Date: 2013-06-10
From: Partnership Shelter/Mt. Roger's Visitor Center

To: Davis Hollow Campsite - Blue-blazed Trail
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Adventure Part 2 BeginsAlarm had been set for 6 am but I hit the snooze twice before crawling out of bed. Adventures can be so exhausting. I snapped on the weather channel for the bad news. 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms today. Yep, one look outside showed it was already raining hard. I packed everything up, loaded most of it into the truck leaving my cell phone battery pack charging ( I'd forgotten to plug it in the night before) and headed out for McDonald's. The parking lot had an ambulance and there were EMTs in two rooms on two different floors. Lots of cops, people standing around. What was going on? I got breakfast at McDonald's and headed back to the motel. Had to hustle to get to Don Raines by 8:00 am. I stopped in the office and asked the manager about all the cops and EMTs that were still there. Several hikers were being questioned, had they gotten into a scuffle? Cops were putting on those blue latex gloves you see in movies. The manager noted that one of the young men hikers had passed away in his sleep last night. Wow! I couldn't talk to her anymore because with two sons of my own that age it was hitting to close to home. She noted that his trailname had been Waffles.All day I thought about the terrible phone calls that were needed to be made, the emotional state of the other young hikers who'd discovered him, the sadness his family was about to endure. Too sad. Whatever happened on the trail today, my day was NOT going to be that bad, rain included. Don gave me a ride to Partnership Shelter. We passed three young hikers heading out on our way in. I spent a bit of time re-packing my backpack. Discovered in my haste in Pairisburg I'd forgotten my mayo, spaghetti sauce, and hard boiled eggs for this four day leg. (Sigh). We hit the trail by 10:30. It is always so surreal that first mile back out in the woods. We stopped four miles in for second breakfast at USFS 86. There was a parking lot there with a tent. The three hikers I'd seen at Partnership all ducked into the woods and began giggling while I spoke to the woman and ate. She noted her name was Trail Snail because she moved so slow and that she was a thru-hiker. She was afraid to pack up and move on down the trail because of the pending rain. By this time the rain had long gone, skies were partly cloudy with no rain in site. By the was she was dressed and the local of her tent, I guessed she was more of a squatter type than a hiker. She noted there was water down the road if I needed some. I didn't but I sure wouldn't have left my pack with her unattended. Seemed like a ruse. Never did see any of these four again. I took a short break at Glade Mountain, there was a gorgeous view. Three young cleancut hiker boys passed by. Lunch was at Chatfield Shelter. The three young hikers were there but they left right away. I sat and ate lunch and listened to the tales of an old man hiker Ichty Balls.We passed through Atkins, VA without stopping at the Barn as is custom on the trail. I hear they make a mean hiker burger there. Shortly thereafter we caught up with three older thru-hikers and their black dog Angel. I was later to learn they were Buddy, Duct Tape (Eric), and Chainsaw (Don). We all along with a young female hiker Chop Shop (from Alaska), all stayed the night at Davis Hollow Campsite - Blue-blazed Trail.