First off, I want to wish my brother a very happy birthday. I tried to call him today, but cell reception at the beach in Florida is not always the best. When it comes to financial stability and planning, my brother and I are polar opposites. Today is his 63rd birthday and he is drawing two pensions and social security. My financial situation is closer to that of an 18 year old hiking the trail.
This zero day is no different than any other zero day. We showered, did laundry, ate, and resupplied. We went back to Two Pigs for another round and free banana pudding. They tried to pretend they were closed when we walked up, but too many people were too hungry to stay under the tables and wanted to eat. To cut them a little slack, we ordered hamburgers. There were squeals of joy from the kitchen.
There is also an outfitter in town so we popped in to buy some fuel, meals, a sleeping bag liner, and a sleeping pad strap to hold our pads together. Bunny thinks this will give us more room to spread out at night—we can use the unused space on our partner’s pad. I’m pretty sure this means I will be sleeping on the tent floor once I get pushed off my pad. Happy wife, happy life (and cold nights).
We had given up on Patches joining us in town. Miagi and Wood Chuck told us they had camped with her the night before last in Campbell Shelter. We just figured that she blew on through town to save some money. At 5, we got a text from her asking where we were staying. She had stretched what we did since seeing her at Four Pines into three days. Her schedule always expands to the amount of food she is carrying.
Gnome was in the room next to ours, but the last thing he had said to us when he checked in was “I’m going to take off all my clothes and relax in comfort for the next day.” In other words, we were afraid to knock on his door unannounced. Patches decided to not risk it and spend the night with us.
After she showered, I texted Gnome and we all went out for Mexican for supper. The plan is for the four of us to meet up with Stickers and Lady Bug tomorrow night at Wilson Creek Shelter about 11 miles ahead. For the first time since Bunny had to head home when her dad was in the hospital, we will all be together again (minus Postcard, Pit Boss, and Play by Play who are too far ahead now for us to catch up with). Patches has decided to go back to Damascus for trail days, so this will be one of the last times we get to hike with her.
EFG