Date: 2009-05-24
From: ROAN HIGH KNOB SHELTER

To: MOUNTAIN HARBOR BED AND BREAKFAST
Miles today: 15.2

HIKED OVER THE LITTLE HUMP MOUNTAIN AND ANOTHER I CANT REMEMBER THE NAME. THAT ENDED UP BEING A LONG HIKE IN DRIZZLE AND RAIN. VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED. THE TRAIL WAS WET AND I KEPT ON GOING IN SHORTS AND LONG UNDERWEAR. ARRIVED AT THE STAN MURRAY SHELTER AND MET A COUPLE OF YOUNG GIRLS AND TURTLEBACK WHO WAS HATING NOT HAVING A GOOD MEAL. OFF HE WENT. MET HIM AT UNCLE JOHNNYS EARLIER IN MY JOURNEY. THE GIRLS PARENTS SHOWED UP AND WERE HEADING BACK TO US 19. THE TWO GIRLS GAVE ME A FEW PACKAGES OF CRYSTAL LIGHT. THEY SAID THEY WEREN'T GONNA NEED THEM. THANKS AND OFF THEY WENT. PICKED UP A FRISBEE THAT WENT ALONG WITH MY TENNIS BALL. TWO GUYS WENT BLAZING BY WITHOUT STOPPING. PENNYWHISTLE STOPPED BY AND I CHATTED WITH HER. APPEARS SHES BEEN TRYING TO CATCH ME FOR QUITE SOME TIME. TURNS OUT SHES BEEN READING MY JOURNAL ENTRIES AND ALL THE ENTRIES OTHERS HAVE WROTE ABOUT ME. GUESS IM A PRETTY POPULAR GUY. OFF I WENT. UP OVER THE LITTLE HUMP MOUNTAIN AND GOT ALMOST TO THE TOP AND PASSED TURTLEBACK. THEN I SAW A COUPLE WHO I MET WHO I ASKED IF THEY WOULD SNAP MY PICTURE. THEY ARE HEADING NORTH. TURNS OUT AS THEY KEPT LOOKING BACK I FINALLY REALIZED WHY AS I HIKED TOWARDS THEM. THE CLOUDS HAD PARTED BEHIND ME AND I GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES. THE SUN APPEARED SHORTLY AFTER FOR A BREIF MOMENT. DOWN I RACED TO US 19. MET UP WITH A FEW BEAUTIFUL HORSES THAT I FOUND TO BE A POPULAR TOPIC. PASSED THEM UP AND OVER SOME ROCKY DOWNHILL AND DOWN TO DOLL FLATS WHERE SAW PENNY WHISTLE WHO PLANNED ON CAMPING OUT. SHE PASSED ME AS I WAS TAKING A BREAK. I WONT BE SEEING HER AGAIN SHE DOES 20 MILE DAYS. RAN INTO THE GROUP OF 6 HIKERS WHO I MET AS I HEADED TO GREASY CREEK HOSTEL. THEY WERE SURPRISED TO SEE ME. "NO WAY" THEY SAID. APPEARS THE GAL HAD TWISTED HER ANKLE. THEY OFFERED ME SOME DINNER. THOSE ARE SOME GREAT FOLKS. TURTLEBACK ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER I GOT DONE EATING AND I FELT A LITTLE GUILTY. TOLD HIM THE MOUNTAIN HARBER BED AND BREAKFAST HAD A BREAKFAST TO DIE FOR. 3 MORE MILES I TOLD HIM. LETS GO. HE DIDNT WANT TO AND JUST WANTED TO HEAD TO THE NEXT SHELTER. I GAVE THE THUMBS UP TO THE FOLKS THAT FED ME AND SAID I'M OFF TO KNOCK OUT THE THREE MILES TO THE HOSTEL. OFF I WENT. WENT TO SNAP A PICTURE. WHAT A VIEW. WHOOPS! DOWN I WENT. STEPPED ON A ROCK AND DOWN THE SIDE OF THE HILL I WENT. STARTED ROLLING. ONE AND A HALF REVOLUTIONS AS I GRABBED FOR ANYTHING I COULD TO STOP ME. DIDNT KNOW WHERE I WAS HEADING AND A 3 INCH TREE STOPPED ME FROM GOING AND GOING AND GOING. LUCKY FOR ME. I HAD A GOOD LAUGH, TOOK A PICTURE OF MY WIPEOUT. OFF I WENT. RAN INTO A GROUP OF FOUR GUYS THAT HIKED UP FROM US 19. WHEN I GOT TO THE NEXT SHELTER AFTER PASSING MOES SISTER WHO I KEPT RUNNING INTO. THEY WERE ALWAYS ASKING ME IF I HAD SEEN HER. I WOULD GIVE THEM THE INFO. MOES SISTER TOLD ME THE GIRLS WERE WONDERING IF I WAS GONNA MAKE IT TO THE SHELTER WITH THEM AND WANTED TO SEE ME AGAIN. WHEN I GOT THERE I TOLD THEM DID THEY HAVE ANY DOUBTS? HEHE, I NOT STAYING, IM HEADING TO THE HOSTEL FOR A SHOWER. GOT TO US 19 AND THE FOUR GUYS POINTED ME UP THE HILL TO THE HOSTEL. APPEARS I DIDNT READ THE SIGN JUST OFF THE TRAIL AND OFF I WENT. 2.5 MILES UP THE HILL TO THE STEAKHOUSE WHICH WAS CLOSED. NOT FINDING THE HOSTEL I FIGURED I WENT THE WRONG WAY. GOT MY COMPASS OUT AND SURE ENOUGH I WENT THE WRONG WAY. HITCHING A RIDE TO THE HOSTEL PROVED TO NOT WORK SO I WAKED 2.8 MILES DOWN US 19. ARRIVED AT THE HOSTEL TO FIND IT WAS FULL. DANG IT! THE LADY SAID I GOT A DOUBLE BED IN THE RV THAT TWO SISTER HAD THE TWO SINGLE BEDS. ILL LET YOU HAVE IT IF NO ONE SHOWS UP. AS I STOOD THERE, TWO GUYS ARRIVED IN A CAR. COLDFEET AND CHECKPOINT CAME UP TO THE DOOR AND WERE LOOKING FOR A STAY. BUMMER! SHE TOLD THEM THEY COULD CAMP OUT IN THE GRASS AND DIDNT OFFER THEM THE RV. SWEET FOR ME. WENT INTO THE BUNK HOUSE, MET A FEW FOLKS WHO WERE ALL READY TO JUST PARTY. TOOK MY SHOWER, GAVE THE LADY MY LAUNDRY AND SHAVED. CHATTED FOR A WHILE DITCHED MY FRISBEE INTO THE HIKERS BOX AND SCORED A CANISTER OF FUEL FOR MY STOVE. UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS I RETREATED TO MY RV. HEAVEN! THE RV WAS EMPTY I HAD IT TO MYSELF. COOKED ON THE STOVE AND RELAXED. WENT THROUGH MY PACK. LAUNDRY WONT BE READY TILL MORNING. IM GONNA HAVE THE BREAKFAST TO DIE FOR.