And the chances of them having the right sort of gear to deal with well below freezing didn't seem too good. At one point the temperature with wind chills was supposed to be 4. The newbies did not elect to participate.It didn't get quite that cold, but it was definitely "Don't set your mug down or the drops will freeze" cold. "Pack two sleeping bags" cold. Crunchy frozen dirt cold. Unhappy alcohol stove cold.I don't know why it seems like I'm the only one whose alcohol stove gets cranky when it's cold. Even when I warm the alcohol in my pocket (which does help), it tends to go out and/or not maintain enough vapor pressure to keep flame jetting.At any rate, we still went, plus her friend Michelle. I got out a little early on Friday as I'd been working extra hours. I arrived at the parking lot for Punchbowl Shelter at 4:30. It was deserted. Unsurprising, given the weather. I headed up the hill - .4 miles up plus .2 down the side trail. I really expected the side trail to head back down the other side of the mountain because that's how it always seems to work out, but it was relatively level. The .4 up.. wasn't. At all. I was quite warm.I set up my tent (with duct taped pole extender) and then went over to the shelter to eat my dinner by my lonesome. Ham sammich and pickle slices from Sheetz. The pickle slices were amazing, actually. Somehow they managed to package them up so they tasted fresh and crisp and perfect. Come to think of it, the sandwich was good too. And JD had made me treats before I left - Rice Krispie Treats, and Fruity Pebble Treats. The latter were his invention. I was dubious but they were all right. They kind of grew on me.JBS and Michelle arrived just before dark and immediately started setting up camp. It very quickly got too cold to stand around so while they went off in search of a good branch over which to throw a bear line, I got in my sleeping bag(s). Just until they got back. Just going to warm up my feet a little. Just going to rest my eyes a moment.I woke up about 6, after perhaps the only night in my camping experience during which I did not need to trek out to a tree to pee. The sunrise was lovely, as far as my befuddled eyes could discern through the steam coming off my coffee. As has become my habit, I ate my breakfast (Rice Krispie Treats) and took my vitamins whilst ensconced in my sleeping bag(s). Then I began a carefully orchestrated routine, timed such that I changed into my daytime clothes, stuffed my sleeping bag(s), and jammed everything into my pack before I had time to get chilled. Then I popped out of my tent and struck it, the last thing that needed to go in the pack.I really need to coordinate with campmates better. All they know is there is rustling, and then I'm standing there looking at them. And all my crap is ready to go. People do not love this surprise. I'm used to this arrangement, of course. And by now I'm used to people saying "You're packed up ALREADY?" I visited the privy (where it seemed likely that I might freeze to the seat), read the shelter log, and generally lollygagged until it was time to start walking.We didn't walk far. First we had to shuttle a car to our destination and return to the Punchbowl parking lot. THEN we could actually hike. JBS and I teased Michelle about the mysteriously large mountain that started our theoretically pretty flat walk. Then JBS noticed plastic bags on the ground. I had breezed by them, as had Michelle. But JBS was walking at the end of our little line, and she was looking to the side rather than stare at Michelle's backpack.Somebody had flung two gallon sized ziplocks full of hiker food to the east side of the trail, and a gallon sized ziplock with a novel and a brand new notebook to the west side.We speculated on what exactly had happened. In the end, the only thing to do was take the stuff with us. We couldn't in good conscience leave it littering the forest floor. JBS took the books and I took the food. The heavy, heavy food. I spent the rest of the day and the following morning inviting people to eat anonymous hiker's tuna, poptarts, instant breakfast, oatmeal cream pies.. ANYTHING. It was heavy. I couldn't fasten my pack back up because it was crammed full of food. Fortunately it wasn't too much of a burden to actually carry, although of course I would have preferred not to add several pounds to my already bulky winter load.We ran into thruhiker Turkish who declined to take any food. He seemed to be doing well, despite his freakish disinclination to take free food.Saturday night we camped near Brown Mountain Creek Shelter. It was still well below freezing but there was nary a breeze so it felt a lot warmer.Sunday morning I sat there in my down gear feeling toasty warm while JBS and Michelle packed, and was surprised to see that the contents of my Nalgene had turned to slush when I set it down. Those were some pretty great down pants I was wearing. (Goosefeet Gear, FYI.)It was only a two mile walk to the waiting car, then a drive back down the Blue Ridge Parkway to Nannette, my waiting RAV4. There was a chilly looking hiker and a dog standing at the corner of the lot when we got there. We offered him the hiker food and finally got a taker! Then we asked him if he needed a ride anywhere. He wanted to go to a motel in Glasgow. I convinced him to go to Buena Vista instead, as there isn't actually a motel in Glasgow. We chatted about hiker things on the way to town. I took him to the second motel, the one closest to other businesses, but it was closed. So back to the Buena Vista Motel we went.Once M&M secured a room I headed home, ravenously hungry. I stopped for food twice. It would have been three times but Triple Oak Bakery in Sperryville is no longer selling directly from their shop. (So sad!)Upon unpacking my car, I found M&M's gloves. I felt bad but it was way too late to do anything about it other than leave a message at the motel so he was alerted to pick up replacements.It was a pretty great weekend, I must say. Beautiful, if chilly weather. Friends. Hiking without injury. The chance to do a good deed. I had a wonderful time.