Date: 2006-04-25
From: 3 mi S of Tn/Va Stateline

To: Damascus, Va
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: broken clouds

21,459 foot steps todayToday started early after I set up my tent so early yesterday and fell asleep while it was still light out.I woke up at 5am and brewed my coffee and had one fruit pie and a Boost energy drink.I just layed there in my tent for a while enjoying what I knew would be my last morning on the trail for a few weeks.I was finally packed up and walking at 6:25am.It was nice watching the sun come up and before long, I was at the Tn/Va stateline.I actually was surprised to see it so soon. I had just finished calculating where I was and figured I still had 20 minutes before I would be at the stateline.I'm usually within just a few minutes of where I think I am on the trail.I paused for a few minutes thinking about Pamela. Her ashes are at each stateline and each end of the AT.I walked on and in another 10 minutes came up to Parkbench and Lunch Box.Parkbench was still in his sleeping bag and asked what time I started walking. :-)))We talked for a short while, then I walked on.I walked down the mountain into Damascus and was there by 8:30am.I stopped by a phone to check email before heading up to the outfitter.Jeff had already opened the outfitter, so I walked in and talked to him a while.Jeff is one of the really good guys along the trail.He'd do almost anything to help someone out and he wouldn't think of selling someone anything that they didn't need.He said he'd save me a room at the hostel across the street and told me that the Dairy King has been serving a really good breakfast this year, so I headed up there and had a second breakfast.It was good...a couple eggs over easy, hash browns, country ham, wheat toast and more coffee. :-)))I walked back down to the outfitter and he already had a room for me, so I went over and took a shower and put my stuff in the room, then went and sent in a journal entry for the day before.I checked later and saw that Hammock Hanger must have been out for the morning, so while I was at the library, I went ahead and posted the entry from there.I had been asking around about a ride back to north Georgia, but hadn't found anything yet, so I went back up to the Dairy King (I noticed this morning that they also did fried chicken) and I ordered a fried chicken lunch. :-)))They cook it to order, so it took 25 minutes to get it, but I was in no hurry.I was surprised at just how good it was. Probably the best fried chicken I've had in several months. :-)))I stayed busy walking around and looking for a ride to Georgia, but only found a ride to Hot Springs, NC so far.That ride wasn't until noon tomorrow, so I figured if I hadn't come up with anything by then, I would at least take that and get closer to home.I had been talking to a bunch of the hikers that were in town...Heald, Gumby, Coyote Bec, Miley, Glow Worm, Lunch Box, Parkbench and probably another 15 or so that I can't think of right now. It was just a busy time and there were alot of hikers in town.The day had been going by quickly and I was sitting in front of the outfitters just getting ready to go have dinner with Gumby and Coyote Bec when someone said there was a call for me inside.I went in and it was Sunny calling me from Memphis.She said that she had read my journal entry and saw I needed a ride. She said Queen Diva was in Elizabethton, Tn, which wasn't too far away and she was going to the Ashville area tomorrow.Sunny said she would give her a call and see if there was room for me.It wasn't long before Circuit Rider called me back at the outfitter and said that they would be more than happy to pick me up and take me home....see what I mean about hikers being the best people on earth!!Queen Diva, Circuit Rider and Sherlock had to be near Ashville at 2pm tomorrow, but said they wouldn't mind picking me up and taking me home tomight.Tonight!!!I never even gave it a thought that I would be home tonight. I thought it might take a few days since it was over 4 hours by car.Circuit Rider said they would come up right after dinner. He and Sherlock were at Applebee's eating dinner.Sherlock is a true long distance hiker because his thoughts always tend to have something to do with food. :-)))I had time for dinner, so I walked over to Sicily's and sat down with Gumby, Coyote Bec, Glow Worm and 2 others, then ordered a nice lasagna dinner with a salad.When I was done, I walked over to the hostel to wait on my ride.It had started raining by the time Sherlock and Circuit Rider came walking in.Queen Diva waited in the car so she wouldn't get wet.It always makes my day to see those three...three of the finest people I know!!They acted like it was not a problem at all that Sherlock and Circuit Rider had walked all day and that Queen Diva had already driven most of the day...they were happy to drive another 4+ hours to get me home.Sherlock kept talking about the fact that he had missed out on desert and was wondering when we were going to come to a Krispy Kreme...he wanted donuts and a milk shake. :-)))Circuit Rider and Queen Diva acted like they couldn't hear him. That went on for over an hour, then finally Sherlock leaned up and said; "Hey, I'm serious...I NEED a milkshake guys."We did stop shortly after 10pm and the 3 guys got milkshakes and Queen Diva got coffee for the ride.It was well after midnight when we got to my house.Circuit Rider and Sherlock knew the routine...they got the mattress of the sleeper sofa and put that on the floor, I got the cushions off the sofa and layed on those on the floor and Queen Diva got the bedroom.Within minutes, everyone was asleep except for me.I kept hearing Sherlock talking in his sleep saying something about needing more food...lots of food...with desert!! :-)))I want to thank Sunny for helping to hook me up with Queen Diva for the ride.I want to thank Jeff at Mount Rogers Outfitters for all his help.I'll never be able to thank Queen Diva, Circuit Rider and Sherlock for all they did. You three have no idea how much you mean to me...THANK YOU!!You guys are the best!!! :-)))My plans are to rest for now and try and let the ol' arm do it's healing without stressing my whole body by walking all day, every day.I now know that 32 days was not enough healing time before I started walking again...hey, I've never had anything broken before, so I didn't know how much it could take out of you, but I do now and I'm going to finish healing before I do anymore long distance walking.I'll see how I feel by Trail Days and then make up my mind on what I'm doing after that, so for now, I've got a few books that I want to read and some mid-day naps in my future. :-)))Oh yeah, I also posted about 45 more photos from the last part of my walk...April 9th to the 25th.