Date: 2007-11-18
From: Roanoke

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: few clouds

mi. 15.4sleep hammockdest. Campbell Shelter day 129 I think we almost didn't make it out of town today. Both Steve and his wife said we were more than welcome to stay another day. Really great people. When they learned that my parents were coming down for Thanks Giving they invited us to come. They said there is going to be over 20 people over, what's 3 more. That's always my take. There is always room for 1 more at the dinner table. I'm not sure yet what I'll do. I am thinking a relaxing (read quiet) afternoon sitting around watching football would be nice. I haven't had the chance to do that with my mom in forever. We'll see how it goes. Steve dropped us off at the trail around 11am. Thanks again for all the help and welcoming us into your home. I am still amazed at how welcome people have made me feel when I stayed with them. Great people. We decided to make for the shelter before McAfee knob today. Only a quick 15 away. We did end up puddering around a lot. Including some long breaks. I had another funny weekender encounter. The time off worked prefectly to miss the busy weekend traffic. After the first shelter we had about 6 more miles. It was after 4 when I came across a husband and wife hiking north, Torque was back a little ways. They looked to have spent at least one night out. I asked them if there was water at the next shelter. The old section hiker we didn't get along with told us the shelter we just passed was dry when it was flowing good enough, so I takes no's less seriously than I should. The husband replys that the shelter was back behind me a ways. I said no the shelter back where you guys came from 6 miles south. He said "your going to hike there tonight, in the dark?". I told him it was only 6 miles, not a big deal. She wife thankfully chimed in yes it was there. I thanked her than moved one. Another case of someone thinking your ability is the same as theirs. It took all the restraint I had to tell him I hiked 1400 miles to !get here, a few more tonight won't hurt. We got to the shelter just after 6pm, after only a little night hiking. We got there to find someone hiking north for a month or so staying there. I asked him if there was water there and he said no. I looked around and asked him if there was a register there (someone would say something about it being dry) and he said no. I got the register out of ther register box. No one said anything about it being dry. I told him no offense, but after finding the register I was going to look for myself. The water was a little ways away. I probibly should have changed my headlamp batteries. They were getting low. It wasn't flashing or the low battery light wasn't on, but they don't give a lot of warning and I didn't want to be caught in the dark. The guide describes the water trail as passing an "electric meadow" read a high tension powerline clearing. It did have decent views of Roanoke lit up in the distance. I could see the airport runway lights. I walked the .2 or so to the water. He was right the pipe was dry. The ground was wet with standing water, not enough to collect though. So there had to be some somewhere. I walked downhill a little. No luck. I didn't want to go too far in the dark. I noticed that the pipe was running through a drain pipe under the forest road. So I walked to the other side of the road. There I find the Spring box fenced in with a lid, it keps leaves and things from falling in. I open the lid to find some good water. It was just!too low to flow out the pipe. I filled up and brought a little extra for him. He was a little surprised to see I found some. Very few shelters are dry. You just have to look hard at some of them. I ended up sleeping in the hammock, but I almost didn't. This shelter has a huge porch area completly uncovered. It was a clear moonlit night. Prefect for cowboy camping, even if at a shelter. But the hammock was already hung. I did end up having a great talk with Gavin, the guy hiking north here. He was trying to decide if he was going to get off her and go to DC for a friends wedding or not. He said he met most of the southbounders, including all the ones I hiked with at some point. We ended up talking until after 11pm. At first I didn't mind the one sided conversation as he asked a lot of questions about gear or my hike in general. Then he said how he has done some traveling and spent a month in Asia. That opened up the fload gates. I sked him a ton of questions. We ended up having a great conversation. He is one of those refreshing and inspiring people you meet when you are least expecting it.