Date: 2004-06-29
From: the old oak tree

To: US220
Miles today: 74.5

Ok, no need to adjust your computer screens, you all realize we could not have done 74 miles in one day. This journal entry is covering five days. I'll try not to do this in the future, but right now I just want to put all this down and try to get all caught up. It's harder to get the pocketmail done when the miles are long, and especially when it rains buckets on you... But enough excuses. OK 6-25. We left our campsite with Sparepocket still in it, she was feeling terrible and needed to get off the trail. I felt awful about leaving her, but she wasn't ready to move and K-Bear and Gary were just behind- I hope she is well and good now, it's tough to get any news once you are up the trail. We had a decent morning hike, then it started raining. And it rained all day. We were walking over countless rocks and getting soggy. Jonathon found a rock overhang which kept us out of the rain, but not enough to sleep under. Thus we pushed on in the rain until we found a flat spot, and we set up the tent. We cooked up a great dinner, and that was the day's saving grace- and laid down for a chilly sleep. Jonathon's new sleeping bag turned out to be woefully inadequate. 6-26:Well, sluggish and sleepy, we packed up our soggy gear and put on the soggy boots. We hiked until the sun reared its fickle head and dried our gear. My shoes even dried, thank goodness. We hiked through the day, like sullen little drones, and then set up at the shelter. We were dismayed to find we were missing a therm-a-rest. It had been left at the sunny spot earlier, when we had dried out our gear. So, we had another sleepless night trying to sleep on one pad, huddling together trying to keep warm. I was beginning to feel like I had a hole drilled in my head. We were down to non verbal communication and grunts.6-27The situation was dire- Whoa is freezing here, I can't sleep if he is freezing, and we are down a therm-a-rest. We know it is probably back there, but hiking all those extra miles didn't seem like an option. Though we were just there, we are desperately in need of an outfitter. We decided to hitch into Blacksburg again to pay a visit to the same outfitter we were at a few days ago. They didn't want to take the sleeping bag back, but he got a liner for it which filled in the temperature gap. We got one new therm-a-rest, but this new type is so much more comfortable we got two. I have sent so much gear back to my dad, I don't think he would be surprised if he got a big box, he opened it and I was inside. "Hi dad, we decided I was all wore out and needed to go back. You can put me in that box in the garage."We also got a french press for coffee. This is really good news! This machine created much magic later- read on.We were a little bewildered about how to get back- we had come in with a wonderful lady who lived near the trail. We did not hope to have such good luck again, but all we did was wait a few minutes and here was a guy who took us all the way to the trailhead. We have to remember to send him a postcard.6-28The highlights-We got Tina's maildrop! Our very first box of goodies. We made it to Catawba in time to hit the post office, and picked it up, shook it, ripped it open, and marvelled at the contents. Tina did so well with the food, it's like she did research on what to get. Even gave us some plastic baggies! We were impressed and delighted. We made it up McAffe Knob for some hair-raising picture and beautiful views, then down to the shelter for the best sleep ever. On the trail in a shelter, that is.6-29Tonight's destination- Econolodge! I woke up and made coffee- Thanks, Tina! The morning was ideal, the blue sky poking through the trees. Highlights: Tinker cliffs, a great expanse of granite from which you can see just about forever.We actually had a great many views today, as we were on a rocky ridge all day.Drawbacks- we were on a rocky ridge all day! But, though the hiking was tough, we got to feel like real woodland animals. And a bit like spider monkeys.Once we hit town, we filled our bellies with pizza and here we are, writing to you. That's all the news that's fit to print right now...goodnight!Moxie