Date: 2013-05-23
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Davis path campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

(this is Indigo's journal again)I woke up at 6:15 on my own. I had slept in my Capris because it had gotten chilly but it seemed warm enough now to wear shorts. It wasn't raining yet. I gave Bailey her breakfast as i cooked my oatmeal. I packed up my sub leftovers for a tasty lunch. I left at 7:30 ahead of most people. I was trying to make it to Atkins 11 miles away, for lunch. It started raining about an hour after I started. I debated whether to put on my rain jacket or not but decided not to because I was already so hot from climbing uphill. The rain came down hard but I was intent on pushing through. The forest looked pretty, what little I could see of it through rain dropped glasses.My Dad had given me a 16.9 oz mountain Dew bottle holder for my hip belt for easy access and easy measuring for powder drinks, but it sure was hitting my thigh hard especially downhill. He had put Gatorade frost in there to start out which was super delicious. I got to a view spot when it wasn't raining so I took a few pictures an took a few bites of my sub. WOW was tasty! I wanted to eat the rest of it at the shelter so I hurried on down the trail. There were 2 women still packing up when I got there I ate my sandwich as Aviator and Hawkeye both stopped in and left within minutes. It was only 4.5 more miles to Atkins. As I descended towards town the trail became super muddy. It wasn't just mud it was super thick super gushy and super slippery. There were multiple slip foot prints in front of me and I added some more. The trail was lined with poison ivy and stinging nettles. It's a good thing I didn't have to go to the bathroom as there was nowhere to go. After an hour of mud, I was really annoyed. My ankles, knees and hips hurt from trying to keep my balance. My dog was changing color the farther we walked. The mud was steadily creeping up her beautiful white fur. The good thing was the sun was coming out. I took a real short side trail to an 1890's farm but it was just a bunch of dilapidated old buildings. I passed an old schoolhouse which was just one wood building. The trail wound through grass 3 feet high. There was tall swaying grass all around but the trail was still a mudslide. the short wet grass wasn't any less slippery. As I was hiking I skipped and fell as if I were sliding into home base, except this home base was a soft bed of poison ivy and stinging nettles. So now I was completely covered in mud on my right side and I touched not so nice plants. Maybe the mud would protect me. I continued hiking through grassy fields hopein that that "red barn" in the distance was the barn that served food. Now the sun was baking me and my mud but I could see and hear Atkins. I made my way up the road towards the barn. I left my pack outside(because the sign said so) and tied up Bailey next to it. She'll guard it for sure. I ordered a cheeseburger and saved a few bites for Bailey. Hawkeye and several others ordered the hiker burger which was 2.5 lbs patties. I charged my phone and chatted with Hawkeye for an hour and a half. I didn't want t hike in the heat of the day and I only had 3 miles left anyway. I got a M and M cookie ice cream sandwich from the gas station across the street and gave Bailey a tiny piece of ice cream from that too. She's lucky I love her, saving morsels just for her. I left Atkins just after 4 and had a hot road walk for a bit. There was more tall grass, but someone had put in a short boardwalk over the mud. Bailey and I crossed a cow pasture and she ran 15 ft off the trail to sniff something I went to see what was so interesting and it was a dead cow. the hide had stretched out tight over the skeleton. Thank Bailey. After we re-entered the forest Baily drank and laid down in the first stream we came to. I knew she was hot but I wanted to get a little father from the cow pasture. I followed the blue blaze to water and it was kind of creepy there so I didn't camp there. I was hoping there would be people at Davis path campsite and a privy but there weren't. That uphill had been tough and it rained for 10 min scaring me into hurrying. I finally saw the privy and stairs where the old shelter had been. I wasn't that hungry so I was thinking about not cooking. I hummed to myself as I setup my tent because I don't like camping alone and Bailey was already sleeping. Reddup showed up and said she was glad to see me set up there as well, Bailey barked and barked at her as we tried to chat as she setup her hammock. It started to rain so we both went back to our respective homes for the night. I was glad to know someone3 was within 50 ft of me. It rained but I slept fine, waking up at 6:15. It was chilly but not raining so I cooked oatmeal and hot choc. under my tent vestibule. I liked staying warm while cooking an eating. I started sprinkling as I packed up and I left at 7:30