Date: 2003-04-27
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins, VA 
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 45 Avg Mls/Day 11.9Weather: Mostly sunny, warm. High in low 80'sCharlie and I were the only ones in Trimpi Shelter last night. It's probably because everyone wants to get to the next shelter, Partnership, where they can get Pizza Hut delivery in the evenings. I found out they don't deliver for lunch. When I arrived there today at 10:45 a.m. it was empty (except for a case of Miller High Life left behind).We both got up at daybreak but I got out first again while Charlie was finishing his coffee. I hiked alone all day until near the end. The 10 miles or so to Partnership were easy miles. It is a beautiful shelter...the nicest one I've ever seen. It even has an attached warm shower. I left a note in the register and went a couple of hundred yards down the Trail to the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters. Everything was locked up...even the pepsi machine. I was able to use the phone outside on the wall to call Pizza Hut. That's when I found out they didn't deliver for lunch. I was able to send in the last 3 days journals and receive my pocketmail messages. So, I laid around on the lawn for about an hour...answering a couple of emails. Apparently while I was doing that, Charlie hiked on by. Next on the Trail there were 3 mountains to climb...nothing too terrible, but enough to make the day more tiring than yesterday. The last hill, Glade Mountain (3,900') was a long steady climb. I stopped at the Chatfield Shelter around 2:30 and saw Charlie's name in the register. Not long after that I met a SOBO who said Charlie was asking about me...he thought I was still ahead of him. I finally caught up with him about 3 and we hiked the last few miles together. The Trail came out of the woods and over some rolling meadows. It came out at the road barely 100 yards from the motel where we both checked in. We did our laundry, took showers and went up the road to The Barn restaurant for dinner. We both had the chicken fried steak special for $4.75. After which we went across the road to the Dairy Queen for hot fudge sundies. We bought a few food items and agreed to meet for breakfast. BTW, the motel is no longer The Hiker Village Motel and the restaurant next door was closed. It is now called the Relax Inn. The small 50's like motel is fairly clean and only $35 for the night.It seems as though I am in between the larger groups of hikers. Most of the people I have hiked with or been with in towns are behind me now. Gambler, Jersey, Eli and Goldberry are anywhere from a half day to 2 days ahead. I think the next zero I have planned is next Saturday in Pearisberg.They say the state of Virginia is so long that hikers are suseptable to the "Virginia blues." You get a sense of accomplishment each time you leave a State behind and enter a new one. Virginia is something over 500 miles so you can see it will be the end of May before that happens again. It is a beautiful state with lots of scenary. I'm still enjoying the hike.I haven't mentioned the animals. So far have seen a number of whitetail deer. Of course we have them back home in Ohio. One ran out in front of me several years ago on my way home from work...did over $2,800 damage to my pick up truck. I still felt bad. They are such pretty creatures.At night we've been entertained by loud screeching owls. Last night one sounded like it was next door. Some hikers have reported seeing a bear on the Trail...none at the shelters that I've heard about.Thought for the Day: Ah..a taste of summer...what happened to those nice cool days?