Date: 2003-05-21
From: Seley-Woodworth shelter

To: Harper's Creek shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: moderate rain

For the first time since Springer, the entire seven-person shelter slept late, 'til after 8:30 am. Unheard of! We must have needed it. Tired thru-hikers.The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was smoke drifting overhead. "There's a fire," thought my sleepy mind. Then I took the earplugs out and heard the rain. We were in a cloud, and it was blowing in over our heads.Once fully awake, I packed up quickly for a 2.3 mile jaunt to Fish Hatchery Road. There, the Dutch Haus Bed and Breakfast was rumored to meet thru-hikers and shuttle them to their log inn for a FREE LUNCH. Could it be true? Free lunch in the woods? Why would anyone do that?I jumped down from the shelter and just barely missed Yogi's midnight expulsions on the ground. "Oh," I said, looking down. "It was SHELLS and cheese..."Another thru-hiker who had camped further down the Trail stopped by the shelter on his way to the shuttle. "Hey man," he teased Yogi, "You gonna eat that?" Thru-hikers have a very sick sense of humor.I nipped down the path at a fast clip, the rain dripping down. Within the first mile, I was soaked. I am getting used to being wet all the time now, I truly am. If I waited till it was dry to hike, I'd still be in Georgia. What is hard to deal with is being wet and cold. I beat it down to the shuttle area at exactly 10:30 am, the time a flyer said to be there. No shuttle. Is it true? There IS no free lunch?Heiko the Psycho was there, and Homebound, and poor Yogi, still looking a little pale. He was going to get a ride to Waynesboro to recover.It was 10:50 now, and we were standing in the rain shivering. I couldn't stay warm and had just given up, turning back to the .6 uphill trudge back to the Trail. All of a sudden, a cheer went up - the red SUV was here!We crammed 10 hikers and their packs into that SUV, by gum. And when we got there, Lois served us up cheeseburgers, potato salad, orange wedges and pots of hot coffee. That hot coffee put the sparkle back in my day. I finally stopped shivering, and was ready to hike."Why do you do this?" I asked Lois, wonderingly. They didn't even ask for donations. "Because its fun!" she replied with a smile. Thank you, Dutch Haus. There really IS a free lunch.The coffee made the climb up the 4K-foot Priest Mountain easy for me, but what a downhill! It has been awhile since I'd had such a quad-jellying descent. I actually felt sorry for the southbounders who had to climb up it.The climb up Three Ridges was reputed to be beastly, but tonite we would only have to go up the first third. It was sweltering in rain gear and freezing without it. Would there be space in the shelter this wet cold night? Toes and fingers crossed...I have a tent, but when it is this wet, the shelter is the place to be. Much less hassle to a tired, wet, hungry hiker.Yes! There was room. We cross the noisy Harper's Creek, fat and full from the rain. In a little while, up come Notes and Ostrich. They caught up with us. Fly and Smoothie decide to tent anyway, as it is warmer and Fly has only a thin fleece bag.The "white noise" of the creek lulled me to sleep. Tomorrow, the dreaded Three Ridges.