Date: 2005-05-21
From: Catawba, Va

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

I slept really well in the gazebo last night. It was a little chilly. It was 41 degrees in the morning, and my bag is rated for 40, but I had my Western Mountaineering flight jacket on, so I pretty much stayed warm. I put my gloves on and fell asleep listening to 'Delilah' on the radio.I actually overslept this morning. I stayed in my sleeping bag until 7:20. I really could have stayed in it until 8 o'clock if I wanted to, but I got up at 7:20. When I did get up, I packed fast because I changed clothes and it was a little chilly. I walked the 1/4 mile to the grocery store. It was already crowded with a bunch of through hikers. They had run in there to do the Saturday morning drill at the post office. The post offices close at 10:30 and there's usually a rush to get mail drops. I sat there at the grocery and had a couple of sausage and egg biscuits and coffee. I waited around to see if OC1 and Albert would make it in. They made it in at 8:30. Apparently, they had gone to the other grocery and waited for me until 4 o'clock. They didn't get in until 4 o'clock. That was a little surprising for me because they are usually fast walkers. Then again, the Dragon's Tooth area is a pretty adventurous walk. It's difficult climbing on all the rocks. They apparently went ahead and ate and moved another 5 miles last night. Some of the people that hiked in while we were sitting there were Horizon and Kelly, who is now going by Nameless, I think. I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. I walked out of town at about 9:30. It was a beautiful day to hike. The skies were clear, the temperature was in the 60's, it was just magnificent. The walk itself was pretty darned nice because this is a very tourist-y area. Alot of people day-hike to McAfee Knob and the Tinker Cliffs. I guess it's part of the local income, too. The Trail is extremely well graded and well maintained up to McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. It's highly scenic with beautiful overlooks across valleys at McAfee Knob, and then extended walks with more of the same along Tinker Cliffs.When we got up to McAfee Knob everybody stopped and took pictures and exchanged cameras to take pictures of each other. Everyone was excited because there was cell reception there, so about half a dozen people were up there, talking on their cell phones. I called my sister, Todd and my boss, Tony and a couple of other people. I called Estee to gab at her. Then I gave the phone over to Albert to call his sister. We probably sat there for about an hour, then we moved on.Once we left that area, the walk got a little more rugged, of course, it wasn't as tourist-y and they didn't maintain the Trail as well.The 3 of us ended up at Lamberts Meadow Shelter at about 3 o'clock. We were alone for a while. A section hiker came in and left. As always, we were thinking we were going to be alone, but that's never the case. After 7 o'clock, people started walking in. Including Kelly, Horizon and an older man, I can't remember his name, but he's hard core. He does 25 miles a day. He walks from dawn until dark. As I sat here talking, it started to drizzle. Typical for Virginia. It'll probably rain tonight and quit tomorrow - I hope. We are planning on getting up early and walking the last 10 miles into Daleville. I have a room reserved at the Howard Johnson's Express. We totally intend on doing the 'town thing' again. We are going to pig out at the Mexican restaurant and the Pizza Hut, go to the Outfitters', do all kinds of stuff there for a fine Sunday, I hope.