Date: 2003-05-23
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The next morning, hikers slowly trickled out of the shelter until 3 of us were left. Fire Angel and I would have kept the tradition of being the last ones to leave, but one other hiker stayed behind. I believe that it was Lexi. Her beagle had gotten onto to the sent of some game the day before and had not returned. She was meeting some family and friends there to try to search the trail and get signs posted. After breakfast, I got out of the shelter and made my way to the privy. When I returned I heard new voices in the shelter. Usually there was an unspoken sense of shame when hikers came from behind and caught you before you even left camp. But I was delighted to see my old friends Charity and Switchback. They had caught back up to us from their detour in Bland. Switchback had a successful operation on his toe. He was bundled up in the corner of the shelter in his sleeping bag. He and Charity had left Pearisburg that morning and he had bundled up to fight off the cool morning air. Charity left at one point to either get water or find the privy and Switchback began talking to me in a quiet voice. "My wife's pregnant." I congratulated him and then asked if he knew who the father was. He said that he couldn't tell because all of his friends had claimed responsibility. After the jokes were over he got very serious. "I don't feel right about being out here." I asked, "What is she telling you?" "She has been great. She wants me to stay out here and finish this. If I keep this pace I can be back in Georgia 2 months before she is due. But I don't feel right about it. It is her first." Switchback had a light pack, moved fast, and if he wasn't joking, then he was laughing. But today, he was carrying a heavy load and it showed. I had never seen him so down. "I think I am going to hike to Harper's Ferry then get off and go back to be with her." I couldn't imagine how difficult his decision was and I told him so. I assured him that he was making the right choice, and that the trail would be here whenever he was ready. We shook hands and I hike out with Fire Angel. I knew I would see him again before the day was over...but that was not the case. Fire Angel and I got out into Rice field but again, the only view was that of fog in all directions. We met the rest of party that had hiked in to join the search for the beagle. They had spent all morning putting up signs at trailheads and parking areas. We promised to spread the word then hiked north. I got ahead of Fire Angel and spent most of the day hiking alone through fog and rain. The moral on the whole trail, it seemed, was very low. We were just entering the central section of Virginia with more than 200 miles to go before even beginning Shenandoah National Park. This fact didn¢t bother me as much as it probably did other hikers. For me, every step north was a step closer to familiar ground and Natasha. But what did bother me was the rain and cold. This combined with the steadily increasing rumors of hikers in the pack behind dropping out, made the trail damp and dark on multiple levels. On the other hand, I was beginning to feel more natural. The days were getting longer and I could sleep later. I felt that I was making the miles I wanted and didn¢t feel pressure to get so many in, but could just go with the flow of the day and the terrain. I was being more myself in camp too, letting that goofy side of me out more often and not worrying about looking foolish. Charity came from behind and met me at about 2PM. We hiked together and spoke until we hit the shelter at 7PM. We talked the whole time- history, books, art, politics, and our families. We found a good lunch spot at Symms meadow and actually had a little bit of a view as the mid-day sun had burned off some of the clouds. We passed the Allegheny Trail on Peters Mountain and 2.5 miles past that we met up with Journey, Oreo and Buttercup, and a thru-hiker family team. The stepfather, mother and daughter all had trail names that were cities in Montana. They were friendly enough, but tended to pack together and they were mainly known as ¢The Montana¢s¢. The shelter had a fireplace inside it, and others had already tried to put it to good use. There were plenty of hot embers to get a fire going and soon we were all scooting as close as we could to the fire to dry out. Fire Angel showed up and had a bundle of wood. I passed my small container of Jack Daniels to everyone and Fire Angel shared marshmallows and chocolate. I had to sleep at an odd angle in the shelter because there was a 4-bunk design. I had to wake up periodically during the night to adjust, but everyone had space.