Date: 2010-05-31
From: Blue Ridge Parkway mile 9.6

To: Rock Fish Gap
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: broken clouds

We get up pretty early, and I am definitely not hungry! Ratman and Tumbler are returning to the trail also, many others are taking a zero day. We get Ratman and Tumbler to drop us off at the Dripping Rock parking area where Skippy left off. Then they took the truck to where we would need it to get back to town, and where they needed to get back to the trail. Perfect! We start out with a small hill. Everyone says this will be an easy hike, but I'm pretty out of shape. I'm glad it's not a tough one! We see a deer early on. It's so nice to get out and look out over the hills again! We talk quite a bit for the first few hours. It's so nice talking together. We always have more to say when we're walking. I like hearing what it's like out here for Skippy, how he stays mentally focused and still appreciates the beauty out here, and the joy of just walking and discovering what your body can handle. And what your mind can handle, too. I'm pretty tired this morning, and my kidneys (I'll find out later) are hurting me, so I'm really glad it's an easy hike. We stop for a snack at a lookout a few hundred yards off the trail. Sitting there looking over the hills and valleys, nothing spectacular. Watching the giant black ants that take away our food crumbs. Then I look over Skippy's shoulder, and I see a fuzzy black dog, no, it's a small bear!! I tell Skippy this and he doesn't look, not sure if I'm joking. But there it is! walking toward us! So great, I've never seen a bear out hiking before, so lucky! Skippy gets a few photos of it. We're out on the edge of this overlook, and the bear is coming closer, so we decide to make some noise to get it to turn around. I am kind of scared of it. We are eating snacks and all, and it looks small like there could be a momma bear around. It hears us and looks around. I don't think it ever saw us, but it turned around and ran down the hill. Awesome! Skippy's second bear in almost 1000 miles. And he mentions that it's my first day out in 2 months and I get to see a bear. Pretty amazing! We continue on and run into some trail volunteers, hacking down the undergrowth and the poison ivy. One was named Field Hand. We talked with him for a while, and I notice the change in Skippy that he talks to people we run into out here. I think I mentioned before, I still am in fast-mode, where people don't want to waste time and chat, they have things to do! Or maybe it's me that has things to do and won't slow my brain down long enough to really listen to people that I meet throughout the day. Either way, I admire Skippy for his ability to talk to people, and hope to do it more myself! The trail is pretty flat now, no views, we get quiet and a little bored I think. Soon we start to hear the road, the Blue Ridge Parkway. We try not to get our hopes up that we're getting close. This usually results in twice the distance more to cover. But soon we see it, and all of a sudden we empty out at the edge of the road! We've made it, 15 miles by 3 pm! This is regular travel for these guys, but I think it may be my biggest day! I'm glad to get to the truck, but sad that our hike is over, I'll have to head home soon. We drive back to town and go to the Golden Corral! I've never really eaten at one, and I'm impressed with the veggies they have and the amount of stuff that I can eat that's not bad for me. We both load up, though I'm still not that hungry. We head out and stop at a thrift shop that happens to be open on a holiday. Skippy is looking for some tennis shoes to hike in. The ones I brought for him he wore today, and they have a hole in the bottom already. He taped them with duct tape! Saddly, there's no shoes that will work. I'm so sad to have to part ways here. I drive Skippy to the hostel where he'll spend the night and get to use the computer. It's just as hard saying good-bye as the first time. It's so rich and sweet, though! That the feelings that make it all worth it! I had such a wonderful time and am so proud to get to hand out with Skippy and meet his fellow hikers! Such valuable experiences! I love you! I drive off and am headed back to Durham.