Date: 2007-05-18
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Crawfish Valley, Reed Creek
Miles today: 10.7

What a great day this has been! It started after a really great night's sleepin the shelter. It was a chilly night which is so much better for sleeping. And my sheltermates, Turtle and Navigator, and I agreed not to get up too early,so we got to sleep in a bit...til after 7! I knew there was a museum just down the trail a couple of miles ('cause Abal told me when we talked while I was in CA), so I had planned on spending agood bit of the morning there...and I did! The young man that is the dirextor,Dylan House, his wife, Katy, and daughter, Chloe, were all a delight and awealth of information about the immagration into this area. Chloe gave me apersonal tour of the farm and had all the knowledge and charm of a tour guide 3times her age...she's only 9! She's home-schooled and the difference is quitenoticeable...she's eloquent, intelligent, and independent. Thanks, Chloe, forshowing me the homestead, all the out buildings, and sharing your morning withme. I had a blast! About a quarter to one, I peeled myself regretfully away(I'll be back next year when I go to Trail Days in May and you can put me towork for a couple of says...okay?). I still had 10 or so miles to go, so I hadto get hiking. A couple of miles further, the trail comes into civilization atan exit for I-81 and there was a restaurant the! re, so I stopped in for lunch. After I sat down, these 3 guys come over andsay "What's a matter, Bag Lady, you don't recognize us?" It was 3 sectionhikers I had met the day before when they were camped at a road crossing. Ikidded them then that they probably just got dropped off, put up their tents,and leaned their bags against a tree to look like hikers! Well, I didn'trecognize them all cleaned up, but invited them to sit and chat awhile (they hadalready eaten). Turns out they are from Indiana and come here yearly to hikeawhile on the AT. Thanks Talking Bull, Fire Walker, and Major for buying mylunch...what a nice surprise when I went to pay...and for the potatoe pearls,which I'm eating for dinner...and you're right, they are tasty! Thanks for thetrail magic...see you guys down the trail someday!I think that's one of the many things I live about the AT...everyone is yourfriend...some you just haven't met yet. And there is something in commonamongst the people out here...they're good people, happy and engaged in life,and not afraid to work hard (like climbing mountains) for the joy of doing it. So I've been back hiking for only a day and a half and I've had such a good timegetting to share time with 10 people. I haven't told you about meeting Karenand Ray, a husband and wife trucking team driving for UPS that I met at therestaurant who were interested in hearing about my hike. They sure have seenthis big beautiful country.Tonight I'm camping alone for the first time since staring the trail 56 days ago(not counting the days off in CA). I'm enjoying the lack of people interaction,but there sure is one noisy bird! Today was on the cooler side and threatenedrain off and on...even splashed a few drops on me...tonight I thought the skiesmight open up before I got my tarp up. I haven't rain-tested my tarp and groundcloth, and I'd rather not tonight...so I have my fingers crossed! With somewind with the rain, I don't think I'd stay dry. And that could be no fun. It'sgetting quite chilly as the sun sets so it should be another good sleepingnight.I have about 40 miles to go to get to Bland VA where I will meet up with mygirlfriend, Dianne, who's driving down from NY to hike the week with me...Ican't wait to see her! Then at the end of the week, Dennis' sister, Kathy, willmeet us in Pearisburg to shuttle Dianne back to Bland to get her car, then we'llshuttle Kathy's car about 30 miles up the trail, and Dianne will drive Kathy andme back to Pearisburg before she takes off. Section hiking, like they aredoing, takes a lot of shuffling of cars!ItKs getting dark and I still have dishes to do and a camp to straighten beforeI crawl into the sack, so I'm going to say goodnight. I can't wait to see whattomorrow brings!Step lightly