Date: 2016-03-30
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA - Relax Inn
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's picture answers yesterday's question. Blues Brother and Who-Dat hiked into Partnership Shelter around noon, less than a half hour after I had returned to that shelter after returning from Marion. It was a relief to be reunited with them in that it ended the uncertainty about how to proceed.There were no big photo opportunities today so it was more about getting to the destination. Who-Dat showed how strong of a hiker he is as he impressively led the way up Glade Mountain. We saw Squish and Sharkey at Chatfield Shelter. It was fun swapping stories of our adventures to date. Hikers out here now seem to know each other or have heard about each other from others. It seems like a bigger community of hikers exists now. There is genuine concern when someone mentions a hiker and shares a concern about that hiker. I think we all want to hear good news about Sooner Or Later, who Blues Brother last saw a couple days ago when Sooner Or Later wasn't feeling well. It sounded like Sooner Or Later may have just fallen victim to eating too much town food. I've experienced it when I ate too much ice cream. The temptation to eat whatever you want is great and is easily related to by all of us. It's welcome news though when you see or hear of another hiker who has overcome a physical hardship. We saw Big Critter where we went to eat and he had just hiked 25 miles today after badly spraining his ankle a couple days ago.I messed up tonight. You'd think someone my age would have grown out of high school locker room banter but I embarrassed myself when speaking inappropriately about someone I just met today. She seems very nice. Based on the miles she's hiked since she started on February 16th, she is clearly one of the best hikers out here. It doesn't really matter whether she is a good hiker or not though, what I said never should have been said. I think anyone that knows me knows that my comment was totally inconsistent with how I conduct myself. Mark (Beano to those who are reading the sign-in e-mails on my journal page) - I know you and I apologized to Scott some 20 years after we horribly treated someone who never deserved what we dished out. I am not sure how I'll be able to face this hiker again. I apologized sincerely in front of Who-Dat and Blues Brother but I know it's not enough and never will be enough. I expect so much more of myself than this. She shouldn't be exposed to such crudeness. Out here, I've read that highs are very high and lows are very low. Today's high of being reunited with Blues Brother and Who-Dat is dwarfed by my behavior. Didn't see this coming. Can't put a spin on this. I messed up. Tomorrow is another day. I hope she has a good day tomorrow and can forgive and forget. I was thinking about the importance of forgiveness last week. Today leaves me with a lot of work to do. Hiking is important out here but hiking and holding myself accountable is so much more important. What will my focus be tomorrow? Who knows. Sorry for this self-indulgent writing, but this journal is my attempt to accurately reflect what is going on out here.