Date: 2003-05-14
From: Little Irish Creek Campsite

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 62 Avg Mls/Day 13.0Weather: Mostly sunny, pleasant high temp 72. Light breezeToday's Nature: The black flies are out.Well, Renegade came through with a fantastic breakfast. I slept good and got up a little later as he said he would start cooking at 8. I started packing up at 7 and when I went across the bridge he had everything ready. I had eggs over easy, bacon, 6 pancakes, sausage patties, sausage links, roll, juice and coffee. It was great. He also gave me a couple of boiled eggs and an apple to take with me that I had for lunch. I don't think he'll mind me telling this...he is a working class guy and has had some medical problems. He doesn't have a lot but still does his "trail magic" He gave me his address:Daniel WiliamsBox 258Parrott VA 24132He loves hearing from hikers. If any of you have received his trail magic or would just like to make a donation to his cause, drop him a line. I'm sure he would appreciate it.Just as I was finishing eating and getting ready to leave, in hikes Zap Man and Sparky. They sit down and have breakfast. It was after 9 by the time I hit the Trail. Right away the Trail went below the spillway at Pedlar Dam and around the lake. Soon I was hiking through Brown Mtn. Then, Creek Valley where freed slaves once dwelt from the civil war until about 1918.I was really enjoying the morning hike...and thinking about how much I was still enjoying being out here...especially these last few days. For a couple of hours I listened to a great radio station out of Lynchberg playing classic rock. The overlooks were majestic and I was thinking it couldn't get much better than this. I really do like Virginia!At US 60 there was a roadside picnic park where I stopped and had lunch around 11:30. Just as I was finishing, I saw Zap Man and Sparky show up and hitch a ride. I think they were going back to Trail Days for the weekend.I hiked on and around 1 thru-hiker Wicked Wizard came up behind me. We walked together for a few hours; chatted and got to know each other. He had been hiking with Gambler and Ben (now Spoonman) but fell behind them a day. We are both staying at the shelter tonight...the only ones here. We did run into a couple of comical hikers out on a short trip, Canary and Crazy Rick. They were fun to talk with and filled us in on the Trail ahead. Essentially, we just hike on and talked some. Water was too far off the Trail so we waited to resupply. About 6 miles from the shelter Wicked Wizard hiked ahead while I took a break. He had just gotten on back at US 60 and was hiking at a pretty good clip. I ran out of water in my hydrator for the first time. Coincidentally, not long after going dry, I come upon a note left on a rock along the Trail saying there was a spring just below the Trail. I took my pack off and found it...it wasn't visible from the Trail and was not in the guide books. It tasted pretty good as my mouth was getting dry with 4 miles to go the shelter.When I got to the shelter the first thing I did was get water at the spring...BTW one of the best so far. Had Lipton Oriental Rice for supper. By the time I was done cleaning up it was after 7:30.The next 2 days look like 20 milers. I was tired when I got here and am ready now to call it a day.Thought for the Day: No Virginia Blues for this hiker!