Date: 2008-10-18
From: Fish Hatchery Road

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another wonderful breakfast to start the day - scrambled eggs, sausage patty and pancakes, juice and apple cider. I had seconds on the pancakes. Yummy!They drove me back to the bottom of Fish Hatchery Road and there were scads of Boy Scouts there getting formed up to go. I quickly donned my pack and headed up the 1 mile to the trail.It was 39 degrees but the hike uphill had me taking off my coat before I had gone very far.As I went up I met Dauphna and Sara with dog Toby coming down. They are NOBO long section hikers doing a hike similar to mine so I may have the opportunity to run into them up the trail. Cool!Before too long some of the Boy Scouts passed me and I chatted with them. Tonight there will be Boy Scouts all over these mountains, a group at The Priest, another at Wolf Rocks, another at Three Ridges and 2 more other places their leader named. I guess I will be seeing Boy Scouts today.I got to Spy Rock right behind the Boy Scouts and took the time for a side trip to the rock and climbed up the rock for the view. I managed the rock climb even with my bum leg. Fun.I chatted with some weekend campers for a bit and then headed on. Before long I passed 2 SOBO thru-hikers, Rusty and Kenny, and a bit later I passed a deer. Nice to see wildlife again as I had not seen much for several days.When I arrived at noon at Priest Shelter there was a hiker in his sleeping bag. I wondered if he was sick but he was just resting, he said. He said his name was Yoyo and he was a long section hiker from Harpers Ferry to Georgia. He asked about the Dutch Haus which I described in glowing terms. But he just stayed in his sleeping bag.As I was eating lunch No Pliers came. He has been hiking with Dauphna and Sara and they were probably going to stay at Priest Mountain Shelter after going to the post office in Montebellow.He also asked about Dutch Haus which I then described along with dinner menus. He drooled. Youo said he should really get up and hike there but maybe 6 miles was too far to get to before dinner and he just kept lieing there in his bag. Pretty strange guy.I signed the shelter register. Since it is on Priest Mountain people often sign in with "Confessions." I understand that shelter registers makes interesting reading. But I had no time to waste nor anything more original to add than the confession that I eat like a pig while on the trail. Don't all hikers?As I set out it was very cold on Top of the Priest. Going downhill, though difficult for me, does not take as much energy and consequently I do not generate as much bodily heat. It was about 41 degrees. I had on both shirts for sure as well as my down jacket. I had on my gloves and also put on my wool mits over the gloves. My hands get cold on the hiking poles.The trail down the Priest is very long - 4&1/2 miles of down hill, especially the first 1000 ft loss was pretty steep and rocky and I could not go very speedily.I met Firedog and Finder on the trail. They are friends of Lightning Rod and Song Bird, all SOBO thru-hikers. I also met numerous weekend hikers and more Boy Scout/youth group. I was glad I went up the other side, which is shorter. But it was a long way down. I reached the bottom and Tye River at 5:00.After a short rest and drink of Cytomak (sports drink) I stripped to Sprts Bra and bombed 2.5 miles up the trail as fast as I could.I think it was in the 50s. Going uphill in the 50s or above is fine for stripping to sports bra and I don't exactly know why but I can hike faster then.I raced up the trail to get to the shelter and get my water before dark. I could hear the Boy Scouts by the time I reached the stream. I stopped to filter water and put on my shirt but not before a couple of young scouts got to the stream to get water. They looked a little funny at the strange lady in her sports bra. Whether that was because I was in a sports bra or beause I was in a sports bra and they were in sweatshirts I do not know.Loaded up with water I went looking for the shelter past a sea of boy scouts and miscellanious weekend campers. I met Pegleg, a mature woman, going for water, I think. She said there were only 4 people in the shelter and all mature adults.I soon arrived just as it was getting dark and met BeMom, Rockett and John. John is nearly 80. The women did not give their ages. They were all really nice folks. They had a cheery fire going in the firepit and tried to be very helpful to me as I scurried to get dinner. I was sorry I got there so late. It would have been fun to chat longer but three of them were asleep by the time I was finished with dinner and necessary chores and I crashed too about 8:30.