Date: 2008-05-29
From: North Sulphur Spring Trailhead Jct with the AT, VA

To: James River Foot Bridge, Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: few clouds

It was a cool night for this time of year...about 50 degrees. In fact, it's been right around 50 degrees since the rain started yesterday and the front came through.I slept pretty good last night, but did roll over fairly often because I was on hardpacked ground. That's why I like sleeping in the leaves so much.I woke up at 5:15am and ate a couple Poptarts to power me the 5 miles to the road so that I could hitch into Glasgow.A wood thrush started singing at 5:26am, so I got to listen to him while I packed up. :-)I started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 5:45am.The James River valley down below was socked in with fog. I got to watch the sun rise and shine on all the valley fog with some mountains poking through that fog blanket in the distance.The fog lay mostly in the river valley, but there was an area that was several hundred feet higher that was also fogged in. The fog looked like a waterfall coming off the higher section and flowing into the lower section.I walked into some fog as I got lower in elevation and it started dripping on me from the trees.A grouse walked out in front of me...just about 5 feet ahead and crossed to the left side of the Trail.I figured she was protecting chicks or a nest, so I kept walking.She followed me for about 10 yards before she turned around.I came up to Matts Creek Shelter and it was packed. Mike was there eating and Sky Surfer was there. I didn't know the rest.I walked on heading towards the diner....and coffee with a sit-down breakfast. :-)I crossed the James River Foot Bridge and got to the road at 7:45am.I started hitching a ride, but there weren't many cars coming by.It took about 10 minutes, but the 6th pickup truck stopped and delivered me to the diner in Glasgow. The guy's last name that gave me the ride was Coffee...Mr. Coffee. What a great name! :-)I sat my backpack down and saw a couple hikers inside. I really didn't pay much attention to who they were. Well, before I was ready to go inside, Warren Doyle came out and said, ¢Hey Stumpknocker.¢ :-)It was Warren and his son, Forest. They were in the area doing a section of the Trail.I was talking to them, when Blues Traveler stuck his head out from the other dining area and said hello.I walked back there and saw him, SoJo and met Boat.Before long, Whisper, Stubs and Mr Bones came in, then Cranky Pete and then Mike.I ordered breakfast and was walking around talking to everyone and carrying a mug of hot coffee! :-)Ken was waiting there to take three of the hikers back to the Trail, so I talked to him a while.He lives in a campground on the other side of the trailhead from Glasgow and gave me a ride into town 3 or 4 years ago.He remembered me, but couldn't remember the year either.I made arrangements for a ride at 8:30 tomorrow morning.Warren took a few of the hikers back to the Trail; I finished my breakfast and sat drinking coffee for a while.I told Stacey, the waitress, that I was going to stay in town today and get a room. She had one that was ready, so I paid for that and went and got cleaned up.I REALLY needed to get cleaned up too! I didn't realize how dirty I had gotten in the rain yesterday.I washed my clothes in the shower with me and laid out my tent, sleeping bag and backpack to dry out.It was lunch time before I knew it! :-)I resupplied at the Dollar Store, then went and had a cheeseburger....a BIG cheeseburger, fries, a hotdog and chips....oh, and I had more coffee! :-)I need to mention that I have a new record. I haven't fallen on this entire hike....771 miles now. In fact, I didn't fall on the bicycle trip either, so I haven't fallen all year!I do believe I'm getting this walking thing down! ;-)I walked through some pretty slippery stuff earlier in the year too.Another thing I've been wanting to mention is that the batteries for my cell phone are lasting about twice as long out on the Trail now that it's warmed up, compared to how long they lasted when I was walking with winter.I am enjoying being able to send in my journal mostly on the same day that what I'm writing about happened....and especially sending in the photos of what I'm seeing each day.I really like that! Some days I only take a few pictures and send in, but some days I send in 20+ photos, and Mrs Gorp posts them the same day in the photo section of my journal.I came back to my room after lunch and spent my day doing mostly nothing. It's really fine to do mostly nothing once in a while. My old body appreciates it. Ha! :-)Oh yeah, I mentioned the private message my ol' buddy Chief sent me yesterday and how he really wanted to see more pictures of me.Well, true to form, he signed my guestbook acting all macho and tried to deny that I really am his hero.This isn't about that....this is about the last two sentences in the response he made in my guestbook.His last two sentences and I quote; "Are those pink rhodos that you've been taking pictures of? Lovely color."Yep, that's my ol' buddy Chief's true colors shining through all his trash talk....he just loves pink. I know¢¦ I've seen a video of him performing at a clogger's convention in white shoes and slacks, with a pink button down shirt and a pink cowboy hat. (His wife showed me that video)   :-)OK, I'm sure I'll hear more from my ol' buddy Chief and he'll probably be in full denial.I took a power nap this afternoon, reading from a new book, Cold Mountain, before the nap and after.It's a good rest day!I've gotten back into walking slowly since I've been back on Trail, taking rest days every 3 to 5 days. My legs are feeling strong again when I'm climbing mountains and I feel I could get back to doing a long mileage day whenever I felt like it....but I'm still kind of forcing myself to keep the low miles per day.I think I'll save my first 35+ mile day for when my buddy, Rainbow Slick comes out for a weekend's walk in northern VA. ;-)I'm so full from that huge lunch that I'm going to just stay in my room and read....skipping dinner and just having a small snack here.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)