Date: 2015-04-22
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 29.7
Weather: scattered clouds

The last three days were a welcome break from my 'normal' trail life. Having a trail newbie with me gave me the opportunity to see the trail through fresh eyes again. Arwen was a great trail companion and never complained about the hardships that the trail threw at us, even though her feet were giving her some problems. She is one tough cookie!While in Damascus I purchases a 38° down sleeping bag to replace my 12° winter bag. It was pretty cold here last night but the new bag was perfect. I also used my old liner with the new bag. I'm thinking that in the really warm nights this summer I will just sleep in the liner on top of my bag. My winter bag was necessary for some of the nights in the Smokies, but for the most part it was way too warm.I am keeping my down jacket for a little while longer, I doubt that I would really need it anymore, but it makes a great pillow and doesn't weigh much. I also added a second pair of hiking shorts and got rid of my 'town' running shorts. My wardrobe is now two tee shirts, one long sleeve tech shirt, two pair of shorts, two pair of briefs, three pair of socks, and one pair of legs that fit on either one of my hiking shorts. I also have a rain jacket and pants to keep everything dry.This morning was one of those rare dry mornings when I was able to pack my tent away while it was dry. (Most times it is either wet from an overnight rain or a heavy dew) I was on the trail again at first light was able to watch a few deer browsing undetected for a short while before being discovered. I really think that the mornings on the trail are the best times for viewing wildlife.I moved along steadily all day without meeting a lot of other hikers. I had my sights set on Partnership Shelter which has a shower and the option to get pizza delivered to the nearby visitor center.When I got close to the shelter there were signs posted that prohibited tenting within a half mile from the shelter. Oh well, I thought, I don't like sleeping in shelters unless it is raining but this can be an exception. When I arrived at the shelter there was a sign posted that said you need a permit to stay at the shelter. There were a few people there who had a fire going and had the kind of fixings strewn around that only car campers would have. (weekend campers tend to stay up late and be noisy, so I usually avoid them) I looked at the shower and saw that it only had cold water and decided I didn't need one that bad. I walked over to the visitor center and discovered they were already closed, even the outdoor restrooms were locked. There was no way to charge my phone. There was a phone mounted to the outside of the building you could use to get pizza delivered from a local pizza place but they needed a $40 order to deliver here. Things were not the way I expected it. I was slightly disgusted and decided to keep walking. I wasn't going to go far before setting up camp, but it was a pleasant evening and the trail was nice, and I ended up walking all the way to the next shelter. There was a pleasant group of thru hikers here with a small fire, so I pitched my tent and had dinner at the picnic table with Gigs and Gruffalo, a fun couple from Washington D.C. We ate and traded trail stories till dark, then retired for the day.