Date: 2008-08-15
From: Three Mile Road

To: Hanover
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: few clouds

Turns out I got some of what I was hoping for, but boy was my timing off. It was a comfortable bed and I got the shower. They didn't have a guest laundry, so after showering I had to put back on my stinky clothes. I hate that. The bed was comfortable, but I didn't sleep well. Around 11:00 PM a herd of elephants arrived stomping up the stairwell outside our room and apparently checking into the room above us. The noise continued until about 1:00AM. I couldn't figure out who could make so much noise until the next morning as I heard them come down the stairs. This time the stomping was accompanied by several very young voices and one Dad trying to corral them all.In addition to the Brady Bunch being upstairs, at 11:30 PM there was a pounding on our door. Food delivery. Sorry, wrong room. It was probably for the elephant herd. Again back to bed.Before 1:00AM Roo had to go outside twice. Normally she sleeps soundly all night. She's still not quite back to normal since whatever threw her system off at Glencliff. The last I looked at the clock it was 1:30.Then as usual 4:30, the sun begins to rise and my eyes pop open. We only have eight flat miles into Hanover so we had decided to take an easy day and sleep in. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to sleep. So much for the good nights sleep.By 10:30 we are up, checked out and in the shuttle back to the trail. I'm feeling like that was a waste. I should have saved the money and gone on into Hanover. Oh well.It was a great hiking day! The weather was perfect. Though there is still mud it's drying up more and more each day. I thought we would make great time into Hanover. Then we started meeting other hikers. Something about a nice day makes folks want to chat on the trail. We didn't mind, it was a great day for conversations. There was the father and son out for an outing before school started. They wanted to know everything in our packs and what they weighed. Next we came upon a NOBO couple we had met back at Chestnut Knob in Virginia. They are walking with their two beagles. We gave them the scoop on upcoming pet friendly hostels. Our last conversation was with a group of four day hikers. Just nice people.As I said earlier, my timing was off. First thing on the trail I got a call from Soaring. Her sister Judy had just called and had decided to come to Hanover to meet us. She would give us a ride to a hotel for the night. Your kidding! If we'd just waited. Now I was really struggling with whether we could afford another night. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to the noisy, no laundry Days Inn. When we arrived in Hanover we had a little time to blow so we sat down on a park bench. If I just had a computer I would start searching hotels in the area for pet friendly options. Instead I made a phone call. Who do I know that is computer savvy enough to look this up quickly and might be available for me to bug right now? My brother Phil. If he's home. He was home, was available and was a huge help, though we didn't know it at the time. Thanks Phil! I knew of two other hotels in the area... Hampton Inn, no pets and Residence Inn...pet friendly. But Residence Inn can be so expensive.Meanwhile we had a while before we could hook back up with Soaring and Tigger. They had taken a bus to the laundry; with the dog that was out for us. We walked into town and located the free thru hiker pizza we had heard about on the trail, then to the outfitter. We decided to add another pair of socks to our pack. Wet socks in the morning has gotten really old. While shopping Soaring and Tigger showed up.From there it was Ben and Jerry's, then to the bank machine and on to the commons area of Darthmouth where we were to meet Soaring's family. Judy and Ken were coming to walk for the day and their daughter Amy is going to join us for three days of hiking.When we met at the commons there was quite a bit of rearranging to do to get seven people, four packs and a dog into the car, but it worked. First decision to make was where to stay. I said the Resisnce Inn was an option, but I thought would be expensive. Soaring said maybe not, it's Friday, maybe we can get a deal. And she did. Wow! We're staying in this wonderful, comfortable studio room, QUIET room for the same price as the Days Inn room. And since I'm splitting it with Tigger, it's half the price. This place is fantastic. Oh, and the laundry was just two doors down. Clean body, clean clothes, great sleep... all geared back up to hike.Rabbit, Owl and RooJoshua 1:9