Day 42: Maupin Field Shelter to Rockfish Gap (21.1 miles)

June 23, 2004 - No sleep at all last night. Cooked a good dinner over a campfire since I was out of fuel and the smoke keeps the bugs away. So most of the night was bug free until the fire went out, which was after I had gone to bed. I got maybe 30 min of sleep then the bugs came and started bothering everyone in the shelter. Feeling too lazy to pitch my tent I just let it go hoping they would go away, but they never did. Around 1 am I thought it was time to pitch the tent, but it seemed like rain and that’s what all the day hikers were saying, so I dealt with the bugs a little longer thinking that they would leave when the rain started. The rain never came so the bugs never left so I never slept. Around 4 am Bilbo turns to me and says “as soon as there is light I’m getting the hell out of here.” I said “same here”, so at 5 am we ate breakfast and packed up and were on the trail by 5:45 am, just barely light enough to see the trail. It was a nice morning hike; no big climbs, just little ups and downs. Waynesboro was just 21 miles from the shelter so it wouldn’t be long to take us to get to town. After a short snack break after 10.5 miles the rain that was supposed to come last night started. It started very light. I was thinking that it was nice because it was cool and it hasn’t rained for 3 days. Then came the heavy rain, which wasn’t nice at all. That started about 8 miles from town. Luckily there was a shelter 3 miles away. So I ran down the mountain trying to get out of the rain and mud. Made it to the shelter soaking wet. We decided to wait it out since it was only 5 miles to town and it was only 11:00 am. The rain let up so we left. Then 10 minutes later the heavy stuff picked up again and that lasted most of the way to town. I was so ready to get to town to eat and take a shower because I really smelled bad. Only took 1.5 hours to go those 5 miles, most of which was uphill. Got to the road and called a guy to pick Bilbo and me up at the road (the town is 5 miles away from the trail). We met another hiker who was about to leave for the trail but decided to come back to town with us. Then Goose showed up, he was at the shelter with us last night. So we had enough to split a hotel room with. The guy came to pick us up. He’s a nice guy who picks up lots of hikers from the trail to bring to town and said he would take us back the next day. Went straight to the post office for Bilbo and Goose to pick up their mail drops and I mailed some stuff home. Then went to the Chinese buffet but they didn’t open until 4:30 pm so we checked into the hotel and went back to the buffet at 4:30 where all 4 of us stuffed ourselves with some good food. Then went to Kroger that was next door to re-supply on food, then went back to the hotel to crash. Spent the night just laying around watching TV. I went to the gas station next door to get chocolate milk and cookies. Don’t feel like getting back on the trail, neither does Bilbo so we may take a zero day tomorrow since I’ve only take 1 and he has taken 2. Most people have taken 10 by now. I met one lady back at 4 Pines Hostel who has taken 32 zero days. Both Bilbo and I are a little hurt, so taking a zero day would be good.

Maupin Field Shelter