Date: 2005-05-09
From: Hurricane Mtn. Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: clear sky

Once again, I was the first one up. I got my book and sat at the table. I read and watched the sun come up over the mountain. It was a pretty sunrise but not one that warranted waking the others to see. The others got up shortly after seven. It was a quiet morning. Nobody said anything for quite awhile. We just went about the morning chores, everyone with their own private thoughts. Kinda nice to be in a group where talk is not always necessary. Poet and Linux headed out first, followed shortly thereafter by the rest of us. Our meeting place was going to be the road that took us into Troutdale. The plan was to the General Store and get some lunch, plus, I had to make a call to confirm our shuttle ride back to Damascus on Thursday. Free and I pulled ahead and we hiked and talked. After a bit she stopped and looked back with a big grin on her face. I rounded the bend and there was a waterfall. Sitting on a large boulder, in the stream by the waterfall was Poet. She had not seen us yet but we both knew this was a great photo op. We whipped out the cameras and got a couple of pictures. I already knew what Free was going to do before she even said it. I told her I would meet her at the road as she took off her pack to join Poet. They were going to climb to the top of the falls. I reached the road, saw Linux, an joined him. It was a real warm day and I was loving it! I pulled out the book and read. Break was next to show, then Scholar and Serenity. Around 11:00 Poet and Free rolled in. This is where we made our first mistake. I went to the road to try to get a ride. Now, when you are hiking with five women the guy does not go to get the ride. You send the women because they will get the cars to stop much quicker than a guy. I had no luck and said I was going to start the walk/hitch. Linux, Scholar, and Free joined me. Just as we we leaving Bruce Spruce, Squid Jerky, Piker, and Ms. Mileage came in. They had the same idea. That meant 11 of us trying to get a ride. The four of us started walking and not to much later a truck pulls up with others in it. We piled in so, in all, we had 11 people plus packs in the back of a pickup. It was quite the sight to see! We had a nice little lunch at the store, picked up a few munchies and then it was time to head back. We broke into groups this time to make getting a ride easier but I just felt like walking so I started up the road. I was enjoying the walk when a truck pulled up next to me with Break, Free, Poet, and Scholar in it. I waved them on saying I would see them later. I continued around the bend and saw the truck pulled over a little way up the road. I was puzzled and as I got closer Break yelled out to, "Get my butt in the truck because it is someone you know". Now I was real curious. The door opens and out steps LWOP. He had hiked last year and I had met him at Doe Lake over New Years. We laughed and he hauled us all to the trailhead where we chatted for awhile. He will be at Trail Days so I said I would see him there and off we went. By now, it was three and we only had four miles to go so we reached Trimpi Shelter fairly early. We set up camp and I went for my book. I am trying to get this one finished before I leave Damascus since I have a couple more books waiting for me there. As you can see we haven't been doing big miles and we are having fun. Before I left I drew up a "schedule" more for knowing how much food to carry as opposed to be at point A or B at a specific time. Based on ths "schedule" we, and I mean the group, are only 3 days behind what the schedule says. The point is, you don't have to do crazy miles out here. Go Light, Go Easy and you will have a lot more fun and, in our case, we still will finish up around the third week of September.