Date: 2006-04-07
From: VA 617

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Friday, April 7, 2006AM showers forecast and PM thunderstorms. They will get an early start. Memere and Gray Feathers take the Cruiser to Partnership Shelter and Amoeba takes the Element to Rte 617.A golden yellow and gray sunrise, a few drops of rainfall, not much, then it stops. Temps 50¢s.Stop at The Barn Restaurant, not to eat, just to check it out. Amoeba is not hungry at all after last night¢s big meal at the Japanese Restaurant in Marion, and after this morning¢s raisin bread, banana and coffee with extra cream.The Exxon station is vacant and For Lease, so is the DQ. Gas prices have gone up again, $2.65 a gallon for regular.Relax Inn, where Amoeba stayed last year.On the trail, skinny columnar cedar trees, landscape like Italy.Birdsong.A new barn going up atop a knoll. Skunk cabbage by the boardwalk next to the railroad tracks.Trout lily leaves.Another stile. 13 in the last 2 days. This one is vertical and the hand-hold posts are either 4x4¢s or 6x6¢s, too big to get a good grip. Hand-hold posts 2x2 or smaller are safer.Ramp-type or step-type stiles are easier.Barberry and greenbrier across the path. Darn, Amoeba¢s pruning shears are back in the car.Settlers Museum, closed this early in the day.Powerline buzzing, sounding at first like raindrops falling.Trailing arbutus in bloom!Gorgeous trail work, stone steps.Chatfield Shelter, sign register, read entries. 3-31-06 Lady Di and Miles 2 Go, 2 hikers Amoeba knows. It¢s great to see they¢re both out on the trail.Up Glade Mountain, cutaway with view. Amoeba is loving this climb, feeling strong.10:40 hello to thruhikers Bluebird and Abandon.Hello for the 3rd time in 5 weeks to Mrs Gorp. Great to see you again, Mrs G! She's hiking strong and doing well except for some minor foot problems. In Damascus, she replaced footwear that was causing a sore on the top of her foot. The sore is gone but now she has a blister on her heel. Will try New Skin on the blister.Mrs Gorp has stories of young thruhikers doing the last 40 miles into Damascus in 24 hours, of snow in Erwin TN and the crowd at Miss Janet¢s. She spent 12 days with Miss Janet, 6 zeroes and 6 slacks. Who would want to attempt Hump or Roan Mountain if there was snow down in Erwin? She is making notes for the Companion. At 19E in TN, now Mountain Harbor is serving hikers. The other place has closed. At Groseclose, the Village Truckstop and Dairy Queen are closed. The work of keeping up a guidebook never ends.Amoeba is out at Partnership Shelter in 6 hours.Back to the Royal Inn on the outskirts of Marion. She waits til 3:45 for Memere and Gray Feathers, then she heads for the Relax Inn where she¢s promised to meet Mrs Gorp at 4.On the way to Route 81, in downtown Marion, Randy!!! Hello!!! He¢s delivering phone books to area businesses. On the way to the Relax Inn, Memere and Gray Feathers, hiking between Route 11 and the underpass under Route 81. They spent a lot of time visiting the Settlers Museum.Mrs Gorp, Bluebird and Abandon are all at the Relax Inn and can use a ride to Marion to resupply. Bluebird and Abandon had dated once before their AT hike. The AT hike is their second date! To Marion to the grocery, fast food and drug stores for food, supplies and New Skin.To stay on schedule, Abandon and Bluebird have to hike more miles today. Amoeba and Mrs Gorp return them the Relax Inn and then drive back to the Royal. Soon Memere and Gray Feathers arrive, then Randy!! All 5 go to the Tuscan for dinner, getting inside just before thunder, lightning, hail and rain let loose. The power is knocked out briefly 3 or 4 times. Bluebird and Abandon, hope you are out of the weather, safely under the roof of Davis Path (or Knot Maul) Shelter. Great trail stories and laughs. Mrs Gorp, thanks for the fun and good company! See you again somewhere up the trail.Memere and Gray Feathers give Amoeba a 2006 calendar from the Settlers Museum. Thanks, you two. Amoeba, who often misses appointments, will keep it in her car. Much more likely to be viewed there than in her kitchen.