Date: 2005-05-26
From: Niday Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Total Miles-683.5Day 76The shelter I left from today has an levation of 1800 feet. In just over one mile the trail crossed a road that is at 1540 feet, then the climb started up to 3100 feet to the top of the ridge. It was not too steep but a steady climb for about 4 miles. Once at the top the best surprise was a real bench to sit on. So I took off my pack and had a snack while I enjoyed the bench. I had no idea at the time how far I had gone--I was just glad to be on the ridge. Soon Brownie and Soulman came up over the top and Brownie was fretting because her Wingfoot book (the book she uses that has distances measured between points) said they had walked only 3.5 miles. They did not even sit down, but went on. My Appalachian Trail Data book did not give the miles to this point but did give the mileage of 5.5 miles to the Audie Murphy Monument which we had not come to yet. After getting the pack on and walking about a half a mile, if that, I came to the blue-blazed trail where the monument was. So I knew that I had gone 5.3 milew in the few hours I had been hiking.Audie Murphy was an actor, but before he bacame an actor he was the most decorated American soldier of WW II. He died in a 1971 plane crash near here.A mile before stopping at the shelter, the trail crosses a road that did not look too heavily traveled. After crossing it the trail went up from 1525 feet to 1845 feet in 1 mile. The shelter is listed as 0.3 mile off the trail but it seemed more like 1/2 mile and then the water was down further behind the shelter. As I was walking up to the turn off for the shelter I heard voices coming from the area so thought there must be people there. When I turned off on the blue-blazed trail I saw a compfire and thought the shelter was over toward it. I continued to hear the voices and loud whooping and hollering. When I got there, there was just one hiker and I began to feel a little funny about being there. I told him I was looking for the shelter and he told me in as normal a voice as anyone that it was beyond the fire ring and down the hill and that the water was behind it. I walked on to the shelter and heard more loud talking and whooping sounds. I debated whether to stay or go on but there did not seem to be any place ahead to camp. Soon 2 south-bound women hikers came back to get water but they had not heard the man when they came through, although they did see the campfire. They left and I still felt uneasy. I did not hear any more sounds but every time the wind blew something out of the trees or there was a sound from anything my imagination went wild. Hopefully there would be hikers coming to this shelter even though it was a ways off the trail. In about 2 hours a north-bound section hiker, Trapper, came and then a young section hiker, Beach Party. They said there were several others coming, also. I did not hear any more of the loud voices so I don't know if he left or was just quiet. No one else had heard him. Troll, Anchor, And Oblivious showed up, as well as Don and Lou, hekers out for a week or so. Later, Cuppa Joe, Fellin Free, Gypsy Lulu, Baseline, Serenity, and some others came but camped up on the hill nearer to the trail.Tomorrow I hike to Va. 311 to meet Toto. I called him from a ride today where I was able to get a signal and told him I would be waiting for him there. He will get a shuttle out from Daleville and hike 2 days into Daleville with me. Only 3 days until a hot shower!!