Date: 2007-11-12
From: Buena Vista

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: few clouds

mi. 11.3sleep shelterdest. Punchbowl Shelter day 123 It felt great to sleep in. The blinds were shut making it a nice litle cave this morning. I actually didn't get up until after 9 EDST (I'm still holding out strong for the time change). This time it was Subway for lunch. I figured with all the bad food I am carrying for this resupply I should get a halfway heathy meal before I leave. I did get sucked into a great movie while Torque was packing up. Snow Day turned out to be one of those great kids movies that I can appresiate. We finally left for the trail around 12. It took a little while to get a ride. We had a good spot. Plenty of room to pullover and just after a stop light. I decided I want to start taking pics of people driving by when I am trying to hitch. It would be funny. It would have to be from another person off in the distance not to effect the result. I didn't get anyone waving their fingers. I did get people pointing to the other side of the street for some reason. People waving, the thumb in the air is not a waving to say hi motion. One person gave the thumbs up back. Really people I would rather be ignored than have some weird gesture. One person even gave the finger. I returned the favor, but I don't think they saw. I would have liked to see him get out of the car and do that. We got picked up after 20 minutes or so by a really nice guy in a minivan. He turned out to have a cool story. He was from West Africa. Where he natively speaks French, a strange mix of acsents there. His English was pretty good though, way better than my French. He is here with a group of people doing missionary work. They go to one place for a week, then move onto another place for another week. He had already been to a few places over the US. It was cool to see someone from another country coming here to do that work. I am always hearing about people here going to other countries to do that. What I thought was the best was he was practicing it in helping out a couple of strangers who he could help. Be it only a ride. The manager of the motel we stayed at had a religous station on non stop in the lobby, had a bibble out reading it, and a cross on his tie. Yet on 3 or 4 times I went to the office to talk none of my pleases or thank yous were met with a your wel!come, have a good night, or anything positive. I guess it all about putting it into practice. Today was one of those lazy day hikes milewise. True we didn't make it very far, but my pack weighed a ton. It had to be the heaviest of the hike. The family dollar resupply was not filled with the lighted food options. Plus the plan was to go for 4 days. I guess the 3 white cans of beer didn't help either. The last couple miles to the shelter were brutal. I am in pretty descent shape. I wouldn't think I heavy pack would get me as much as it did. It did. I was sweating up a storm. Good thing I dropped the short sleeve t. The long one is a quarter zip, but even with the sleeves up is way warmer. But being the first day in 2 weeks I would have worn it, a good call dropping it. We finally got to the shelter just before dark. A couple long breaks ate in to the hiking time. It took awhile, but we found a good bear bag tree. I am overally weird about hanging food. Although 2 nights ago I did realize I left a candy bar and empty wrapper in my pack next to me. Luckily nothing came of it. I just don't want to push my luck. I know a lot of people don't hang at all. The shelter we are at is one of those great ones with adventurous mice. I am thinking that I should have hammocked tonight. I got here and decided not to screw with it. No good reason other than I wanted to shelter tonight. During dinner we had a couple run under the picnic table we were eating at. Now I have seen a couple running around the shelter. Another good reason not to have the food nearby.