identify level ground. I woke up several times last night to find
myself crammed up against the bottom of the tent. This happens with
some regularity. Either the trail is running out of flat spots or I
can no longer locate them. Even as I sit here now I can feel myself
listing over to one side. That's okay...the campsite is awesome with a
rocky ledge outcropping that was the perfect spot for a breezy bug-
free dinner complete with a spectacular sunset.
I had a nice 16 or so mile hike today that began with a 3.5 mile
climb. Now that's the way to start the day. It took me all day to get
here, too. Apparently it is saturday. And apparently this is a very
popular section of trail. There were many dayhikers and sobo
(southbound) section hikers. They were all headed south now that I
think about it. They clearly knew something that I did not. Anyway,
most of the people stopped and engaged me in conversation (ie: asked
me lots of questions about what I ate, and how heavy my pack was, and
various other inquiries I have heard countless times). Then there was
the guy I ran into later in the day. This was a particularly peculiar
conversation that went something like this...Me: "hey how are ya?"
Wierd guy on trail: "hey! where you headed to?" Me: "Maine" Wierd
guy on trail: "Oh, on the A.T.?" Me: "Yep." Wierd guy on trail: "I
didn't know the A.T. was around here!" Me: "You're on it right now"
Wierd guy on trail: "huh?" Me: (mumbles something under her breath as
she quickly hikes away, frequently looking over her shoulder...) I
mean, Really? Where did you think you were?
Tomorrow I arrive in Waynesboro, Va, which is the entrance to the
Shenandoah National Park. I have been looking forward to this section
for quite some time, as it is an area I am quite fond of. I will be
spending the night in town, doing some laundry, buying more food, and
most importantly, trying to fix my beloved Big Agnes Air Core pad in a
bathtub. It has a leak and that is not conducive to a weary hiker's
good night sleep!
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