Date: 2015-06-07
From: Troutdale City Park

To: Wilson Creek shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: light rain

I woke up with a heavy heart, knowing that I would be on a bus by the end of the day heading back home. I was sad to be leaving but happy to be getting back to my wife. Between the shoulder pain and the theft of my money I felt defeated and out of steam. The pain,at first, was worse than when I woke up after surgery when I donated a kidney back in 2010. I walked down the street 3 miles to a Shoney's with an all you can eat breakfast buffet and ate 3 plates of food and several cups coffee. Afterwards I sat out front and posted on Facebook pondering how I could get to Roanoke, VA to the buss station to get back home. I was getting ready to call a shuttle when a few hikers walked up. One I had seen a few times on the trail, saw something was wrong and asked me what was going on? I shared my story and he encouraged me to hang on. He walked off and came back and handed me $50.00 in cash to help me get a little bit closer to Maine. I was very moved by his gesture which lit a fire in me. I become even more determined to finish my hike. I told him that I would "ride this trail until the wheels fell off!" It was past noon by this time and I crossed the street to eat lunch at Taco Bell where I met a married couple who were also hikers. We talked for awhile and they wanted to give me a ride back to the trail, I accepted but said that I had to stop by the grocery store for supplies first and they said okay and so off we went. I picked up supplies at the store behind the Taco Bell as they waited in the car for me. When I was finished they gave me a ride back to the trail. It was a steady climb up to the Fullhardt Knob shelter where there is a cistern for water collected from the roof. I stopped in briefly for the outhouse before hiking on. The newts were out in force and I found one that was turning into a dark orange color. I ran into 3 day hikers and directed them to the shelter as they didn't have any water with them and it was a hot day. The Colliers Pit Historical site was right on the trail by a stream so I stopped to read the plaque about the mining pit, while a hiker set up his tent for the day. I hiked a short day only making it to the Wilson Creek Shelter where I found Pipeman and other having a safety meeting while bbq-ing a rattlesnake that someone had killed at the shelter.(I got pictures and video) They had skinned and dressed before spitting it on the fire to roast in rotisserie style with a Cajun Rub on it. I joined in for both the safety meeting and had some rattler, and it tasted very good - like fishy chicken. Many of the hikers there also tried this rare treat, but the dogs would have none of it for some reason. I went to the privy behind the shelter and I surprised a deer by coming out that had approached within 25' of the shelter. While the deer was staring at me a Pipeman's dog ran and surprised the deer and they were suddenly nose to nose for a second as the frozen deer looked rapidly between myself and the dog. Then in an explosion of movement, the deer gave a great snort, spun around and was off in an instant leaving a wagging and curious dog behind. The dog looked comically at me as if to ask "what's up with her?" before we returned together to the shelter where I shared the story. I had made and eaten dinner and after the hikers made room for me and I was set up in the shelter. I got ready for bed and was in by 8:00.