Date: 2005-06-07
From: Maupin Field Shelter (Rusty's Hard Time Hollow)

To: Dripping Rock Parking Area
Miles today: 6.5

Started @ Maupin Field ShelterDestination: Dripping Rock Parking AreaMiles today: 6.5 Total Miles: 835Stayed in HostelDay 88 We left the hostel and walked 2.5 miles to the shelter to eat breakfast. It was 8:30 when we left the shelter and got on the trail. When we arrived at the shelter Ol' Graceful was there getting ready to hike out. He had been the only one in the shelter last night. We started out with a steep up and then there were lots of rocks to walk over as we walked along the side of the mountain. We were about 6 miles or so into the hike and were planning to stop for lunch at the next place where the trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was hot and humid with hardly a breeze blowing. Redhat was in front of me and she tripped on a rock and went face down. Her head hit a rock and she was bleeding from the cut on her head. I got a gauze pad from my pack and placed over the cut and then she put her bandana over it, too. In order for her to keep it in place I tied my bandana around her head. Everytime she pulled the bandage away it was still bleeding. I told her not to get up as long as it was bleeding and that I would go on ahead and leave my pack and come back and get her pack or send someone else to get it so she would not have to carry it. I caught up with Ol' Graceful and told him what happened and he went back to stay with her until I could get to the road to leave my pack. Then I ran into a day hiker and I told him the situation and he said he would carry her pack back. So I took his day pack and it was rather heavy and I could not carry it all the way to the road, especially when the trail started going up toward the road. Soon they all came up the trail and RedHat was walking without her pack which the day hiker, Peanut Butter, was carrying. RedHat was talking non-stop and said she was ok to continue hiking but I told her she needed to get stitches. After the other 2 saw it they agreed. Peanut Butter had his car 5 miles down the road so he hitched a ride to get his car so he could drive us to the hospital. He stayed with us until she was released after having stitches inside and outside to close the wound. Then he drove us to the church hostel where we decided to stay tonight. If RedHat is feeling ok we will get a shuttle back out to where got off the trail tomorrow and hike back towards Waynesboro. The hostel opened at 5 and after signing in and taking a shower we went to do our laundry and then to a restaurant to eat. The church congregation just opened the church for a hostel a few weeks ago and have volunteers that come in to stay until everyone is gone the next morning. There is a 2 night limit on the stay which makes it difficult if you did want to stay and take a day off because you either would have to leave your things there or take your pack with you to wander about the town all day. The hostel is closed from 9am til 5pm. Other than that they have very friendly people volunteering and offer snacks, cereal, coffee, milk, fruits, and juices for hikers to use and ask for only a donation. We'll be staying here again tomorrow evening after we finish hiking tomorrow. We will only need to carry water, some snacks, and raingear for our hike--slack-packing.Lights out is 10:30pm in the fellowship hall where hikers sleep on the floor but if anyone wants to watch a movie in the youth room they are free to stay up to do that. The doors are locked at 10pm so everyone must be in by then. Just across the street is the library where hikers go to use the internet and beyond that is the YMCA which lets hikers pitch a tent near the river and also offers showers for $2.Time for sleep now. We have a 15 mile hike tomorrow.