Date: 2004-07-03
From: Trail head at Rt 522, Front Royal, Va.

To: Budget Inn, Front Royal, Va
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Budget Inn, Front Royal, VaI got another good nights sleep in the back of my truck and decided to just wait here by the trail head and make coffee and eat some trail food for breakfast. You know I've been off the trail too long when I'm willing to eat trail food when I have a way to get to town for a restaurant. After I had breakfast, General and Grass Hopper came out to the trail head and I took them into town and then drove back to wait on Hippie. The Reverend Yukon Jack came out of the A.T. and we talked a while. He wasn't going into town and said he read about me leaving some beer for a couple of hikers last night. I offered him one to pack out and he said that he would take it, but that he would rather drink it now. He had that beer at about 9am...yummy. Sheriff was the next hiker to come out and he also had a beer. I guess that trail magic is good anytime you can get it, but I don't think I could drink a beer that early. Flint was the next hiker out. Tripod drove up and said Hippie and Coughdrop should be here shortly before noon. I took Flint into the outfitter and went in with him to see what it was like. I didn't know there was an outfitter in Front Royal until this year. It seemed like a good place and very friendly owner. Flint had to get a new pair of pants because he's lost so much weight. I left him there and went back to the trail and Hippie and Coughdrop were there. It was good to see both of them. Pretty soon Screamin' Steven and Mr. T came out. Tripod and Hippie took a couple of other hikers to the po and I took Mr. T to the outfitter to see if she could find her boyfriend, Flint. They hooked up and I went and found Hippie and we ate a small lunch and went and got a motel...she really needed a shower. I've been trying to hookup with Liz, a girl I met last year at a pub a little north of here. She invited me to come over to her house for a holiday get together with her, her boyfriend, friends and family. So far we have been missing each other's calls and emails.I got an email from Goosebump The Snow Princess and she said that a friend of hers by the name of BearBait was in Front Royal and looking for a ride to Maine. She was staying at Terrapin Hostel and after I got her email, I called her. She and Mike were already in town. They came over to my room and we talked a while. Mike Evans owns the hostel. He's known as The Gratefull GreenPiece Guy and wanted me to say hi to Jan Liteshoe. Her name came up because I have a pocketmail and he said that Jan was the pocketmail queen from last year. He didn't know that Jan and I knew each other until then. It's 5:30pm and I'm resting in my room after a very busy day. Hippie and Tripod went up to the outfitter's.They got back a little later and Hippie wanted Chinese food, so we found a place called The China Jade. It was really pretty good. Hippie mentioned something about the water incident at Trail Days...I was hoping she forgot about that. BearBait called and we decided we would leave tomorrow and head up to Goosebump The Snow Princess and Rainbow Slick's home in Pa. I didn't get any closer to Maine today, but I had alot of fun and got to see alot of friends.