Date: 2010-06-08
From: Hightop Hut

To: Skyland Resort
Miles today: 16.0

Day 93I am a bad boy. Today not only did I blue blaze, but I yellow blazed too. I should be ashamed of myself, but I'm not. This morning I waited till the early risers packed up and moved out, and then I crawled out from under my sleeping bag. It was pretty chilly last night, probably the coldest it has been in the last 4 weeks. I now had 4 journal entries written that needed to be uploaded to trailjournals. After I left the shelter I kept checking along the ridge for a signal but I didn't get one till I was in a gap. Go figure. So I updated the journal, but I couldn't get a phone call out. I had bars, but no connection. I was bummed because I really need to call home. So I hiked another 3 or 4 miles to a picnic area hoping to find someone to yogi (its a form of getting food without actually asking for it, right boo boo). The area was mostly empty, but there was someone there who offered me a ride to the Lewis Wayside (restaurant) 5 miles up the road.   I need to be in Front Royal Thursday night which is 66 miles away from last nights shelter. I figure I'll be hitching a ride the last few miles anyway so I might as well do t now. When we got on the road I asked if the camp store and the restaurant were close. He said they weren't but the ones at Big Meadows were in the same building. And then he asked if I wanted to go there instead. I caved and said yes. So I jumped ahead 13 miles.I know, I am terrible. But it was actually good, because at the wayside were a bunch of thruhikers that I know and like to hang with. Tornado and Sofar were getting ready to leave. They had been hiking along the actual Parkway road where the views are much better (and the hiking is easier). I had hiked a few miles on the road a few miles yesterday and it was awesome. So I told them to hike slow and I would catch up. I ate a big old cheeseburger, fries and blackberry milkshake then took off down the road after them. I'd walked about a mile when this white car pulled up beside me and Santa Clause asked me if I was Hyway. Turns out Santa was actually another person from my backpacking forum WWW.thebackpacker.com/Trailtalk He offered me a ride so I piled in and asked who he was. Turns out Santa is Hog On Ice (or HOI) who started a thruhike last year but had to get off for medical reasons. Soon we had caught up to my friends where I thanked him for the ride and got out. We hiked up the road and at the next overlook (another awesome view) he was waiting and offered to carry our packs the rest of the day for us. Slackpacking? My pack was off before his words stopped echoing. Then he'd drive up a mile or so and wait for us so we could drink from our water bottles. He did thus the 9 miles to Skyland Resort where we stopped for a beer and a snack. HOI didn't have one so I bought him a soda instead. After that he helped us more by driving us back to the AT and hiking with us a short way to show us this nice stealth camping site.After he left and we rested a while We hiked up to Stoney Man Mountain summit to watch the sunset. On the way, nit 500' from our camp, Sofar stops on a dime and begins staring down a sidetrail. About 75' away is a very large black bear. Too cool, my third bear. The sunset was spectacular like always and I called hone and my brother in law. He wants to pick me up tomorrow instead of Thursday and since he is driving 1 1/2 hours one way he can have what he wants. So I'll be getting off at Luray, VA tomorrow. And then its civilian time till Tuesday.   I am in my tent now and every sound is a potential bear. Its quieted down now so maybe I'll live through the night. And its cold which has done a great job getting rid of the bugs. I am feeling much better and don't feel sick any at all now. Thanks to the Doxy pills my chest aches everytime I eat and I nay have gotten to much sun today. My hands and arms were tingling. Goodnight and sweet dreams to every one out there not living the Slackpacking, Blue and Yellow Blazing Dream.