Date: 2006-06-26
From: Rockkfish Gap

To: Shenandoah National Park
Miles today: 14.0

by LeftyMonday morning we drop our van off at the doctors AGAIN (fourth time since our trip began) and head north through Shenandoah National Park. We just spent the last few hours getting our back packs ready to go. There won't be anymore slack packing for at least the next 6 weeks. Buoy will spend his last 7 days hiking north with us (before heading to Germany for a month). This will actually be the first time he has hiked the same direction with us since we began the trail. I am really looking forward to SNP, having more trail time w/Buoy and getting back into doing the full pack backpacking experience. I am not looking forward to one week from now when Buoy has to say goodbye. We will take a zero day after reaching the top of the park, about 100 miles from here. We'll try to get more journals and pix up. But after that our entries will be more sporatic as we won't have our laptop or van anymore.UPDATE.....by Righty We did lots of errands this morning and dropped off the van at the car doctor. We started hiking about 10:30am and hiked 7 miles to the first shelter and got there just before a big storm. The trail wasn't difficult by most standards but this is the first time in over 3 weeks that we've had a full backpack on. The extra 35 - 40 pounds makes a big difference in your performance and stamina. We stayed at the shelter for over an hour waiting for the rain to abate. Finally about 4pm when it looked like it had cleared up some we took off. Naturally, soon after we left it started to rain again. Not too heavy and the trees protected us some. It was difficult walking for me because I have to be so careful with the slippery rocks and leaves. I tense up so much because I'm so afraid I will fall and get hurt. Finally, after walking non- stop for 3 hours, I told Lefty that I just couldn't go any further and to look for a campsite. Lefty really wanted to continue on; but Bouy agreed with me that it was time to stop. We were all soaking wet and I was dead tired. We had just crossed the parkway again and were headed back into the woods. We decided to camp right there where a Forest Service road came off the parkway and there was some level ground. We set up our tents in the pouring rain and if we wern't wet before, now we were wet all the way through. It was only about 7:30pm but I was ready to get into my tent, get my wet clothes off, eat some dry boring food, and go to bed. I had just gotten my wet, soggy shorts and top off and was trying to dry off with a 6"x18" towel when I heard a loud crashing noise outside and heard Bouy cry out. I didn't know what had happened but I could tell he was hurt and in pain. I heard Lefty call out to him to ask if he needed help. All we heard were loud groans so we knew the answer. I've never gotten clothes on in a tent so fast. Lefty didn't even wait to get all her clothes on ...she ran out bottom-less. By the time I got there, Lefty was beside him and talking to him and trying to reassure and calm him. He had slipped and twisted his ankle. We couldn't tell if it was broken; but from the pain he was in, we thought it probably was. We were able to get his big, heavy hiking boot off knowing that it would be better to get it off before his foot swelled up than later. We also gave him a pain pill that we carry for just such an emergency. We knew that we were going to have to get him to a hospital. Lefty stayed with Bouy and tried to get him up and closer to the tent and the road. I went and stood in the middle of the parkway so I could flag down a car. We had seen one go by while we were with Bouy; but it was over a half hour before another one came by. It was still raining and was very foggy. When we saw the car lights comming, both Lefty and I stood in the road and flagged the car down. He stopped---he had no choice. I think we scarred the heck out of him because seeing two women in the middle of the road in the rain and fog is not what you would expect. He pulled over and never hesitated to assist us. He was a young man, actually a German, and was so gracious and helpful. He helped Bouy into the car while Lefty and I got the rest of our stuff packed up. Did I mention that it is still pouring and now our dry clothes are wet. Oh, yes, Lefty did get her bottoms on before she stood in the road. This nice man, Dirk, took all of us and our 3 packs in his small rental car to the hospital 30 miles away. Then he took me to find a Hotel room for the night and we went out to dinner while we waited for Lefty to call to come and pick her (them) up. This is truly a Trail Angel but since we wern't on the trail, I'll call him our "Parkway Angel". The hospial took xrays and the doctor said it was a bad sprain. They put on a soft cast, gave him his own pain medicine,, told him to keep off his foot, keep it elevated, stay off it for several days and sent him on his way. We were all so relieved that it wasn't anything more serious.