Date: 2015-05-06
From: US 501 VA 130

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 1.7
Weather: light rain

I got up around 6:15 AM and started to pack up for another day. I took my cooking things to the shower house at the KOA and washed them. Now I'm ready for another 5 days in the woods. I had carried my stuff up to the camp office when Ken Wallace came looking for me. He took me to the post office in Big Island, VA. The people at the post office were the nicest people I ever met in a post office. They gave me tape and paper to address my return box home and then gave me candy to sweeten me up on the trail. Ken took me to H&H Market for breakfast and then went home. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and coffee. I wrote my journal while at the restaurant and then bought a few supplies in the store. I called Ken Wallace around 12:00 to take me to the trail head at the James River. We talked a while before I headed out. I had about 2.2 miles to Johns Hollow Shelter where I would spend the night. I had good walking but a half hour into the walk the rain came out so I whipped out my umbrella and waited it out for 15 minutes. A half hour later the trail was dry. No rain there. At the shelter some hikers came and ate their supper, then left. Others stayed. The names of some were Prime, Tortoise, Blue Toes, a big woman named Little Red, and Proud Foot. Proud Foot was a 40-year-old single guy from PA. He was telling us his given name Stoltzfus is Proud Foot in English. I looked at him and said in Penn Dutch, "so you can speak Penn Dutch," and he about fell over. He was born and raised amish. So we had a bit of dutch talk and later when we were alone he said is name is Mark Stoltzfus. I told him my real name. We talked some more dutch and then he hiked out. Mark is the first person I met in almost 800 miles that could talk Penn Dutch. It rained about 6:00 PM so I cooked my ramen noodles under my tent flap. There was another young guy hiker that came up to me and asked if I'm The Leopard. He said Ken Wallace shuttled him from Glasglow to James River trail head and he talked about me. Oops, what had I done. Well, it was a restful day which is what I wanted - rest up from the climbs since Sunday. I think Thursday will be a bit rough according to my guide book, going from 1136' elevation to 2992' in about 3.1 miles. I have a food drop Sunday at Crabtree Falls Campground about 50 miles away.Thought for the day:What are the odds of this story I told my wife Marilyn -- I would like to see a luna moth on the trail, somehow. I think it's a nocturnal moth so think about this on 5/5/15. I did see one and also think about the date. Here goes.****On 5/5/15, 700 miles from home marching on a trail called the Appalachian Trail The Leopard saw his luna moth while marching to Mt. Katahdin. The Great Creator placed him or her beside the narrow trail for me to find between mile 776.7 and 778.6 marching to Mt. Katahdin, marching to Mt. Katahdin. The moth was upside down laying next to a new tree start. I picked it up and looked at it and said THANK YOU while placing it upright on a big brown leaf and then taking a photo. Marching to Mt. Katahdin. Rest in peace, luna moth.