Date: 2004-06-28
From: Ed Garvey shelter

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Start Ed Garvey ShelterDestination Rocky Run Shelter This morning when I first woke up, I thought I had made a terrible mistake. Every muscle in my body hurt, along with some I didn't know I had. I took a couple of vitamin I's and rolled over and went back to sleep. I felt somewhat better when I woke up again. I was still stiff and sore though. I got out of the tent and stretched for a while, trying to work the kinks out. I think an elephant got in the tent with me and slept on my neck. I put some water on to heat and headed for the outhouse. It came equipped with toilet paper. What a treat! I fixed my oatmeal and made a glass of milk. My first bite of oatmeal told me that the next week was going to be very very long. I had forgotten to put salt in the oatmeal I had made up. Now, you may not think that that is a big deal. Well, you go try and eat oatmeal without any salt. I am 5 or 6 days from town, and have no salt. Now I am not a big salt person. But there are limits to what I eat without salt. I can eat baked potatoes without salt, even eggs, but not oatmeal. Please, no. It's going to be a long week. I made good time and got to Gathland State Park for lunch. What joy! A coke machine! I washed down my bagel with a root beer. While I was eating I noticed the absence of trash cans. Then I noticed the free trash bags sign. This was a no trash park, meaning you carried out your trash. I struck up a conversation with two senior gentleman tourists and before long I was free of my drink bottle. Hey! Every ounce counts. I took the time to go through the Gathland Museum, honoring George Townsend, a news reporter that covered the Civil War, and later erected a monument to war correspondents here. It is the only one of its kind in the country. I got to Rocky Run Shelter by mid afternoon. I considered going another 2.5 miles to Dahlgren Campground where there is free HOT showers and flush toilets, but decided to stop and have the thoughts of a hot shower to get me out of bed in the morning. I pitched my tent close to a stream that is bubbling up out of the ground. I will go to sleep tonight with the sounds of running water in my ears. That will probably cause my bladder to go into overtime, but no matter. There is another hiker here, Calamity. He is doing a three week section hike. I rolled my sleeping pad out and lay down for a rest before supper. What a hard life.   I put some water on for supper, and tried to soak my feet in the stream while the water heated. I cannot keep them in there long. It is only seconds before they are throbbing from the cold. My turkey Romanoff needs salt. Wouldn¢t you know that? I have slathered insect repellent over me to ward off the bugs. For revenge they keep falling into my food. I give up trying to pick them all out, "maybe they are salty." I think to myself. I mixed up some chocolate instant pudding for dessert. It thickens on the spot, the water is so cold. Sprinkled with some Biscoff crackers I got on the plane, it is a nice ending to a rather buggy meal. I sit outside my tent listening to the sounds of the woods as they go to sleep. The insect repellant is doing a fine job for me. It is going to be another cool night. I get my rope over a limb for my food bag on the very first throw, and the limb holds as I hoist the bag up. Hopefully it is safe from the various critters that roam about at night.Total miles 9.1