Date: 2008-05-23
From: Half mile south of Dragons Tooth, VA

To: Va. 311, Catawba, VA
Miles today: 10.0

I didn't wake up until 6:40am and I slept really good last night.I decided not to eat anything for breakfast because there is a convenience store just 4 miles into my walk this morning.I got packed up and started walking at 7:20am.I climbed the rest of the way up to Dragons Tooth and came down the steep, narrow, ledgy rocks and got down to Lost Spectacles Gap.I love this section of Trail because of all the rock ledges and fairly risky trail if you aren't careful.I started seeing thousands of rhododendrons in bloom from the gap for a couple miles north.It was an awesome walk in all that beauty....rocky overlooks, flowering rhododendrons, a nice cool morning....and three bacon, egg and cheese biscuits waiting on me at the convenience store. Oh yeah....coffee too! :-)I took lots of pictures today, so go to my photo section to see about 25 photos of today's walk.This had to be one of the most beautiful days I've lived this year....I just couldn't get over all the blooms seemingly overnight.I'm not sure if anyone noticed in yesterday's journal, but I spared everyone what I ate all day.....not going to spare you today! :-)I got down to the convenience store and I had three bacon, egg and cheese biscuits with a cheese danish and a 20 ounce coffee....then went back in and got a bag of potato chips and a quart of chocolate milk.Oh my achin' belly. I walked out of there very slowly and climbed the first hill so slow that even my ol' buddy Cheif could have passed me. :-)I got to a stream about a mile later and decided to freshen up my shirt for my company tonight at dinner, so I filled about a gallon of water into a garbage bag and I gave my brand new Mountain Hardwear shirt it's first ever bath. :-)I dumped out the dirty water and refilled the bag with water for a rinse.I walked on and met three sobos that started at Harpers Ferry and are going to Springer....Mich, who may not have enough time to do the whole section, Pokey and Sketch.Pokey said she had read my journal earlier in the year.I saw Sherlock walking south, then Moonpie and Tree. They are all nobos, but are walking long sections south.Tree made me look like a pup and I am 6'5" and wear a size 15 shoe. Tree is 6'10" tall and wears a size 17 shoe.It was a good thing he got out of my way though when we passed on the Trail, because if he hadn't......I would have certainly got out of his way! :-)I met one more sobo, Father Dragon, who just started this morning at Catawba and is going to Damascus, VA.I walked through a few quick little rain showers and each time, the sun would come right back out.I started walking better after a few miles. That breakfast did me in for a while today.I had walked slowly and really enjoyed a gorgeous day for a walk.I got to the trailhead at Catawba, Va. 311, and decided I wasn't going to walk the 1.3 miles down the hill to The Homeplace.I think I've ended up walking it 4 times before because it's a tough place to hitch a ride going that way. The cars come around a curve pretty fast, so they see you for just a quick second and there's no room to pull over.I decided to just sit in the parking lot and look cute and see what happens. :-)I sat there for 30 minutes before the first car came in....a couple of young guys and their dog.I ditched the cute look and decided to pet their dog and strike up a conversation with the two guys.Pretty soon one of them ask what I was doing just sitting there.....that's when I stuck my lower lip out, just a little, but enough to make an impression and I said, I'm hoping to get a ride down the mountain to the general store.Scott took me! Thanks a lot for the ride! :-)I don't know why, but I just didn't want to walk that little 1.3 miles today. :-)I sat outside the general store for about two and a half hours. They have a nice deck on the side of the building with comfortable chairs and are really hiker friendly.I drank a couple Cokes and read a little more of my book while I waited on 5:30pm, when Hokey Pokey was supposed to show up.A Lo Hawk came in, then Aboman, the Brown Bag.They all went to the Homeplace at 4pm when it opened.Zack and Bus Driver came in with Duncan, a gut I hadn't met yet. Then Liberty, Gumby and Flame Thrower....three more hikers I had never met.Mike, GT1, V8 and Auntie Mame came in.I was starting to get worried about all those hungry hikers going in and eating all the fried chicken before Hokey Pokey showed up at 5:30! 8-)Hokey Pokey showed up at 5:25 with Rachel, his mother who I had never met before, but heard Hokey Pokey talk about a lot.Jeff showed up 15 minutes later with his mom and dad, LaVerne and Doil.I led the way through the front doors! :-)We ended up getting all the fried chicken, roast beef, country ham, green beans, navy beans, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and iced tea and lemonade that we wanted.....then topped it all off with some good coffee and cherry cobbler with ice cream.Oh my belly hurts! :-)Jeff snuck away and paid the bill for all of us! I invited Hokey Pokey and expected to pay at least half, but Jeff just smiled and said no.Thank you, thank you Jeff!!! :-)We stood in the parking lot and talked another 30 minutes, then took Rachel home and Hokey Pokey and I ended up at his house.He's getting ready for a 200 mile, four day bicycle ride on the C&O Trail tomorrow, so I'll be back on the Trail early in the morning.What an awesome day this turned out to be!Thanks Hokey Pokey...you're a very good friend! :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)