We have a longer day planned and a shelter to ourselves, so Bunny set the alarm to wake us up early (which it did). Somehow, we need to disable the snooze feature on the phone. We had phone signal and decided to call ahead to schedule a shuttle into Marion tomorrow so we could get our “care package” that Alice has sent (rumored to be more than 34# this time). Ice Cream wants to share our shuttle and who can say no to Ice Cream?. Yada, yada, yada, we are on the trail at 9:15.
We thought we might run across Mongrel, the guy who left late last night (Ice Cream knew him and said he tends to keep to himself a lot). We didn’t see anyone for almost 4 miles until we got to Comers Creek Falls where we met a sobo, House Keeping, and his dog Bullet. He started last June but had to get off the trail in November when his money ran out, this was only his second day back on the trail. He got his name because he was doing “work for stay” at hostels all the way through Maine. He would knock on doors and say “House Keeping” and people would see him eating later and call him that; the name stuck. He started calling ahead at hostels and saying “House Keeping is on the way, do you need my help?” If they laughed and said come on in, he’d usually stay a couple of days.
We got a little bit of trail magic today at a road crossing. Mouse Trap had just passed us and a car pulled up to him. Low Gear was handing out Coke and Doritos. He had planned to thru-hike this year but had plantar fascia too bad so he cancelled at the last minute. He wants to still be a part of the hiking community so he’s doing what magic he can afford. Mouse Trap is a Lithuanian who now lives in Illinois. He’s taking some time off to hike, but it sounds like he works multiple jobs and saves most of his money (as most immigrants seem to do).
Further up the trail, we met a couple of guys sitting in the shade eating lunch. They turned out to be some trail volunteers who were straightening up signs along the way. They had a set of posthole diggers but felt their job would be easier on a full stomach. They have been volunteering for over 20 years and were in their 70s (the older at 79). We thanked them for making our hike possible.
The last couple of days we have been running into a solo hiker walking in the opposite direction. We talked enough to learn that his trail name is AI (for Attitude Indication—he’s a former pilot). Today, when we passed, we invited him to join us for a break. He and his brother are supposed to hiking the trail together, but his brother has an ankle injury and is hoping to return later this week. In the mean time, AI is doing daily section hikes; he parks his car at a road crossing, walks out between 8 to 10 miles, and then hikes back. In essence, he is yo-yo-ing the trail (hiking it in both directions in a single year). He is 71 and his wife died last year. He’s trying to adjust to the change. He’s a very nice guy and his story really touched us, especially when we noticed him still wearing his wedding band.
Even though we have so far to go today, or maybe because of it, we decided to take a long break and nap when we came upon a meadow after Trimpi Shelter. Bunny’s still not fully adjusted to her new shoes and we aren’t going very fast, especially uphill. I laid down and fell asleep until I was awoke by some heavy breathing. I looked over at Bunny and she was already awake, so it must have just been the wind blowing in the trees.
It wasn’t far to another road crossing followed by another climb. We could see a tent set up on the side of the trail about a mile after the road. As we were looking at the tent trying to figure out if it was anyone we knew, we heard a voice from above. It was a 74 year old woman, Grambo, who was solo section hiking. She has spent the last 8 years caring for a sick parent followed by a husband who died from cancer. This year, she’s doing another 200 miles before she heads out in her motor home to Yellow Stone.
We were getting close to the end of our day and decided we might get lucky enough to make it to Partnership Shelter before dark if we pushed a little harder. We were further motivated because you can actually order pizza for delivery at this shelter. As we were getting closer, Bunny could sense I was losing steam and started talking to push me on so we didn’t hear the two people behind us until they passing us. They, too, were motivated by the thought of pizza delivery.
We got to the shelter to find Gnome, Mouse Trap, Clock Work, and Ice Cream finishing up their pizzas, but they said we still had time for delivery. We agreed to share an order with the other late comers to save on the $5 delivery charge. While I went with Snapper to order the pizza at the visitor center, Bunny went upstairs in the shelter to set up our bed.
When we got back, I noticed she had set up in the crowded downstairs instead. I asked her why, and she said Mongrel was upstairs by himself and she didn’t want to run him off again. We let Snapper and Michigan have the upstairs honors. Tonight, he stayed put—it really is me.
We didn’t get our pizza until 3a hiker time; 9p to everyone else, but way past our bed time. We ate with Michigan and Snapper by red headlamp light. They hiked the PCT last year, the Florida Trail earlier this year, and now the AT. They put in a 30 mile day to get this pizza. I like pizza, but not 30 miles of like.
EFG