Date: 2006-04-20
From: Fish Hatchery Rd (Dutch Haus B&B)

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

So, this is the entry you¢ve been waiting for¢¦the one where Skeemer does something really stupid and gets his ass kicked¢¦¢¦..you wish.First, something I really didn¢t want to get into¢¦in the shelter registers and meeting others on the Trail for the first time, I have been experimenting with new Trail names. I think I alluded to it back just before I was about to quit posting altogether. No big deal¢¦wasn¢t trying to hide anything¢¦just got tired of Skeemer and wanted something a little more apropos. I used E.D. once cause I thought it was funny (some call me Ed) and I was having trouble ¢erecting¢ my tent. Like Footslogger, who once called himself ¢Toot¢ because of the noise coming out of his ass on the Trail, I realized the humor would soon wear off and my already tarnished reputation would further be in jeopardy.I haven¢t talked about it much, but I have been listening to my 100 favorite songs on my MP3 player this hike¢¦I think I have gone through 4 AAA batteries. I love it! One of my favorite tunes is ¢Run¢in on Empty.¢ I¢ve been carrying the minimum amount of water and some might say I¢m ¢light¢ in other areas. That¢s what I pretty much used in the registers instead of Skeemer. (I have since found out that a person I don¢t particularly care for has been using this as a ¢sub title¢ over on Whiteblaze, so now it¢s out.) I guess it¢s important that you know this to understand the upcoming exchange of words between me and ¢Dog Trainer.¢Sometime yesterday Guns was commenting that he liked my entry back in the S-W shelter register¢¦the one that read, ¢I was going to kick (Petee¢s owner¢s) ass. I acknowledged writing an entry, but told Guns it is so unlike me to threaten anyone, let alone actually proclaim that I could prevail in an altercation. (Note: A few days later in Waynesboro, Guns realizes it was Petee¢s owner who in response to my entry in the Seeley-Woodworth Shelter register, said, ¢HE WAS GOING TO KICK MY ASS.¢) I am so easily misunderstood.Of course, this is now the latest topic of conversation on the Trail. Everyone is loving it...not me¢¦not Petee¢¦not Petee¢s owner¢¦the conflict¢¦they love conflict!! BTW, no one has guts enough to tell me to my face that I should have left it alone and not written the entry in the register about my experience with Petee and his owner. Yes, I realized that using the word ¢poison¢ in the same paragraph with ¢Petee¢ would get a reaction from Petee¢s owner¢¦but that¢s just what I wanted¢¦for him to start thinking about ¢dog etiquette¢ on the Trail. Everyone knows I can¢t even swat a mosquito let alone kill an ¢adorable¢ little pooch who only wants to have some fun. One of my Trail sayings is. ¢I¢m just try¢in to have a little fun for all the ones who can¢t.¢So, today starts out with an outstanding breakfast. Good hostel owners always add extra mystery ingredients to the scrambled eggs and Lois passed this test. Seriously, the food was outstanding and worth the stop. I forgot to mention she also does your wash and you hang it out back to dry. Everything¢¦three meals, bed with clean linens, shower, laundry and most of all hospitality was $37¢¦only place that beats it is Miss Janet¢s (but, no supper) and The Cabin in Maine. You absolutely cannot miss The Cabin in Andover...the best breakfast on the Trail hands down.Anyway, there are seven of us in the back of the truck going back to the AT. Sunset stays back for another zero to rest up since Passover ended with the first three stars that were visible last night¢¦BTW, meeting Sunset has eliminated the Jewish faith from any further consideration for me. (He¢s a nice young man but entirely too much suffering goes on during Passover.) The ¢mile straight up¢ hike back up Fish Hatchery Rd to the Trail wasn¢t as bad as I thought it would be¢¦it¢s always easier in the morning and when you are with others.I think it¢s around nine before we actually set foot back on the Trail. All but Hateras Jack went ahead of me.About the time I was wondering if Pettee and ¢Dog Trainer¢ stayed back at the last shelter last night, I come up on this guy hunched over taking a piss right on the Trail¢¦yeah! That¢s right¢¦right on the foot path. This is a first. I¢m not an expert on relieving yourself on the AT, but everyone I know politely steps aside and pulls it out next to a tree¢¦where male dogs go. You guessed it¢¦It was Dog Trainer.Anyway, I quickly pass to the left and with my music plugged in my ears, don¢t know if he said anything to me or not.About four and a half miles later I¢m at the intersection where the AT meets the path back to The Priest Shelter. The guys are all standing around, taking a break. Having passed Dog Trainer and Petee, they want to know what happened between us. I think I ruined their day when I told them, ¢Nothing.¢I go ahead and walk down to Priest Shelter alone and write the following message in the register. (The message is a couple of lines from this ridiculous country song I heard on Imus and put on my MP3) ¢What would you do?   What would you do?...If Jesus came to spend some time with you.¢Near the intersection where half the guys are still mulling around I come face to face with Dog Trainer.As I approach he screams, ¢Are you Run¢in on Empty?!!!¢I yell back (You realize I am listening to my music), ¢F#@% You!¢As I continue to walk by, he yells something like, ¢I¢ll wash your goddamn tent!¢I look back and respond, ¢I thought you were deaf!¢I did leave him a message in a shelter register later. But before you go and think I wussed out it was not an apology. I¢ll explain when I get there.Of the guys that observed this take place, I think Guns enjoyed it the most¢¦he says I have ¢character.¢ Anyway, we all hiked on and off together to Maupin Field Shelter, another place Charlie and I stayed in ¢03.Guns and all but two of the guys hiked a couple of miles down a dirt road to spend the night at Rusty¢s. Rusty is a reformed Amish guy who ¢saw the light¢ and gave it up. He recently got electricity and hiker¢s stay with him for a ¢donation.¢The hike itself was tiresome and boring the last six miles. The path is a big half circle that takes you up and over some rocks with only a few views. In '03 I did it in a lightning storm while Wizard took the lowland by-pass. One of the guys this year also took the by-pass. The sun was hot and annoying...I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say it's one of my least favorite sections and I don't blame anyone for taking the by-pass.I tented, while Taco and Hateras Jack stayed in the shelter. All of us talked about starting out before daylight tomorrow to get into Waynesboro.