Date: 2006-04-03
From: Paul C Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Indy and I walked the 5 miles together. He was ready for some snacks at the gas station at Rockfish Gap. Rockfish Gap is where the trail enters the "civilization" for a few 100 yards before returning into the wilderness of the Shenandoah National Park. We walked into a tiny tourist info center and didn't expect much as the hotel on the adjacent lot looked like a bombed building straight out of Beirut. Well, once again the trail experience taught me not to "judge the dog by its coat". The lady working in the tourist center asked if I was going to Waynesboro? "yes, I was just stopping by here to check out this place first then I am planning on hitching a ride into town." She smiled as she looked at me "don't do that we have a whole list of trail angels that offer rides into town from here I just need to give them a call telling them you are here." Before theis baffeled hiker could say a thing the lady had already called and arranged for a ride in a few minutes! I couldn't believe it - there actually was a whole list of trail angels willing to take time out of their day just to shuttle hikers like me into Waynesboro! It left quite an impression on me.While I stood there waiting we got to talking and the lady said that tonight a movie called "Southbounder" by Ben Wagner would be playing at the highschool tonight and the composer Jay Nash would be there to perform too. She then gave me the local newspaper with all the info as I heard a car honking outside. "Krispy" Wolke is an 82 year old trail angel, who had hiked the trail earlier with her husband and she now enjoys giving hikers a safe shuttle to town. Krispy told me she had actually lived in Denmark while her husband worked for GE there. The world is a small place. I got a tour of Waynesboro before I was dropped off at the YMCA - Krispy was off to doing some mulching in her garden. The local YMCA offers showers to us hikers and has a green lawn close by where we can set up a tent. Inside I was given a towel, a bar of soap, and free use of the facilities - not that I really desired to get on the treadmill with my pack! But I certainly desired - and needed a shower. It felt so good to be clean again. It had been 9 days since I had my last shower (Just be gald there are no smell over the internet Back at the front desk I thanked them for the shower and signed in to use the camp area. Ready to walk out a lady with a really neat accent asked if I wouldn't prefer a real bed - to spend the night at her home? Such an offers is hard to refuse when gloomy clouds are filling up the sky outside and I was curious about the accent so I quickly said yes and thank you for the offer. She would then come and pick me up at the library later that evening. She introduced herself as Mrs Matthews and on her way out of town she dropped me of at Weasie's Kitchen. Weasies is a small diner, which serves breakfast all day long. I ordered the famous item "All you can eat Pancakes". The hot cakes were huge and after 5 of them had left the plate and entered my stomach I was absolutely stuffed. Talked to other patrons there all really friendly and happily told me about the history of the town and the people living there. Next stop was across the street: The laundromat. While waiting for the clothes to get clean I bought a pair of flip flops at the next door consignment store. With everything clean and dry I walked to the post office but as I was standing in line I realized I was supposed to pick up my package at the Waynesboro Tourist Office. Old habits had made me go into the post office. I walked back toward down town where the office was located. At the office Mark and Lianne were busy working, however, they stopped to talk for a while. Lianne went to find my package but came back empty handed - it had not yet arrived. As we talked Ben Wagner and Jay Nash came into the office. Lianne had expected them as she was going to help them get everything set up to show their AT movie (Southbounder). Ben Wagner had hiked the AT in 1999 and had now made a movie about a fictional southbound hiker. They headed out the door to get everything prepared and I headed for the library. Sitting in the library I suddenly heard the sky start opening up all the water spouts - the rain came thundering down and thunder and lightening struck. I sent many happy thoughts to Mrs Matthews as I was sitting there inside just thinking about what it could have been sitting ouside in my tent in that lightening storm! Right at 17:00 Mrs Matthews (Ann-Marie) came to pick me up and she took me to her home where I got to meet her husband Neven. After preparing for dinner we all went to the high school to see the movie "Southbounder". It was a funny movie but it was not my favorite movie - maybe because it was centered more about the fictional story instead of the trail itself. Everyone that hikes the trail has their own experiences and so it can be hard to identify with a hiker who has a very different experience from your own. See the movie but know that it is a story, not an informational movie about the AT.