Date: 2006-06-01
From: Motel 8- Rt 623, Va (on the trail)

To: Bland, Va
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

Happy June 1st!!!It's been 3 months today since I started this walk. :-)))Like anytime when you go for a walk, it doesn't always turn out the way you had in mind, but I'm going to keep pluggin' away at it. Three months and under 600 miles. :-)))I woke up at 4:55am and ate some breakfast and had some coffee.I have lots to do today besides walking.Shortcut was planning on slacking me for another couple of weeks, but she is flying north tomorrow morning to take care of her 86 year old mother who has a kidney infection.That means that when I get done with my walk today, we have to go to Pearisburg and pick up some mailed there that's been sent to Shortcut, then head over to Roanoke where she'll catch her flight in the morning.We drove back up to Rt 623 and I started walking north at 7:40am.On the way there, we saw a weasel cross the country road...at least I guess it was a weasel. I've never really seen one before.This area of trail always looks so different to me because it just seems to be a darker forest area.I passed by the side trail to Davis Farm Campsite and kept walking.I stopped at Jenkins Shelter and signed the register and got to use a couple more smiley face stickers.Wild Bill was packed up and getting ready to leave just as I got there.We talked a short while and he told me he was heading to Rt 615 where a church group was cooking breakfast for thru hikers.It was nice after I left the shelter because the nobo's in front of me took over the duty of knocking down the spider webs that magicly appear overnight. :-))) I had already cleared them from the trail for the first 4 miles this morning.The mountain laurel is almost in full bloom in this area. It's one of my favorites. When I got farther north this morning, I started running into lots of rhododendrens blooming again too.There are still quite a few yellow azaleas and orange azaleas around also. It's a very nice time of the year to walk through this area.I passed by Wild Bill at the high water trail around Little Wolf Creek.The AT was closed due to a bridge that washed out and I guess they wanted the nobo's to take the high water trail instead. It's been fairly dry out, so I walked the AT anyway and planned on fording a creek if I needed too.I walked down into the creek valley and started the many rock hops across Little Wolf Creek...12 in all.I passed by Librarian at the 9th crossing.I got to the washed out bridge over Laurel Creek and walked right across on dry rocks...no need to use the blue blazed trail right now.The washed out bridge was right at Rt 615 where the local church group was picking up hikers and taking them to their church to feed them breakfast.A guy in a truck was there just getting ready to take Grim Reaper, Forrest, Baloo and Ann in to eat.I stopped long enough to say hello to everyone, but I needed to keep moving today so I could get all the things done that I needed to do.There was a large cooler full of Tropicana orange juice just as I started walking again, so I stopped and had a couple of those.Thanks to the church group for that!!It was another 7 miles to Bland and I was moving along at a good pace enjoying the late morning. It was getting pretty warm out and was almost 1pm when I was nearing the end of my walking day.George and Ginny Fisher did it again!! :-)))Just as I was getting close to Bland, I saw a note attached to a post. As I got closer, I saw it had my name on it. Ha!!! :-)))The note said there was a cooler full of goodies and for me to take what I wanted and leave the rest for other hikers.There was 2 quarts of milk, 3 cokes, 6 Yeungling beers and six Snickers, all pack on ice!!I had a quart of milk and a coke and packed out 2 Yeunglings for tonight to have with Shortcut. :-)))This is 3 years in a row that George and Ginny Fisher have helped me out in this area. Once again, thanks you two!!!It is such a great feeling when you're very thirsty and come up to a cooler full of ice cold drinks.Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!I got back to where Shortcut was waiting on me to go to Pearisburg and I saw Billy From Philly just getting back out of Bland.He was scrambling to get his pack cover and rain jacket on before he started walking because it was starting to rain.Shortcut and I got to Pearisburg, stopped by the PO, then parked in the Holiday Motor Lodge parking lot to go into the sports bar and split a hamburger and fries.I saw Flippy (who I know from other years on the trail), Scavenger and 3 Dollar all sitting by the pool.After lunch, we headed over to Roanoke and checked into the Comfort Inn.I saw Blind Monkey in the lobby as I checked in.We got showers, then went into Roanoke for dinner.I'm going to have to start eating trail food when I get back on the trail, but last night I had a 14 ounce ribeye and tonight I had a 9 ounce filet mignon at Outback Steakhouse. Life can be so tough at times!!! :-)))I wasn't sure how I was going to work things out for me to get back on the trail after Shortcut leaves, so I sent Hammock Hanger an email to get Hokey Pokey's email address to see if he might drop me off. He lives right here in Roanoke.Shortly after I sent him an email, Hokey Pokey sent me his phone number and said he's be glad to help, but that he couldn't do it until Saturday.That actually will work out great.It will give me time to get my backpack in order and catch up on my journal and rest before I will be burdened with a heavy pack on my back and having to actually start sleeping in my tent again. ;-)))I am looking forward to carrying my pack again...it's actually easier for me because then all I have to do is walk until it gets dark and set up my tent where ever I'm at.Well, the adventure of this year's walk continues. :-)))