Date: 2007-09-23
From: Mt.Algo Lean-To

To: Whiley Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: clear sky

mi. 12.4sleep hammockdest. Whiley Shelter day 73 Well I've fallen behind again in keeping up with my journal. Luckily not too much happened during the day today, so today might be uncharacteristically short for me. I started out south in good spirts. I decided to just go with it and see where my feet end up taking me. The nice thing too was the section hiker I stayed with was getting off today. So he gave me some extra snacks and a ramen. Thanks again. This may turn to be my first one. I have given away the couple my mom sent in maildrops. Today my goal was either a medium day or a long day. Well as you see it was a medium day. Which turned out to be better in the long run. The shelter that was a long day was dry. Plus a food stop before it was only open during the day. Today .2 off the trail was a nice little convenicene store. I think there was a deli a little further, but I did not make it that far. What I did make it for was a steak sandwich (microwaved of course), ben and jerrys choclate bar fudge, a bag of fritos, a liter of cola, and a fun snack. After getting good old pop rocks candy in Kent, I starting thinking about the different candy I ate growing up. I was thinking about the dip stick candy. The one with the solid white sugar stick that you licked and dipped into flavored sugar. Well belieave it or not, they had it. That is going to be a great snack tonight. I also scored some new batteries for my death ray. I figured out that was the problem. Which doesn't sound right since I heard a set should last close to a thru hike, and not just a month. Given though I treated a lot of water in that time. The side trip took me over Bulls Run Covered bridge. Built in the 1800's and 1 of only 2 left in the state. George Washington's troops are said to crossed the original 1700's bridge back in the Revolutionary War. I wanted to swim today, but no go. There were tons of families out and I didn't feel like dealing with it. Too bad since the trail followed the river for a spell. I did get to a shallow part of the ten mile river and rinse off. It was my first soap encounter since Dalton. Well my second, but the better of the 2. I need to get back on washing out my shirt every couple days. It makes a huge difference. Today I finally got out of CT and all of it's bad mojo. It felt great to get out. Even the day hikers didn't really look or say hi in that state. Not too friendly of a place. At least to me, and a few people that commented on it in different registers. Funny thing was 5 minutes into NY I passed a day hiker and chatted for a bit. I said how much nicer he was to me than everyone I passed in CT. He daid it was too bad, that is where he is from. I said yeah, but it was the truth. He said he had to be off and get home for dinner. Man if he only offered, I wouldn't turn dinner down. I got to the shelter to find not one but 3 fire pits. A lot better than all the crap posted in CT about how bad fires are. Although firewood was easier to find there. But this shelter had a nice pile waiting for me. I was satting there reading the registery when a northbound guy rolled up. He ended up staying there for the night. He has a really cool story. His original plan wasn't even to hike any of the AT. He caught a bus from CT down to Roanoke, Va. He was at a music festival there with his pack. He planned on hiking around somewhere. That was just the farthest the cheap bus ticket would take him. Someone asked him if he was hiking the AT. He said no and asked where it was. They told him just down the road. So he hiked down there and headed north. Not knowing anything about the trail or what is out here. He just figured it out as he went. He is stopping in CT somewhere. He has plans on either thru hiking next year or doing another long section. It is really refreshing to talk to someone like that. He had a really great outlook on everything. I also enjoyed talking to another long distance hiker again. Nothing against weekenders or people doing short sections. But people out for a long time are just noticeably different. In a good way for me. We ended up sharing dinner. He was carrying some pasta that he picked up at the fraiary. He also got a tomato sauce powder Firework gave him. Pretty cool hearing about his runins with those guys. I added some chz, powdered butter, powdered onion, veggie oil, and he added some garlic powder. A great meal cooked over the fire in a pot left at the shelter. For dessert I added some Fritos and my candy I picked up. It is really anazing sometimes how things seem to fall in place out there. Every time I need something, It seems to come my way somehow. Like diner tonight. I didn't need it to happen, but I worked out great for me. It clears up one more dinner for me tomorrow night. Well I'm only carrying 1 and a ramen. I also finished Catch 22 tonight. I enjoyed the book. Now I want to read the sequel at some point. He finished his and we traded. He always wanted to read mine. His is by the same author as one of my favorite movies, Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy. It is Teatime for the Cosmic Soul, or something like that. A funny book filled with the same whitty humor. I like seeing that my book is going to get read. I was just going to leave it in a shelter, which could mean the fire for it. Funny how things happen sometime. But it really does always work out in the end. If you are ready for it when it presents itself.