Date: 2006-05-17
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Punch Bowl Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: 0

Cell unknown.The cell status is unknown because I don't have much battery life on the phone. The other night I did something wrong - instead of charging the phone I discharged it. When I got back on the trail the phone was dead and I didn't know what happened. I went into a town this morning and was able to get a quick charge; it needs to get a long charge to be right. I'll do some power management until I get a chance to do that. Hopefully I'll come upon a pavilion in the Shanandoah National Park with electricity and I'll get that long charge.I took my time getting out of camp this morning because I needed to go to town, and I figured the store wouldn't be open early. I had a two mile hike to the road, so I figured no hurry. Soon after I started I saw the James River, so I thought I was making good time. When I got down to the river, I discovered I would be walking along it for the next mile. There went my idea of making good time!The James River is very wide, and not one to be forded. In the past, hikers had another few miles to walk along the river before reaching a road that crosses it. A few years ago they built a bridge just for AT hikers to cross the river. I've been told the bridge cost a million dollars to build, and looking at how it's built, I believe it. Lounge Lizzard, the trail angel, was on the other side of the river waiting to talk to Gray Fox. LL wanted GF's response to the questions I answered yesterday, because GF studied Recreational Management in college, too. Lucky he was there because he drove us into town [Big Island] where we had breakfast, and I had an opportunity to buy some more food and charge my cell phone. After we ate, LL gave me a ride back to the trail. The others stayed there to wait for a friend of GF to drive them to Trail Days in Damascus this weekend.The reason I bought more food was because I misjudged how much I needed from my last maildrop. I discovered I was two days short, so I went in and bought some. I've always been concerned about buying trail meals from a convenience store. The Thru-Hikers handbook mentions them, but I've wondered what could be bought. Today I bought some Pop-Tarts for breakfast, Turkey jerky, cocoa, crackers, instant mashed potato packages, canned ham, and turkey. All of these items can make up various parts of a meal. I was afraid I would be limited to Snickers, chips, Pepsi, and various other junk food. Today was the second time I've had to buy at a convenience store, and it worked out fine both times.This evening I reached the shelter and found trail magic! There were fresh oranges, pinapple and peaches in plastic cups, moon pies, and various other goodies. Then after I ate my mashed potatoes and ham, the youth group camping here brought over some red beans and rice, scalloped potatoes, tortillas, cheeze-its, and dried pineapple. Of course I had a little beans and rice wrapped in a tortlla! Not a bad day food-wise - I had a real breakfast, trail magic, and a big dinner.The temperature is pretty comfortable right now. Lately it is cold at this hour. Tonight I'm able to sit at the picnic bench and type, rather than be bundled in my sleeping bag. I'm in the shelter again tonight, as this youth group have their tents set up in most of the good sites. I'm okay with that, as the biting bugs aren't out yet. Oh, there's a pond next to this site, and it's full of tadpoles. I'll bet there will be tons of bullfrogs, and this will be a noisy site then, another plus for good timing!I'm on schedule for meeting my son, Chris, on Saturday morning, I may try a longer day tomorrow, as I hear there is an excellent camping site at our rendezvous point. My original plan was to stay at the shelter three miles before there. I'll do what feels best.Old GoatSue's Note: I'm in a funk again. I don't do very well when I can't talk things out with my best friend, Old Goat. I'm a very sensitive person and I feel things deeply, so when emotional tiggers hit (and there were some for me over these past 3 days), I need to talk about them and just go through the emotion. I've never been able to work it out by myself - I need to talk with someone who cares about me. The funk eventually passes without talking it out, but it sure takes a long time, and I have lots of nightmares and bad mornings until it does. My emotions often seem to calm down as the day goes by, but I'm back in it the next morning after another night of nightmares.Old Goat has learned just what I need in times like this, but we haven't been able to talk much, so I'm somewhat stuck in this funk right now. Only having about 4 minutes for each call (to save his phone's battery power) is the pits. I don't want to get into what's bothering me because we don't have much time, so I take care of business (where he was the night before, how he's doing, notes from friends, questions I've been listing - from me or others....etc.) and get off the phone.