Date: 2007-05-27
From: Campsite

To: Campsite under an Oak tree
Miles today: 8.0

What's that noise? Is there an animal trying to get into our packs? Kathy, Ithink something's getting our packs! No, it's hikers...they came in about ahalf hour ago. But it's 11pm! They must have left town around 8...who startsinto the woods at that hour? Iceman,Mack, and Buttercup do! They did quietright down when they noticed our tent, and we were able to go back to sleep.What a engaging girl Buttercup is...strong accent from KY, manicured nails,dressed all in purple right down to her purple mug and Crocs! And she always hasa story to tell with a smile and a giggle. She's got a family back home with her youngest daughter being 16. I just don't know how these mothers leavetheir teenagers or 6 months to come do this. BooBoo has a teenager graduatinghigh school this month. Dana, my 23 year old daughter misses not being able totalk to me when she wants to share some news or bounce an idea off of me (because I don't always have cell signal)...I can't imagine not being rightthere during her high school years. But we each have different ways of being amom, and Buttercup's daughter sounds quite capable...hope I get to meet her whenshe joins her moom soon to hike for a week.When Kathy and I were planning the distances for each day of her hike, Diannewas sitting in the back seat suggesting we keep the miles shorter than I didwith her. For myself, I would probably plan about 15 - 18 miles for a day. ForDianne, we had to get from Bland to Pearisburg (about 40 miles) in 3.5 days soshe did have one long day of 13 miles, but the terrain was fairly flat and she'shiked all the high peaks of NY so I knew she could do it...hope I didn't wearyou out, Dianne!So for Kathy's hike we have a 4, 8, 7, and .5...the first day being the hardestbecause it was 4 miles UP. So we could be leisurely today and we were. What atreat. We came to a hilltop meadow and dropped our packs so we could wonderaround and I could call Dennis 'cause I had a signal. (We get to talk in smallbits while I'm usually standing on a mountaintop...if I walk it's garbled, so Ihave to stand perfectly still.) Kathy and } found another line to Dianne's son,"50 Wys to Ditch Your Pack"...leave it on a rock, Jock! 'Cause that's what wedid...we wonder over to the shelter on the edge of the meadow and everyonewanted to know wha we did with our packs!We contined on after a snack on our rock and vcame to a campsite in the woodswhere our new friends had stopped again for lunch. We stopped to join them andlucky for us Iceman hasppens to notice that if we don't get water here, there'sno water for the next 10 miles..long past our planned campsite....oops! Thatcould have been ugly! So we stayed for lunch and to filter water. My filter isworking awfully slowly these days 'cause there's really no way to get the siltout or to keep it out. I think I'm going to have to buy a new filter insert inDaleville. So filtering about 6 liters of water took us nearly an hour. Butcarrying that weight was the worst part of the afternoon! What a differenceweight makes...my knee was unhappy down hill, uphill, and on the flat. Kathyseemed to be coping well, so I was the only one moaning and groaning! But whenwe got to our meadow, our large old oak tree, and our campsite at 4 pm, it wasworth it! We got to read and nap for the afternoon...what a treat....until I was rudely awakened by my cell phone ringing! I couldn't figure out where I was and what that annoying sound was for a minute. Dana said I sounded annoyed...no, just confused! Guess I have to remember to turn that thing off...but I was glad to talk with her, it had been about a week and there were things to catch up on.Just as we got our dinner heating, the sky decided to open up and we had toscramble and get the rainfly down on the tent, our stuff packed up, and ourpacks covered. But it passed quickly and we had a dry cool night...but nostars...pooh! Step lightly