Date: 2009-04-26
From: Damascus

To: weekend with Terri
Miles today: 0.0

Hello good people. It is Monday morning and the trail again beckons. The last three days, all zero's, were spent with that wonderful woman of mine. It sure is hard to get back on the trail after all that time in her arms. NowI will have to do even more miles to get closer to her quicker.   So how have things gone? I guess it is time to start complaining about the ninety degree weather, right?When I left Erwin, I hit another day of walking in the clouds. Luckily that was the last of that for now. It was the following day that almost found me looking for a ride home. We won't mention the almost constant need to drop two hundred feet or so in altitude to attain water at many of the places that I have camped. This day I was not going back down for water in the morning, so not long after leaving camp, I found a nice spring and thirty feet up I filled my Nalgene. At this height, there should be no worry about filtering, right? Soon after, I crossed a road, where there were people informng me that the Greasy Creek Hostel was open, contrary to the signs put up by a feuding neighbor. They also mentioned the cooler at the top of the hill with a few beers in it, with some soda. Not a fan of beer, I took a chance anyway. There was two PBR's (boy have they been living off that ribbon they won 130 years ago), six generic pop's, and one A&W. Bingo! I enjoyed my (root) beer and continued on. Shortly I saw a sign that said the hostel was open, and to turn in about a mile. There was no use of the hostel for me, but I counted strides anyway to gauge my progress. Just under a thousand, I came to a campsite, where I took a two minute break. There was an old tote road there that I had been criss-crossing for a few miles. The data sheets said there would be a road there, but all other data sheet roads where viable ones. Carrying on, I looked for the crossing, and after twenty minutes I was getting perturbed. Where was my junction? Ten minutes later I realized that the old tote road was what they were talking about, and I was almost at the next shelter.    Since I needed more water, I dropped my pack at the shelter sign and went to re-supply. By now my tummy was grumbling. When I found the water source (180 feet lower), I was starting to grumble myself. Before I got back to my pack, I had to dig three holes, all which contained no solid matter. Now I was worried. I had the Roan Range in front of me, some of the more steeper (if you can call these mountians steep) terrain I would face for a while. At the next road I was whooped. Slowly, a hundred vertical feet at a time, I made my way up to Ash gap, about 1000 feet below the summit ridge. It was only five-thirty, but I decided to stop. I ate a late lunch, and began setting up camp. A great idea came to me. I had those pain pills that can constipate you at times. This might stop the diahhrea, right! I took one and tried to start a fire. The wood was still wet, and fifteen minutes later I brought out a bit of liquid fuel. That did not work, and then I found an emergency Esbit (solid fuel in case I ranout of alchohol). Finally, after 45 minutes of trying, a small fire was blazing and creating coals. It was time to go get water. 180 feet down I found the most pathetic water source yet. It was all muddy, and I slipped, covering the end of my fleece with mud. Soon after, searching for something more significant, I recieved a nice scratch on my leg from a thorny bush. I reverted to putting one bottle under a dripping twig. That didn't work so well. In the end, I scooped up dirty water with my cap from a puddle that was no more than ten inches by four inches and maybe two inches deep. It took ten minutes to fill both bottles and another ten to return up the steep (here is where you can find steep hills, on water runs) slope to camp.    At camp the fire was long gone, and I had to use a bandana to filter my water into my pot, then wash the bottles, then refill the bottle. I did this twice, and was fully exasperated. Sweaty as hell, I did what I could using little water to wash myself so I could be comfy, swapped out into sleeping clothes and put up the tent. Now the effect of the meds were kicking in. I made a full dinner (you have to make sure you feed the fire on the trail. Eating a tone of junk is on of the benifits of this type of adventure. Just make sure you stop when you finish!), but could not quite get it down. I was in a fog, and for the first time in weeks, there was no signal so I could not talk to Terri.    In the morning, I heard Topo screaming at me. He seldom swears, but he was calling me a big dummy for some reason. I could see outside and it was getting late, but the effort to reach the tent zipper felt enormous. Fifteen minutes later I crawled out into one of the best days on the trail yet. The Roan Range was very pretty, and I had great weather going over the grassy balds. It was hard to ask for more, but it would have been nice to be able to skin and prepare the steers I saw grazing that looked like thay would make great steaks! The day ended on a open field where I pitched my tent. The next mornig Topo again beckoned me to get up, but not because it was getting late, but for the sole reason of enjoying the magnificent sunrise outside. I lay in my tent and stared through the mesh at Nature's beauty. It was early, but I called Terri to tell her how much I missed her and that these were the times I missed her the most. She was enjoying a weekend of Dead shows, and I was happy for her.    The weather has improved, and now the danger is 90 degree temps, but we will get to that when the time comes. The last three days were a joy. We went to the Antietam battlefied, the site of the bloodiest day of Amereican combat (I love history). Mostly we just lounged about and held each other. Longhaul asked me (after I showed him a picture of Terri) how I could leave her for the trail? That is a good question. Without her this would be so much more of a burden. Speaking of Longhaul, his toe became infected a few days back, and now he needed to leave the trail to convalesce. I just happened to waltz into the little diner in Damascus friday before the rental company picked me up. He would have had a hell of a time trying to get here and there in order to get home to northern Virginia. I had a car and I was going that way, so I dropped him off, returnig some of his largess that he had showered on me. I sure hope he heals quick, cause I will miss him. I don't know if there is anyone I want to see make it more than him. He is willing to put other hikers on his shoulders and keep there spirits up until they are ready to attack the miles again. Get better old man!    That is about it for now. Longer days are coming, along with longer miles. A lot of the big hills are behind, and we won't see much real climbing until I hit Vermont and New Hampshire, so time to make haste. Thanks to all of you who are wishing me well. I hope to see you all soon. Take care. Topo says come and join us for a day or two....topofgothics