Date: 2009-06-06
From: WISE MOUNTAIN SHELTER

To: TROUTDALE
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: few clouds

65TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY!LEFT REAL EARLY. ASSEMBLED MY GEAR OUTSIDE THE SHELTER AND DOWN BY THE PRIVY TO NOT WAKE ANYONE. NEEDED A EARLY START TO TRY TO GET TO TROUTDALE. I GOT TO STONE MOUNTAIN AND STOPPED TO DRY SOME CLOTHES AND EAT BREAKFAST. HIKED UP TO A CAMPSITES WHERE I SAW TWO PEOPLE AND A RESTROOM. GOOD DEAL. I NEEDED TO UNLOAD A CANISTER IN THE TRASH. A COUPLE OF HORSEBACK RIDERS ROAD UP THE HILL ON THE HORSE TRAIL. I ASKED THEM IF THAT WAS STONE MOUNTAIN OR PINE MOUNTAIN UP AHEAD. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS PINE MOUNTAIN AND ASKED WHY. I TOLD THEM IVE BEEN HIKING SINCE APRIL AND THEY WERE AMAZED. TOLD THEM I WAS HEADING TO TROUTDALE MANY MILES AWAY. THEY SAID THEY WENT BY THERE ON THEIR WAY UP. THANKED THEM FOR THE INFO AND OFF I WENT.STOPPED AT THE OLD ORCHARD SHELTER AND THATS WHERE I LEFT MY WATER BOTTLE. MET THAT FAMILY WHO TOOK A SHORTCUT AND WERE THERE COOKING LUNCH. GOT WATER AND DISTRACTED LEFT MY BOTTLE THERE. THAT THING WENT 500 MILES. TALKED TO A COUPLE OF GUYS WHO PASSED BY WISE MOUNTAIN SHELTER THE DAY BEFORE AND WHO ASKED ME ABOUT THE TRAIL I JUST CAME UP. I TOLD THEM BUZZARD ROCK AND WHITETOP MOUNTAIN WERE FABULOUS AND DOWNHILL FROM WHERE THEY WERE FROM. THEY WERE GONNA TAKE A SHORTCUT TO THAT SECTION. OFF THEY WENT. I FOUND A CROX WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO HURRICANE MOUNTAIN SHELTER. TURNS OUT ONE OF THOSE GUYS LOST IT. THE FUNNY THING IS WHEN I PICKED IT UP TO SEE IF I COULD CATCH THEM. THEY WERE HEADING BACK. TURNS OUT THEY MISSED THEIR TURN. "DID YOU LOOSE SOMETHING". "LUCKY WE RAN INTO YOU." HANDED IT TO THEM AND OFF I WENT. STOPPED INTO THE HURRICAN SHELTER AND READ THE REGISTER. ALL THOSE I HAVE TRAVELED WITH ARE DAYS AHEAD. I'LL CATCH THEM EVENTUALLY. HEADING TO TROUTDALE. GOT TO COMERS CREEK AND VA 650 AND VA 16. FOUND A SIGN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT SAID. AT THRU HIKER TO TROUTDALE, THANK YOU. STOOD OUT THERE FOR AWHILE AND SAW A COUPLE OF DEER RUN ACROSS THE ROAD. FINALLY SOMEONE HEADING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION PULLED IN AND OFFERED ME A RIDE IN THE BACK OF THEIR TRUCK. THEY HANDED ME A ROOTBEER AND ASKED ME IF I WANTED SOMETHING TO EAT. A OATMEAL COOKIE, A HONEYBUN OR A NUTTERBUTTER. IM SICK OF OATMEAL COOKIES AND HONEYBUNS BUT THE NUTTERBUTTER. MMMM GOOD. I GUESS I COULD OF ATE ALL THREE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THEY TOOK ME INTO TROUTDALE AND TO JERRY KITCHEN AND GOODS. THATS WHERE I NEEDED TO GO. RAN INTO A HIKER NAMED SHEPPARD WHO DIRECTED ME TO THE CHURCH HOSTEL UP THE ROAD, TOLD ME WHERE THE SHOWERS WERE. I ATE ONE MEAL AT THE KITCHEN. THEN TWO PEOPLE SHOWED UP AND SAT AT THE TABLE IN FRONT OF ME. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS THE ONE THEY SAW UP AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. I TOLD THEM I CAME FROM THE WISE SHELTER AND I WAS HEADING TO MAINE. GUESS I DIDNT RECONGNIZE THEM. THAT WAS THEM UP AT THE CAMPSITE ON THE HORSES. THEY SAID IF I CAME BUY THERE HOME WHICH WAS A LITTLE OFF THE TRAIL BUT 100 MILES AWAY THEY WOULD MAKE ME DINNER. AFTER DINNER THEY GOT UP CAME OVER AND SAID. "WERE GOOD CHRISTIANS AND WE WANT TO BUY YOU DINNER" THEY THREW ME A 10 DOLLAR BILL AND I THANKED THEM AND WAS TOTALLY TAKEN BY SURPRISE. WHAT A DAY! HIKED UP TO THE CHURCH AND SHOWERED AND FOUND THE BUNKHOUSE ON THE HILL. WHAT A PLEASANT SETTING. HEAVEN YOU COULD SAY. SHEPPARD HAD HIS BUNKROOM AND I HAD MINE. WHAT A ENJOYABLE EVENING.