Date: 2003-07-24
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: light rain

Woke up to sunshine this morning, but my tent was still wet from the downpour last night. I hate to pack a wet tent, but had no choice...I needed to get going on 17 miles. I had slept really well...and as long as I stayed on my sleeping pad, I was dry. I went by the shelter to find almost everyone still asleep. Burger and Bodhi had already left...they were trying to get to the 501 shelter by lunchtime. From the shelter, it is a 4 mile hitch to a McDonalds, and they wanted to have lunch there. Can you guess how Burger got his Trail name? I got packed up and set out before everyone else...we had a really easy five miles to start with. By 11:30, I was at a road crossing where I could hang my tent on a guard rail to dry, so I took a break there. Reason and Cruiser came along soon after and joined me. It was really nice to just sit in the sun by the side of the road. I had decided to experiment today, hiking in my camp sandals for at least part of the day. My feet were! still so sore from my gel insert experiment that I didn't think I could even put my feet into my boots. So far, the sandal thing was working out fine. We continued on...Reason had gone ahead, and Cruiser and I were picking up the rear. We came around a corner in the Trail and heard a "roar" from the bushes. Cruiser and I both screamed heartily...and then I threatened to kill Reason for doing something like that to us. He speculated on what we might have done had he jumped out at us, rather than just roared. I thought of ways that I might bring about his demise...it took awhile for my heart to stop racing! (okay, I wouldn't really do him any harm...but it was a mean trick to play on us) They got ahead of me on our next ascent, and I hiked a good part of the afternoon by myself. I decided to change into my boots at the next shelter, from which I was further than I originally thought...another 8+ miles. I could have done it sooner, but I was being stubborn...I promi!sed myself a big break there as well...I just had to get there. It seemed to take forever, as I walked over LOTS of rocks and through forests of poison ivy...in my unprotected sandaled feet. I usually wear kneehigh gaiters, in addition to my boots and socks, so that I don't have to worry about the poison ivy. I passed Reason and Cruiser, who were taking their second break since I had last seen them. They couldn't comprehend my lack of breaks in the same time frame. I discussed with them my incredible stubborn streak...then continued on to the shelter. which, thankfully, was only a little ways away. My feet were killing me again, but differently. I don't know if this was better or worse. I took a long break, put my boots on and set out again. We were planning on hitching in to McDonalds, so we had to get to the shelter early enough to get a ride. Many rocks later, I was there. The shelter used to be a pottery studio, and is big, enclosed, and has bunks. It also has the coolest skylight...kind of a pointed, several-sided dome. Reaso!n and Cruiser had already gone to the road to hitch in. I was waiting for L, who I was going to hitch in with. When she arrived and we went to the road, Reason and Cruiser were still there. We joined forces, and by the power of pleading and jumping up and down, were able to get a ride to the first intersection from a man and his soon-to-be-stepson. We walked along the road for a bit, not having any luck getting a second ride...four people hitching is a lot. Then a guy pulled over...he thought our car had broken down. We explained to him our situation, and he told us to get in. He said that he wasn't from around here, he was just driving...he was thinking of just leaving the car at the side of the road and hitching somewhere, anywhere, just to get away. When we asked him why, he told us that his girlfriend of 3 years had just left him for another woman. He was really upset, and we tried to get him to come into McDonalds with us to talk, but he said he wanted to just! keep driving. We wished him well, and went in. Thru-hikers at McDonalds...now this is an experience. We all ordered full meals, devoured them, then went back for more. It's still amazing to me how much I can eat, and be just satisfyingly full, not stuffed. In this case, it was a filet-o-fish, super-size fries, super-size coke, a cheeseburger and a large peanut butter cup McFlurry. Sated, we went to the convenience store across the street. L and I used the phone while Reason and Cruiser resupplied. Then we tried to hitch a ride back before it got dark. We were having no luck, and Cruiser and L had gone to the motel to see if we could buy a ride back, when Reason and I were able to get a ride for all of us. This guy was the diametric opposite of our second hitch...he was starting a new job and had just gotten into a new relationship. He wasn't really even going our way, but offered to take us all the way back to the shelter. With a successful trip into town behind us, we spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the considerabl!e crowd at the shelter...good people...I love the AT!!