Date: 2014-06-19
From: Red Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT center
Miles today: 16.9

It's 3am. I could get up and start hiking since I'm already awake. Today is supposed to be another hot one so maybe it'd be a wiser choice to get some night hiking in. I'm tented in a crowded spot though and no one is awake. Packing up would be louder than a 6 year olds version of a quiet tantrum in a library (there is no quiet version). But there has been stuff falling out of the trees all night. They sound like rocks being tossed off a building and I can't figure out what they are by the sound of them. 2 of them just missed my tent and I don't think anyone has been hit yet. You'd probably know because I'm not exaggerating about these UFOs coming down like rocks. One hit the shelter roof with a bang an hour ago.At this very moment, waking up in total humidity on an overly warm night, I'm feeling a low point. Not low like I want to be done with the trail. You just can't ride a high the whole way. I feel beaten down, weary, and generally uncomfortable in so many physical ways. More sleep, healthier diet, and proactive planning ahead could help remedy this low point as I sit in my tent/steam room in the dark listening to stuff fall out of the sky. Sleep deprivation could get to you. Maybe that's why college sucked. You can't have everything unless you sleep less.., which proves the point that you can't do everything. I'm also messed up by the 101 insect bites I have all over. Eating cloves of garlic hasn't been helping with the Mosquitos like some people said it would. The only bright side to all this humidity is that it means it's time to send home my 20 degree sleeping bag. Yay for loosing a few pounds and gaining some space in my pack. Another UFO just plummeted down next to my tent. That one woke up the guy in the hammock next to me. I guess I'll go back to sleep and get up at a more appropriate time. Voodoo and I are leaving camp early since we are determined to shoot for the 4 state challenge. We must be idiots.At 5am I woke up to thunder rumbling directly overhead. No one was moving still but I shoved all my things together as quickly as possible with the objective of not packing up a tent that's been rained on. No one was in the shelter last night so I threw my pack over my shoulder, popped out my tent stakes and carried the whole thing to the shelter. A guy was laying in the shelter casually watched me shuffle my way in. Typically you'd get a "WTF?" look if you're carrying an assembled tent around but he knew what was up and introduced himself as Politician. We were the only ones awake so we watched the storm pass over. Turned out to be an uneventful 3 minute shower. So we had breakfast and prepared to step off. Politician gave me a heads up about trail magic at the Blackburn AT center tonight. Good thing he told me that otherwise I would have passed right by. I left a note for Voodoo about the tip and headed out to take on the Virginia Roller Coaster. After hiking for this long, I'd say the only hard part about it was the heat, humidity, and flies. The first 3 states of the AT whip your butt into hiker shape. When I got to the trail head for the Blackburn center, I almost didn't bother. But I'm glad I did because I didn't realize it's also a nice place you can crash at! There's a bunkhouse, beautiful yard, privy, solar shower, and a huge screened porch you can relax on for as long as you want. Once I saw it I knew I was spending the night here trail magic or not. But the trail magic did come as promised. Hosted by Stoneybrook Organic Farm, we had our most deliciously nutritious meal any of us has had in a long time. The trail truly is magical. And guess who the Stoneybrook Farm people brought with them - The Mountain Slothes. We basically bumped into each other around a blind corner and we stopped for a second before bursting into laughter. They filled me in on what the farm is about and how they ended up staying there doing work for stay. I decided I had to go check it out sometime but first it was time to enjoy this dinner! But where is Voodoo?! Left Field chastised me for leaving her behind again. It was raining now and it looked like she wasn't going to make it. But as we sat down with all the hikers, farmers, and weary travelers to eat, Voodoo and Firewalker appeared running down the mountain. What timing! I greeted them and set Voodoo up to be surprised by the Slothes and than we all ate. What a perfect dinner and 180 turn of events after this morning. Maybe I'll catch up on well needed deep sleep tonight on this awesome porch!