Date: 2015-05-24
From: Waynesboro Church Hostel

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

My tent was SOAKED with dew this morning when I woke up. I got up to pee and then went back to sleep. I SLEPT IN. PAST 5 a.m.! This is so unusual. But we planned to attend the hiker breakfast at the Devils Backbone, and they wouldn't be ready to even let us in until 9. It was kind of glorious. I didn't sleep that late, though.I got up at 6 and started packing stuff up so that I could dry out my tent. I draped it over the fence surrounding the construction area and called mom. I had tried to get ahold of her last night but no one picked up at home. She didn't pick up her cell phone. Dan didn't either. Both went straight to voicemail. What the heck? I figured they were out having a fun time somewhere without service.Mom picked up sounding miserably asleep so I was like, WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?! Apparently someone got a little lost in the woods so they had a late night. I apologized for waking her and told her I would call back later.So I hung out in the field where I tented, waiting for my sodden little portable home to dry, and laughed at Chris eating and eating in his hammock, and I ate too. Even though we were heading to breakfast, we are so used to waking up at 5 and eating before hiking that there was no way we couldn't NOT eat before 9. 9 is usually closer to midmorning snack time than breakfast, as Chris pointed out.So I called mom back and chatted and then packed up my home and headed to the pub, where we talked with Keith, the amazingly kind manager, and Billy, another hiker, from Texas, who was there for breakfast. He had hung his hammock near us for the night.By the way, the AT is now a poison ivy DEATH TRAP. It is EVERYWHERE. Poor Chris had a hard time finding a good spot for his hammock last night, the treeline was so overgrown. I bet I will get poison ivy like three times before I finish hiking. I am trying to be very careful where I put Bertha from now on.AND SPEAKING OF STUPID BERTHA, her front pocket zipper has broken. It was only a matter of time. This is super annoying, though, considering how often I access that pocket (only about a gazillion timed a day, especially lately since that's where my duct tape and medical kit are and I have been taping my heels and a couple of toes every day.Also I lost the gasket out of my alcohol stove the other day. I think at Bobblets Gap Shelter, because I had to move all my stuff off the table while cooking dinner because of a nice short bout of rain. I noticed it missing the next night... my pot set was full of fuel that had leaked out. Not cool. This means I have wasted some fuel the last couple of days. I am not good at estimating how much fuel it takes to boil 12 ounces of water. I have no freaking idea, even at this point in my hike. So if I overestimate, I have to just let it keep burning until it is gone. This was nice the other day in the cold rain - after my lunchtime hot cocoa from Chris, I warmed my hands over the excess flame. But otherwise it is wasteful, which is frustrating. I hope I can find a new one, or something serviceable, in Waynesboro tomorrow. I thought about using a hair elastic, after peeling off the outer fabric, but I think it would be too small.Okay, so about breakfast. Holy cow. Keith let us (Chris, Billy, and me) in and we sat down and waited and chatted and charged our devices. The pub isn't open for breakfast. They just will serve hikers some days. I assume the kitchen staff comes in at 9 to start prep work and make breakfast for any hikers that happen to be around.So we waited a while. I filled up my water bottles in the bathroom (3 fewer liters to SteriPen!). Chris cleaned out his Jetboil.And then came breakfast. Possibly the most amazing breakfast I have ever eaten. Orange slices, strawberries, bacon, potatoes and onions and peas, and a HUGE OMELETTE. AND INSIDE THAT OMELETTE?! FREAKING PULLED PORK AND CHEESE. It was so amazing. I was actually full after eating it. I leaned back in my chair and tried not to fall asleep with my tummy so full. Oh, and I didn't tell this last night, but the pub has CLOTH NAPKINS?! I used cloth napkins for two meals in a row. TWO. SUCH LUXURY.Did I mention that they only charge $5 for hiker breakfast? And one of the girls working in the kitchen gave us a ride back to the trail. Holy amazing. Thank you, Devils Backbone, for making my Sunday morning beyond amazing.So we hit the trail around 11, about four hours later than usual. And I felt so tired and sluggish for most of the day, even after a huge breakfast, and extra granola bars at lunch, and trail magic Pringles and mini Snickers (and best of all, a clementine!). We have been out for a long time now, and we are both tired.The trail was pretty easy today, though WAY too rocky in some places. There were some hard climbs, tall steps rough on my short tree-trunk legs. We didn't do many miles, but we started late and stopped for breaks so we didn't get to the shelter very early. One good thing about hiking with Chris is that he stops at good intervals. Usually I try to pee really often so that I don't have any incidents of wet pants. I try to drink often and a lot to avoid getting dehydrated. This means I have to pee a LOT. Today I made a mistake of not peeing during one of our rest breaks. It was a VERY close call at the next one, and as soon as Bertha hit the ground my bladder was READY. I SPRINTED into the woods to get out of sight before I leaked all over. Sometimes I miss toilets.We made it a short day, stopping at the shelter 5 miles before Waynesboro, so that we can nero (nearo?!) into town in the morning. I have a mail drop to pick up at the outfitter. I called them yesterday and they said that they would be open Monday (yay!). Also I want to go to Kroger and buy and eat a watermelon for Memorial Day. And probably ice cream. Plus I need pizza.We didn't pass anywhere near as many day hikers today, but we did keep running into Billy. Billy likes to talk. A lot. I listened to Billy talk a lot today. We stopped for lunch at a rock outcropping with a nice view. Billy showed up and talked.This shelter is nice. There is an awesome stream with plenty of room to wallow in. Unfortunately it is too cold to do that tonight, but I did soak my swollen feet. I am too lazy to tent tonight so I am staying in the shelter. Less packing to do in the morning, too. Chris hung his hammock inside. I told him to just do it. He isn't really in the way. But two more hikers just showed up (it is nearly 9!) and he is too nice so he took it down. I feel bad. I shouldn't have told him "Just do it! No one will mind!". I don't know if they complained or if he just took it down so he wouldn't be in the way (which he wouldn't anyway). Maybe I am a bad person... I don't see why he shouldn't be able to hang it there.Billy was here when we arrived but continued on into town. We chatted with a couple out for the weekend. Jokes were told, and they told us about hiking a trail in Spain. I forget the name. I have the worst memory. They also gave me CHOCOLATE. GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE. I split it with Chris. Chris also gave me a packet of hot cocoa, which I had for dessert. Today was an excellent eating day.Waynesboro tomorrow! Clean clothes and a shower await me! And after that, only a mile or so until Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive!I am thankful for gifts of chocolate, beautiful weather, friendly faces in the shelter, and a rest to look forward to tomorrow (even though I know I will spend all day doing chores and errands).