Date: 2006-04-08
From: VA 672 (Slab Town Rd)

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Saturday 50¢s, drizzly, rainy.Amoeba is hiking north, Memere and Gray Feathers are hiking south. They¢ll cross paths in the middle.Setting her car at 672, Amoeba meets thruhiker Messenger, who is hiking with his friend Braveheart. Yesterday Messenger and Braveheart hitched to Marion so Braveheart could be treated by a podiatrist for his foot trouble. He¢s a little behind me, still suffering, says Messenger. Messenger¢s Dad, Wise Panther, has joined them for 2 weeks of hiking. Wise Panther will be meeting Messenger and Braveheart today farther up the trail.The Element is restocked with yesterday¢s purchases. Amoeba gives Messenger gingerale, a banana and an apple. Hello to Avalanche. Avalanche teaches 7th grade and is out section-hiking the AT during spring break. He accepts a mini-bottle of red wine, not the best trail magic because it¢s heavy, but it¢ll be welcome at the end of a cold rainy hike and there are disposal bins at Partnership. Messenger and Avalanche hike on. Amoeba locks up the car and follows. She meets ¢Retired¢ and ¢Sweet Dreams¢ from Kansas City, who are doing a long backpacking section-hike from somewhere in TN to Roanoke. They are carrying large backpacks. After their section-hike of the AT, they¢ll go to Europe to hike in the French Pyrenees. Rain stops, then starts again. Amoeba likes today's hiking conditions. Hey, she's always saying that. What kind of hiking conditions doesn¢t she like? Below 15 degrees or above 80, blazing sun, torrential cold downpour, slick ice, deep mud, queer or non-existent blazing, thick black flies or mosquitoes. Also she's pretty sure she doesn't like some of the conditions LWOP described in Florida.Hello to 4 hikers out for the day: Lead Dog from Pulaski, Mother Hen, Handsome Harry and Gilligan. While Amoeba is talking to them, Avalanche and Braveheart pass.Amoeba overtakes Braveheart. The 2 of them overtake Messenger and Wise Panther. This is Wise Panther¢s 3rd day of hiking. Yesterday he did 15 miles. He¢s run marathons. He's known the emotion that overwhelms a marathoner at the finish line. Emotion on the summit of Katahdin may be like that, he says. Gray Feathers has told Amoeba to offer to take Braveheart, Messenger and Wise Panther to Marion in the PT Cruiser if they want to go. Yes! Today they¢ll spend the night in Marion. Amoeba tells them she¢ll meet them at Partnership Shelter and hikes on.It¢s hard to remember a spring this dry. The woods really need today¢s rain, and more.Partnership Shelter at 1:05PM. Avalanche is there, drying his gear. Avalanche gets 3 cravings when hiking: pimiento shredded cheese, egg salad and chicken salad. It would be interesting to study trail food cravings. Amoeba often craves chocolate milk, lemonade, tomatoes, toasted BLT¢s.Avalanche¢s last meal before coming out to hike this time was, how can this be?, Eggs Benedict. He poaches the eggs in ramekins instead of water.A small steno pad in the shelter addressed to thruhikers says, ¢Call us for a free overnight. Shower, laundry, food, HDTV, company, Internet. Former thruhikers George and Murray Ann Ziegerfuss. Take a card from the wall. We¢ll pick you up.¢Shelter register entries extol Tuscan Restaurant pizza. There¢s an entry on 3-30-06 by Lady Di. Amoeba has missed her by just over one week.15 minutes later Braveheart arrives. Amoeba and Braveheart are cold and go out to the Cruiser for warmth. About 2PM Messenger and Wise Panther join them. The Cruiser is like a clown car. It holds 4 adults, 3 full packs, and Memere¢s and Gray Feathers¢ gear. It¢s a bottomless hikerbus. Messenger, Braveheart and Wise Panther decide to stay the night at a gigantic Best Western in Marion. Amoeba drops them off.On her way back to the Royal Inn, she passes a mysterious place called the ¢Rejuvenation Center.¢ A tiny bent-over old lady is mounting its stairs, assisted by an old man. The ¢before¢ picture. What will be the ¢after¢ picture? See April 12 musings about old appliances. Memere and Gray Feathers return. Then Myra and Randy drop in! They are making more phone book deliveries in Marion.Festive dinner for 5 at the Tuscan. Memere and Gray Feathers treat. Thank you!