Day: 050
Date: Saturday, 21 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 17.5
Daily Other Miles: 0.9 (0.5 in Front Royal, 0.2 store, 0.2 shelter)
Total AT Miles: 957.6
Total All Miles: 987.8
Weather: Very warm, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, scones.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
Dinner: Fettucine, pop tarts.
Aches: Toes a bit sore.
Animals Seen: Squirrels.
People Seen: 1 AT Thru-hiker, 1 day hiker, many others.
Journal:
Got up ay 7:50am and had a shower. At 8am, the Aussie Rules match came back on ESPN so I needn’t have stayed up so late. I rang Mark and arranged to meet him at Keys Gap Shelter at 5pm tomorrow night for dinner. After breakfast, I finished packing and departed at 9:10am. I walked ½ a mile to a good hitching place and stood there, on a pleasant sunny day, for ½ an hour before getting a lift to Linden. It was amazing how many women in cars slow a little, look at you and obviously think about picking you up, only to reject the idea as risky. I went to the Post Office, did some mailing, and then went to a grocery store for a pint of milk and a chocolate ice-cream. I headed off at 11:10am. The Trail at first followed a road before entering the woods. It was fairly easy going and I made good time. Where the Trail crossed Ashby Gap during the afternoon, I walked up the road 200m to a restaurant which had a phone and called Marj in case I didn’t get another opportunity. She was quite chatty. After a milkshake I left and walked the remaining 3½ miles to Rod Hollow Shelter, my goal for the day. There was no-one there and the Shelter was excellent – brand new with a pavilion for eating and cooking, and a good piped spring with a facility for showers. At about 7:30pm, another AT hiker (by sections), Uncle Al, turned up. He’d hiked a 100 miles further south and could fill me in on the progress of a few people I knew. In 1984, he had hiked from Georgia to Massachusetts, but then his wife had asked him to come home. This year he planned to hike Virginia to Maine. He was useful with information about the Trail in Pennsylvania. I went to bed at 9:30pm.
Appalachian Trail - Day 049
Day: 049
Date: Friday, 20 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 0
Daily Other Miles: 0.4 (to store)
Total AT Miles: 940.1
Total All Miles: 969.4
Weather: Warm, humid, cloudy.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, scones.
Lunch: Burgers, fries, shake.
Dinner: Trout, vegetables, ice-cream.
Aches:
Animals Seen:
People Seen: Many
Journal:
Got up at about 8:30am and, after a shower, wandered across the road to the restaurant for breakfast. After breakfast, I spent a few hours sewing my Australian flags on my pack. It was a slow job and at 12:30pm I knocked off and walked up the road to get burgers for lunch again. After lunch, I finished my sewing chores and decided not to bother walking the mile to the laundry, but did my own washing by hand. The afternoon went quickly – I didn’t get the letters written I had planned on. I rang theBinnings before going to tea and arranged to ring them again in the morning re a possible Sunday meeting. Had another excellent dinner and adjourned to my room to catch up on my badly over-due diary. Tried to ring Barb a number of times unsuccessfully. Stayed up to 1am watching Aussie Rules on ESPN. It wasn’t a bad game with North Melbourne just pipping Sydney. Rang Barb at 11pm and got Ngaire – Barb’s away for the weekend.
Date: Friday, 20 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 0
Daily Other Miles: 0.4 (to store)
Total AT Miles: 940.1
Total All Miles: 969.4
Weather: Warm, humid, cloudy.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Eggs, sausages, scones.
Lunch: Burgers, fries, shake.
Dinner: Trout, vegetables, ice-cream.
Aches:
Animals Seen:
People Seen: Many
Journal:
Got up at about 8:30am and, after a shower, wandered across the road to the restaurant for breakfast. After breakfast, I spent a few hours sewing my Australian flags on my pack. It was a slow job and at 12:30pm I knocked off and walked up the road to get burgers for lunch again. After lunch, I finished my sewing chores and decided not to bother walking the mile to the laundry, but did my own washing by hand. The afternoon went quickly – I didn’t get the letters written I had planned on. I rang theBinnings before going to tea and arranged to ring them again in the morning re a possible Sunday meeting. Had another excellent dinner and adjourned to my room to catch up on my badly over-due diary. Tried to ring Barb a number of times unsuccessfully. Stayed up to 1am watching Aussie Rules on ESPN. It wasn’t a bad game with North Melbourne just pipping Sydney. Rang Barb at 11pm and got Ngaire – Barb’s away for the weekend.
