Date: 2003-05-29
From: Woodshole Hostel

To: Pearisburg Virginia
Miles today: 10.5

I wake up early to the smell of cigarette smoke.I am amazed how many hikers smoke.One would think,or assume like I did that most hikers are healthy and athletic.Not true!It is still raining and I have a short ten miles to do today,so I roll over and go back to sleep. When I wake up again I am shocked to find someone has crawled into my tent and gave me two new feet.I mean absolutely,painfree new feet!New feet that are the same size as my boots!These are happy ,smiling feet.I contemplate skipping a zero day in Pearisburg tomorrow they feel so good.I have not even gotten out of bed yet!What a great way to start the day! I fix breakfast nder the vestibule of my tent,watching the hikers come and go.The breakfast bell sounds calling the lucky eight to eat.I am not even jealous.My new feet have made me extremely happy.I do not want for anything right now.Even the prospect of breaking my record of not setting up or taking down in the rain does not disturb me today. I put my rain gear on and go wash my pot,spoon and cup.I include a face washing while I am at the hose.   Tillie's grandaughter Nevell is offering foot massages for $5.00.I almost turn it down ,my feet feel so good,but I come to my senses quickly.I know a great deal when I see one.I sit on the old front porch in a rocker while she massages my feet.she is sharing her journal with me,along with the illustrations she puts in it every night.she is very talented and I encourage her to persue writing. Just about everyone has left,in a hurry to get to the big city.I notice as I get up that the rain has stopped.I smile and thank the Lord.It would not be a big thing to set up my tent or take it down in the rain.This is just what I call a small blessing from God to me.But then,it is the small things in our lives that are the blessings,and too often the small things that are the irritations that keep us from having a grateful heart. I pack up and head up the trail.The rain has made an already muddy trail even muddier.The mud sucks at your boots and at times my hiking poles are stuck and they slip out of my grasp.I hike on,so very grateful that my feet do not hurt.I wonder if the fact that last night I slept with them propped up on my pack has made a difference.Today I am not wearing the liners either.I was careful to lace them tight.The blisters are beginning to heal,but I still leave the duct tape on. I take my time today walking.There is no rush to walk faster.I had put my rain gear on when I left,just a little ways down the trail,i have to stop and take the top off.It gets too hot underneath the top for me.The only rain falling is what is left on the trees from an earlier shower.I hike awhile,then decide to take off the rain pants as well. If I was the maker of this raingear,I would put a zipper in the pants that is just another inch or so longer.It is hard to take off the pants without taking off the boots.I struggle and finally get the pants off.There is plenty of mud in the pants now.I roll them up and stuff them down into a side pocket.My raintop is rolled around my waist.Soooooooo much nicer now!!!The breeze is great.I hike on.A few miles down the trail,the rain starts in.I wait to see how serious it is before I put my rain gear back on.A little while later I slip the top back on and press on.Still later, the rain starts coming down harder so i stop and put the pants back on.Now there is more mud inside the legs and i feel it grap onto my legs and smear as I pull the pants up.I am losing my pateince fast.I hike some more,and the temperature inside the rain gear heats up.It is awhile later before I notice that the rain has stopped.I contempate screaming .It wouldn't help but I would feel better I'm sure.Once more I pull off the rain gear.i take time to eat a snack while I am still.I start walking and am rewarded with a couple hours of great weather.The sun even peeks out a time or two. After awhile I realized that there is a chill in the air and the sun is no where to be found.I look up to find dark thunder clouds hovering overhead.Thunder starts to rumble in the background.This looks serious.I stop and once more put on the rain gear. My legs are now as muddy as my boots.I want to be prepared when this rain hits.I hike on and on and on.I build up a nice sweat inside the rain gear.There is not a drop of rain falling .Yet. Thunder continues to roll,but no rain.I hike on .I am not going to take this rain gear off again.I will just have a nice steam treatment as I walk.   I come to an outcropping of rocks that has a view of the town below.A nice place for a rest and a snack.I watch in amazement as the dark clouds move over the city and the sun breaks through over the mountain I am on.This is really a funny joke I know.   I am NOT going to take this gear off again!So I don't.I hike towards town.The trail forms a steep decent into town.A steep ,slippery,and treachous decent.I am sure my grandsons could just slide down and into town on this muck without so much as a fall.Me on the other hand would probably break my neck if I tried to slide.So,i slowly and carefully pick my way down the trail. I reach the road and see two hikers walking towards me.One of them looks at me from a distance and says"Bumpkin?Is that you?"I am thrilled to see Hopeful and Sprout.It has been weeks since I saw them.Hugs all around with lots of talking,right in the middle of the road.I explain about the job situation at home and Hopeful gives me a number to call if I need a ride.I hate to see them leave,but they have already spent a day in town and are headed out.We part,me on the verge of tears. It is a short hike to the motel.I pass a Dairy Queen,Hardees and several other places to eat. When I get to the motel,I find that there is Internet access for hikers,right there in the lobby.That will say me a long walk to the library tomorrow.I will be able to catch up my journal,and check my emails. It feels really good to be in a room,clean,and dry.I touch base with Anna.Her speed back on the trail will be slow for awhile.I am thinking about going home and getting my two oldest grandsons to hike with us for a couple of weeks.Slow speed is a good speed for kids,and it would give me time to spend with them. I go to the Chinese Buffet across the street for supper.I wash my clothes out and try to call home,but don't reach anyone. I hike down to the Post Office and pick up my mail drop and spread it all out over the extra bed.I look forwadr to doing anything I want tomorrow,sleeping late,eating breakfast cooked by someone else,reading emails.etc.I am glad to be in town.