6/5/12 – 722 miles
Blue Sky, Comma-Kaze, Kleenex, Gandelf, Spam, Firefox, Benobo, Groove, Sicilian Gypsy, Mona, Slim Timber, Nuga, Bandana, Whiffle Chicken, and Sixty Five, just some of the hiker I met in town today. After days of walking alone a couple of weeks ago, now there are people I know everywhere.
Comma-Kaze, Blue Sky, Kleenex, and I shared a room at the Howard Johnson in Daleville, VA. With the coupon another hiker told me about, we only had to pay $11 apiece for the room. There was even a pool and Blue Sky and I took advantage of a swim as soon as we arrived while the girls took showers.
I rather splurged in town. Besides spending money on a lot of eating, I also dropped quite a bit of change at the outfitters. I ended up getting a Marmot Plasma 40 degree 900 fill down sleeping bag. The bag is amazing, weighs in at just over a pound and I think it is warmer than my old 20 degree bag. The sleeping bag was expensive, but two less pounds of weight for the next 1000 miles….priceless!
On my way into town I thought I was all alone. I started talking out loud, “Scotty, you’ve got to give me more power, the town tractor beam has got us and is pulling us in!”
“I’m givin’ er’ all she’s got Captain, if I give her any more she’s going to blow!” Just then I turned around and there was a trail runner behind me with a big smile on his face. I told him that we all start talking to ourselves after 700 miles on the trail.
The sleeping bag sounds a lot like mine, a Marmot Helium.
Man, you’re sleeping with a lot of young ladies!