Date: 2012-06-17
From: Hemlock Hollow Farm Shoppe and Cabins

To: Jerry Cabin shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Woke at 7 am to the sound of pouring RAIN. Rolled over and went back to sleep. Slowly started getting it together after 8, by which time the rain had stopped. No more rain for the rest of the day.When I walked back to the trail at 10:00, this red Siberian husky led the way. Right at the trail crossing, I stopped to talk to 3 south bound hikers and the dog ran off.I started northbound and after about 5 minutes I heard huffing and puffing behind me - the dog was back. He "followed" me to the Little Laurel shelter 3 miles away - as in, he wanted to go where I was going but wanted to be in front. His collar said his name was A.T. It was fun having the companionship and he was just loving the trail. I stopped to pee and I know he was confused - like, "why are you peeing all in one place? You're supposed to do a few drops in as many places as you can"I made my "chicken" Waldorf salad for lunch and even though I shouldn't have, I gave him a few bites. Snail came to the shelter for lunch - she is the first solo female hiker I've seen since Serentina. She suggested I call the number on the collar and the owner said he would go to Log Cabin Drive and whistle for him. I was confused because I thought that was the road 3 miles to the south.I tried yelling at AT to go home and at first he did go very hang-doggedly south. But when I went north he eventually caught up to me. Then I tried using my poles to prevent him from getting in front of me which he thought was a really fun game. Finally I gave up and just ignored him but he was right with me. We came to a spot where a guy was whistling and it was the owner - he had used a side trail to get north of us. A .T. was kind of like "oh, hey, hows it going" like it was no big deal to run into his owner.The Hemlock Hollow guy said the dog had been gone before - once for a week and a half. He said that someone had taken him on a thru-hike as a puppy and when he got to this area he was 5-6 months old. He was in such bad shape the hiker had gotten rid of everything in his backpack and put the dog in it and asked them at Hemlock Hollow if they could keep the puppy.So by the time this was all sorted out, it was almost 3:00. I hiked on and got to this horrible ridge. It was rocky, muddy, and covered with moss and wet leaves. I had to throw my poles aside a few times so I could negotiate the rocks with all 4 limbs. I had to twist my bum ankle at all kinds of bad angles. Met Crowbar during this section. I told him I was not liking this part and he cheerily said "oh, I like it. It reminds me of Costa Rica or Belize". It reminded me of the AT in PA and I was terrified I was going to break a bone.At the point where I thought I would lose it, the trail finally got better. I couldn't tell how from the shelter I was and was worried I would have to hike to the shelter with my headlamp. I had hought i was going to have an easy 10 mile day and was feeling frustrated. Fortunately, I made it there a little after 7. Snail, Crowbar, and Catch-up are here, as well as Nightwalker and a Texan with 4 teenagers (2 are his kids).