Date: 2015-05-31
From: Compton Spring

To: Manassas Gap/The Giving Tree, Linden
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

I really miss taking hot showers daily.This morning I got to talk to Tall Gaiters! He wasn't even grumpy when we passed him! I felt so privileged to have a conversation with him that included real words and no yelling. He talked about bears and asked us about the nearest water source. We were on our way to the next shelter, which is listed in my book (AWOL's guide) as a shelter, but in Tall Gaiters's book as a Wayside. There was similar confusion in discussions about the place last night... Swamp Fox must have had the same book as Tall Gaiters.Anyway, I was pretty sure that it was a shelter, not a wayside. We arrived to find that it was indeed a shelter, but named the Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter, which is super weird. It was not a Wayside. No blackberry milkshakes could be purchased there. It did have a nice porch, though. Funk passed through and said Hi before continuing on, planning to resupply in Front Royal.We passed Tall Gaiters again, who was talking about getting water at some 4H place off the trail. I have no idea why he didn't just stop at the weird wayside shelter and get water there. Although it did take Chris like 15 minutes to walk to the spring and back, so maybe he was just feeling lazy.When we hit the road crossing that would have taken us into Front Royal (if we wanted to go there, which we didn't), we sat down by an informational trailhead sign (complete with maps of the trail and Front Royal) to rest our feet. "I'm glad today is a short day." Chris said. For the whole day, we only had to go 15 miles to reach Manassas Gap, which would take us into Linden the next morning for my mail drop.I was happy to agree. My feet always hurt. They like short days. Short days mean toe rest.Since it was snack time, I took out a CLIF builder bar. They are delicious. Chris said that he thought I was going to go for my giant MetRX bodybuilder huge 410 calorie protein bar. He saw it yesterday when I was digging through my food bag and thought it was hilarious. Because it was huge. And I guess also because I am not. Seriously, it is bodybuilder food."I'm saving that for lunch!" I told him. And I was. And I anticipated it to be a delicious, delicious lunch at that.He made another comment about how that was SO MUCH PROTEIN. This from the guy who eats a jar of peanut butter in three days. AN ENTIRE JAR. Every time I turn around, he's got his spoon in the peanut butter jar."I don't have any trail mix left, though." I explained. I couldn't resist polishing off the last of the M&Ms last night. No other protein sources lurked in my food bag."What about your chocolate fix?" He asked. He knows I need chocolate. Just like I know that he needs peanut butter and coffee."I still have the hot chocolate you gave me." I smiled. And then, the AT phenomenon struck AGAIN.Two girls hiking south had just gotten to the trailhead, where they had parked their cars. Chris looked past me at them, saying, "They have apples!"And indeed they did. A whole bag of them. Gorgeous, juicy green apples. And they walked right over, and offered them to us. AND THEY GAVE US MARSHMALLOWS. Perfect for hot chocolate! The other day at one of the campground stores in the park, I had considered buying marshmallows to toast. They just looked so GOOD. But Chris didn't want to split a bag with me and I don't like them that much. I just wanted a few. So I let the toasted marshmallow dream go...BUT NOW I HAVE SOME. Thank you, random hiker girls!We made it to the next shelter which was incredible. It had a lawn, a big porch, chairs, and a rain-bucket hose shower. I scrubbed and rinsed (and shaved my legs!) but was still dirty. At the same time, I still felt so much better. I rinsed out. my clothes a bit and hung them from the line that Chris had strung up.We ate lunch and Chris realized that he had lost his spoon. He must have left it this morning, a dark object easily misplaced and unseen in the dirt and leaves in the dark of morning.We lazed about at the shelter for nearly two hours because we knew we only had three miles left to hike. Chris napped in the shelter and I made a trip to the spring for water. A super nice couple were there, mowing and cleaning up. They offered to take our garbage and we thanked them over and over.And then the thunder started...We stopped hurriedly for water. Chris seemed worried about getting caught in the rain. I wasn't worried. I don't care anymore. I just go with it. So far, everything always works out somehow. The thunder kept rumbling as we walked. We walked through a meadow and could see rain pouring down in the distance. Chris said, "It's kind of pretty." And I replied, "Not kind of. It is pretty!"And then we got rained on. But it started right when we were back under cover, and we huddled under my umbrella for just a few minutes before it let up, and onward we ventured, to find a campsite!We planed on trying to find somewhere on the trail to camp near Manassas Gap, we wanted to be able to get to the post office and right back on the trail in the morning. We passed Tall Gaiters again. He still wasn't grumpy. Maybe he really was just having a bad day the other day.We got to the gap and it was still early. I would have been totally okay with pitching my tent there and lazing about all afternoon. A nap would not have been a bad thing. But it was early, and Chris seemed bored. So adventure had to be undertaken! We headed the mile into Linden in search of delicious snacks. And snacks were found. A junky little convenience store provided us with ice cream, Gatorade, pretzels, and plastic utensils for Chris.The post office is right next to the store. We visited a flower and farm store across the street, where we bought PEACHES and vegetables to supplement our dinners. We asked if they knew anywhere nearby where we might be able to camp, so we wouldn't have to go all the way back to the AT tonight to sleep, and then walk right back in the morning.And you know what? They let us camp here. And they gave us cherries. And a whoopie pie. Sometimes I just want to explode with happiness. If I wasn't so exhausted all the time, I might be able to. Chris and I just keep looking at each other in amazement because we have such luck.Chris almost seemed weirded out that we are squatting in a stranger's backyard but I am totally okay with it. MORE ADVENTURE! I am loving it.Chris's hammock spot is not ideal, and there are bugs everywhere (like, even more so than on the AT, in the middle of the woods, go figure), but we are so close to the post office, we can be in and out and back on the trail early in the morning. Which is fantastic.It might get really stormy tonight. I can hear the thunder. And there are train tracks like 30 feet from my tent. I can hear the train. I am so tired, I might be able to sleep through it.We also saw another bear today, running away, very fast.I am loving the adventure, every day of it.I am thankful for a place to sleep, and for not having to walk back to the trail tonight just to walk back into Linden tomorrow. I am thankful for all of the trail maintainers who we have been passing on the trail lately. Without them, there would be no way to get to all of the adventures. I am also really, really thankful I get to go home soon. I can't wait for hugs. A girl needs hugs. I haven't had a hug in so long.