Date: 2007-05-15
From: campsite

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

You may be wondering to yourself: "Self... I wonder what Little Sister, Kevin, and Bailey are up to these days... along with the rest of the rag tag group of wanderers" In the event that you are, I am writing in the hopes of catching you up to speed on our latest and greatest adventures!Kev (The Rubber Duck), Bailey and I woke up just before dawn to get an early start and make some miles quickly into town. The 7 miles to the road crossing were easy hiking and enjoyable because of the cool morning air and the rhododendrons that shaded the valleys. Just out of the campsite we climbed a little and then had a few miles of ridge walking, which I always enjoy. Several section hikers were out, headed south to Damascus for the big Trail Days celebration. We opted to keep hiking, knowing that the trail would be more quiet with so many hikers back enjoying the festivities. I think this is a decision we'll be happy with. Maybe next year we'll go to Trail Days, but right now I am more than content to stay in the woods and take advantage of the opportunity of peace and quiet out here. Along the trail we met a couple from Florida (Blueberry and Skittle, I think were their names) and a gentleman from Germany named Sky Walker, all former thru hikers. It's great to meet people with so much enthusiasm for the trail. At this point, people are talking less about gear and technique and more about the trail itself and their love for it. This makes me happy because gear heads can be really annoying to talk to and try to convince you of what's the best equipment and how they would do this or that differently. I'd much rather discuss how much I love being out here and not the stuff that's in my pack. After a nice guy delayed his fishing trip to give us a ride into Marion from the road, we were able to find a cheap hotel room in close proximity to all the necessary town amenities, except for laundry. I ended up washing our clothes in the sink, which was a nasty, nasty chore. It really is amazing the remarkable ability wool socks have to retain dirt, no matter how many times I rinsed and scrubbed the water remained a stubborn shade of brown. We spread our somewhat clean clothes to dry in the sun outside of our hotel room and had a few minutes to call home, which was wonderful and much needed. I was able to wish my mom a Happy Mother¢s Day and chat with my dad and sister as well. Only after talking to them did I realize how much I miss them. They sent their love and expressed that it would be okay if I came home, but that made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to have the opportunity to do this. I am even more determined to complete this hike and it means more that I am capable of expressing. After laundry, calls home, and relaxing, we had some dinner at Sonic and checked out the bowling ally across the street for some fun. It turns out Dan is quite the bowler, I was impressed! The next day we had to get a few things at the nearby Wal Mart, which was an overwhelming commercial sensory overload experience, to say the least! We repacked our packs and prepared to head out of town. It took a long time to find a ride out, so we ended up staying at the Partnership Shelter, the shelter right near the road. This was not a mistake and the buzz we'd heard about this shelter lived up to it's reputation. Partnership surprised us with it's beautiful appearance, as well as it's sink and shower... a shower in a shelter... unbelievable! Not only was there a shower, there was a visitor¢s center nearby that had soda machines and an outside phone to call for pizza delivery! When we considered eating ramen and instant mashed potatoes, or opting for pizza it was a no-brainer. Another great part of the evening was camping out with some old friends we hadn't seen for a while. Coach, Mate, Genesis and Handyman all showed up and we had a wonderful time. This group might as well be famous on the trail because of Coach's guitar skills and Mate's phenomenal voice. Genesis is also musically talented, although he¢s pretty modest about it. We all sang and shared our musical abilities.... and inabilities where applicable. Kevin made a maraka out of an empty bottle and some rice while Handyman and I checked out each other¢s photos. I¢m so glad we all had a great night because it was our friend Fish Bowl¢s last night on the trail. He heard of some opportunities back home that were too good to pass up and would be leaving in the morning when his girlfriend Gail came to get him. It¢s always hard to see friends go, especially because we are still mourning the loss of our beloved Team Canada. Best of luck Fish Bowl, I¢ll miss your witty repartee! The next day we reluctantly lazed around until Fish Bowl left, and after goodbyes it was time to hit the trail. The rhododendrons were stunning beside the trail in various shades of pink, some exploding in vibrant cherry and others like faded ballet slippers. We hiked for several miles before stopping to refill our water bottles and my guy pals all took the opportunity to nap. I got some great pictures of them sacked out in the grass like fallen trees. I rested awhile and then got antsy and continued on the shelter solo. I love hiking in the late afternoon when the forest seems so still. When I arrived at the shelter I was pleased to find a stream right in front and some hiker buddies at the picnic table. Plodder greeted me with his smile as big as all outdoors and we discussed his slack packing trail life before he headed off to town. For those who don¢t know, a slack packer is someone who doesn¢t carry a pack (if they do, it only holds what they need for a day hike) and who gets rides to the trail in the morning and from it in the afternoon, thus sleeping in towns at night. Plodder¢s wife is helping him and he told me he¢s planning on slack packing all the way to Maine! I like that you can hike your own hike out here, slack packing isn¢t for me, but I¢m glad Plodder is enjoying it! Also at the shelter was Critter¢s Dad, whom I hadn¢t seen since the Smokies when he was hiking with his daughter, Critter. Critter is one lucky girl who is now working in Alaska¢s Kenai Peninsula for the park service, I¢m a bit envious! When the gang arrived later we decided to sleep in the shelter as there weren¢t any decent tent sites. All of us, that is, except for Mattlanta who decided to pitch his tent on a slope that made everyone laugh to look at and we all joked that we'd wake up to find him sleeping in the stream. Luckily, that didn't happen, although it would have been hilarious and a great photo opportunity! Happy trails to all, thanks for reading and for traveling along with us!