Date: 2010-04-24
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Groseclose (i-81)
Miles today: 11.6

Today was amazing, plain and simple!After a great leaving party for Jam last night at Partnership shelter (a huge thank you to every involved), I set off early before 7 when only a few were stiring. It was 11 miles at that point into Groseclose where PnB and Sherpa are getting off the trail. I had the morning of a lifetime and must have walked through at least 8 different types of microenvironment a few of them were as follows:Lush green pasturesScotch and white pine forestRhododendron thicketsLaurel covered mountains1890's Homestead villageBoardwalked marchlandStream and creek rockbedsWintered Oak ForestBusy (i-81) highwayEven though I was hiking by myself on Jam's last morning it still felt very much like I was sharing that experience with everyone else who I'd see later as we recount our day/morning. Seeing a turtle sitting slap bang on the trail was one animal I was not expecting, I'm sure it was evil eyeing me too... I took a photo of the little fellow and it came out quite well, that's another reason to get to Groseclose, my new camera would be waiting there. I also saw a number of other animals including:DeerButterfliesBullfrogWoodpeckerTurkey VultureButterfly GrubsVarious small birds (black and red, blue, black and yellow)I passed Chatfield shelter at around 9 to find a message from Twigs (written three days earlier) saying that he was thinking about Peanut Butter and how he would be off the trail by now and that he wishes he's said it before leaving over a week ago in Erwin - Peanut Butter read it on the way down - I'll be sure to tell Twigs if I ever see him again, that and I have his hat!I found a 'Haven's Budget Inn' hat in Tow's hiker box in Damascus and have since been proudly (and pretty rediculously) broadcasting Ron Haven's services on the trail by wearing the bright blue trucker hat. Twigs actually managed to be given one off Haven's own head when we were back in Franklin and was very pleased with himself - funny that I now have one too! Now I just have to catch his 20+ mile day 3 day lead ...I arrived at the Barn Restaurant at 11.20 and my socks and camera were waiting! Thank you to my American mother for sending the socks up! The brand is actually called '1000 Miler' but the pair I have been wearing have pretty much had it at 538.8 miles, that name doesn't sound quite as catchy .... I wonder if I can return them for false advertising and get a new pair free? Anyway, I can now alternate between the two pairs until one wears out (I should have been doing that all along).At the restaurant I had their 1lb 'Hiker Burger' - 1lb beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle with fries and coffee with free refill (must have been 6+ cups) and then was tempted by their chocolate fudge cake. All that came to less than $12 which is a bargain really, and the food was really good! I ate by myself whilst my phone and camera charged, vaigely waiting for other hikers to show up, but mainly just toying around with my new camera after.It's ideal and I love the 5x optical zoom, so many times the 3x zoom on the old camera just wasn't enough, it has plenty of other upgrades (14mpx, HD video, 4GB card) over the SW580 but the zoom is definitely the best so far, it will be interesting to try out on the trail. It also came with the Olympus USB cable, so I have been able to get some more pictures off the old card and uploaded to facebook. I've managed to get some up on trailjournals as well so have a look through some older posts to see the assocaited picture or browse to the photo section on the left hand menu.Others arrived a little later having had a lie in (I probably should have done that) and I recommended the Hiker Burger. I ended up getting another myself, with onion rings and it was just as tasty as the first. There is absolutely no way that in normal society I would be able to eat 2lb of meat over two burgers with sides but hiker hunger is truly something else (oh, I had a pint of icecream later as well). We decided to call it a day there and checked into the nearest Motel - proper roadside, drive up, concreted forecourt motel, cheap and cheerful style - but that's all we needed. I spend the afternoon resupplying, messing with my alcohol stove (thinking of ditching the Whisperlite) and wondering when the weather would change.The satellite maps show crazy storms brewing in north Georgia and moving north east towards us in southern Virginia, it started raining later and is due to get worse through the night. It's currently 9.45pm and raining fairly solidly - I will head out tomorrow morning regardless of whether it's raining or not, if you don't carry on in the rain, you get nothing done! It's 14 miles to the next shelter northbound, I'm going to get there then sit down and think about going further, I will be 'alone' in the sense that Jam won't be on the trail, but there are plenty of other people who are planning the 'reach shelter then evaluate' approach.