Date: 2018-05-11
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: clear sky

Last night I had some more fun with a section hiker. Nothing against them but the two incidents lately have been funny. In the middle of the night after this guy went pee, he came back into the shelter. As he did, he began to crawl on to me. He had thought his sleeping pad was mine and literally sat on my legs before realizing that either someone was in his sleeping bag or that, in fact, he had mistaken his position. At the moment I was mad but looking back it was funny.Without being able to sleep in even with Two Clicks gone I ended up waking around 6 with everyone else in the shelter. I hit the trail at 7 and made it to the gap to Front Royal by 11:30. Officialy out of the Shenandoahs! As I got there I was just preparing to hitch but out of nowhere, this man who runs Mountain Home Hostel walked over from his car and offered me a ride to town. He had been picking up trash on the side of the road. I am blanking on his name but I really appreciate it!In town, he dropped me off at the outfitters. This begins my crazy awesome town experience. At the outfitter I stopped in quick and picked up my insoles I had put on hold a few days back. It was quick and painless! I felt like a new man with them in my shoes. The workers in the store even gave me a few free energy bars! Thanks Mountain Trails!Next, I threw on my pack and walked down the street. There was a town meeting going on at the downtown pavilion that I would later learn was a building safety meeting. As I walked behind the pavilion in view of those listening to the presentation, the entire crowd stared at me. Either this guy was real boring or I was just a sight to see. Probably a bit of both for sure haha. As I avoided these awkward stares, I flanked the presentation to find some vendors behind offering free food. Here's where I become official hiker trash. I was able to get a free ice cream and hot dog from the town of Front Royal's building safety meeting. Hahahahah! I find this hilarious even as I write it. Thanks Front Royal!Right next door I stopped in the visitors center to ask about a good place to eat because I was still hungry! They recommended a place around the corner and gave me a hiker goody bag with chapstick, Band-Aids and a few other things. Score! Next, I made my way to the restaurant they recommended called Pave Mint. It was a restaurant in an old gas station and it was cool! I sat at the bar and drank and ordered a brisket sandwich. As I did, two thru hikers I had never met walked in. Their names were Bear Meat and Clooney. They had seen my pack and immediately said hi to me as we thru hiker trash do to each other. They were meeting the man at the bar next to me who had given them a ride earlier. He had told them to come by so he could pay for their meal and by me simply being in the same restaurant and also hiker trash, he paid for mine too! What a nice guy. He had a really unique name and unfortunately I don't remember that either. I've got to get better at that.Anyway, he drove those two back to the trail while I ran across the street and grabbed an ice tea and a sandwich, which I packed out to the shelter tonight, from dunks. I called home then crossed the street to hitch out. I stood in a spot with a road beyond for cars to pull over. No bites. I stood longer as a few 20 year olds from town walked over and sat at a picnic table near me. I asked what the chances were I got a ride and they said, "slim." As they said that, a guy named John in a pickup truck pulled off the side. I ran up and jumped in the bed as he asked. As we drove away the 20 year old stared in awe with smiles as I waved goodbye to them.At the trail I climbed 5 miles to the first shelter. The Mollie Denton Shelter. This one was amazing and had a porch, a deck, horseshoes to play and a makeshift shower! I sprayed my head with the water as I cooled off from the hot sun and chatted with Trademark. He was staying here but I was going to push on. I pushed another 5.5 miles to a shelter and tented for the night here meeting Speedy and chatting with a few flip floppers before bed. What an amazing day! Thanks Front Royal!P.S: Hi David! Glad you're still following. I sure do smell worse than Ann, I think she can vouch for that! Mary- I'll do my best to post pictures of those things you asked as soon as I get decent wifi. Mrs Croteau- yeah I'm glad I sprayed the permethrin too! So far so good but I've definitely been seeing ticks out down here! Cool idea with using the mice to prevent ticks. I should do that with the mice in the shelters!