Co-Ed was at breakfast this morning. So was Wild Turkey and a bunch of hikers I've not seen before. The Damascus Trail Days crew has caught up. Logman and I were on trail by 10:30; as we got out of the car, two hikers showed up needing a ride to town.
I saw Tribute and Doc13 today. They were slack packing 20 miles back to Waynesboro and Stanimal's hostel. So they are 12 miles ahead of us. Dr. Pickles and Mockingbird got on trail just before us. They decided to also do a short day to Calf Mountain shelter, 8 miles north of Waynesboro. But when we got here, the shelter was already full; at 2pm! So many hikers, it looks like we're in Georgia again. Most are with a Norfolk, VA based Boy Scout group out for a southbound section hike. Good kids.
Pickles pointed out that I might want to change my schedule to do my 20 mile day tomorrow instead of Friday. I looked at the terrain, and he's probably right. That also will allow the four of us to share a $15 campsite at Loft Mountain tomorrow. I say four, not five, because Co-Ed got here and his foot is hurting really bad. So he will walk a mile to the next road crossing and get a ride back to Waynesboro and a doctor. He's been off trail for a week and it's still hurting; I fear this may be the end for his hike. I hope I'm worried about nothing.
6/11/15 - I left Calf Mtn shelter at 6:30 this morning, and made it to Blackrock Hut at 11:40. Five hours to walk a bit more than 13 miles. Of course, it helps that I have only 1 day of food and I was carrying only 2L of water.
It took Pickles and Mockingbird an hour to catch me at the shelter. I finally walked out at 1pm, still without seeing Logman, and headed for Loft Mountain Camp. I made it to the checkin station at 4:30. Ranger Bill Rodriguez was kind enough to drive me the ¼ mile to the tent site and then drove me, Pickles and Mockingbird 0.8 miles to the wayside restaurant and showers! He also had news that Ranger Dixon Freeland, who took such good care of me in 2007, has recently retired due to Lyme Disease. He told me to check in the morning and he's try and hook me up with Ranger Freeland's home number.
Logman showed up at 5:30, our friend Ranger Rodriguez drove him to the wayside on his way home. So all is good, we get town supper.
6/12/15 - Loft Mountain Campground to Hightop Hut
We left camp at 7, as usual, and headed to Hightop Hut. The trail was well groomed, which was good as the hills were steep and the temperature very warm. We got to the first shelter before eleven, and ate an early lunch.
As we crossed Simmons Gap, an SUV stopped and - Trail Magic! Dave and Liz were driving Skyline Drive on the way to a family reunion and decided to help out any hikers they saw. We got ice cold GatorAde, so nice on a hot day!
Logman and I got to the hut just before the afternoon thunderstorms hit. Pickles and Mockingbird got wet. It all stopped after about thirty minutes or so and cooled things off a bit.
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