Appalachian Trail - Day 048
Day: 048
Date: Thursday, 19 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 9.9
Daily Other Miles: 0.5 (to store)
Total AT Miles: 940.1
Total All Miles: 969.0
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Burgers, fries, apple, watermelon.
Dinner: Pork chops, vegetables, ice-cream.
Aches:
Animals Seen: Deer, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels, Asian donkeys.
People Seen: No hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am and away at 7:30am. It was hard to develop a sense of urgency on days when I was walking reduced mileages. The Trail wound around a lot and passed through a few properties initially but was still good going for the first 3 miles. But, after that it passed through very overgrown grassy areas which were supposedly tick infested. Much of the grass was head-high and I didn’t enjoy it. The Trail also passed along the perimeter of land owned by the National Zoo and I saw animals which looked like Asian donkeys grazing. The grass was later replaced by nettles before it became more pleasant at higher altitudes. I made good time and the last few miles along country roads into Linden were enjoyable. I arrived at the Post Office at 11:40am (lucky – it closed between 12pm and 1pm) and found a very helpful postmaster who gave me my mail, insisted on ringing motels in Front Royal to check prices (and if they had cable TV) and then drove me the 7 miles to Front Royal in his lunch hour. I checked into the motel, which was a bit dumpish but OK (didn’t have HBO!). I then walked up the street ¼ mile to a supermarket, did my shopping, and collected some lunch at the Burger King on the way back. I spent the afternoon watching TV, reading mail and writing to Barb. I had dinner at a nice restaurant across the street and then relaxed eating, watching TV and reading the paper for the rest of the evening. Went to bed at 12:30am. I couldn’t open the windows, so had to have the noisy air conditioner on most of the time.
Date: Thursday, 19 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 9.9
Daily Other Miles: 0.5 (to store)
Total AT Miles: 940.1
Total All Miles: 969.0
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Burgers, fries, apple, watermelon.
Dinner: Pork chops, vegetables, ice-cream.
Aches:
Animals Seen: Deer, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels, Asian donkeys.
People Seen: No hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am and away at 7:30am. It was hard to develop a sense of urgency on days when I was walking reduced mileages. The Trail wound around a lot and passed through a few properties initially but was still good going for the first 3 miles. But, after that it passed through very overgrown grassy areas which were supposedly tick infested. Much of the grass was head-high and I didn’t enjoy it. The Trail also passed along the perimeter of land owned by the National Zoo and I saw animals which looked like Asian donkeys grazing. The grass was later replaced by nettles before it became more pleasant at higher altitudes. I made good time and the last few miles along country roads into Linden were enjoyable. I arrived at the Post Office at 11:40am (lucky – it closed between 12pm and 1pm) and found a very helpful postmaster who gave me my mail, insisted on ringing motels in Front Royal to check prices (and if they had cable TV) and then drove me the 7 miles to Front Royal in his lunch hour. I checked into the motel, which was a bit dumpish but OK (didn’t have HBO!). I then walked up the street ¼ mile to a supermarket, did my shopping, and collected some lunch at the Burger King on the way back. I spent the afternoon watching TV, reading mail and writing to Barb. I had dinner at a nice restaurant across the street and then relaxed eating, watching TV and reading the paper for the rest of the evening. Went to bed at 12:30am. I couldn’t open the windows, so had to have the noisy air conditioner on most of the time.
Appalachian Trail - Day 047
Day: 047
Date: Wednesday, 18 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 23.1
Daily Other Miles: 0.4 (0.2 shelter, 0.2 spring)
Total AT Miles: 930.2
Total All Miles: 958.6
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink then, later, hamburger, fries, orange juice, ice-cream, milk-shake.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
Dinner: Macaroni cheese, pop tarts.
Aches: Tired feet.
Animals Seen: Many deer, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen: Six overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 5:50am and left at about 7:30am. Katherine was very chatty and wanted me to wait a few minutes until she was ready to leave, even though our paths would only be the same for ¼ mile. We said our good-byes and I headed off, looking forward to a shorter day with easy grades in pleasant walking conditions. I decided to walk steadily to Elkwallow Wayside where there was a snack bar and have a second breakfast. I arrived there around 10am and bought a few supplies plus burger, fries, shake, orange juice, and ice-cream. I took these out to a picnic table in the sun and spent a very pleasant hour eating and itinerary planning. Then I walked another 8 miles including gentle grades and a few views to the top of North Marshall Mountain for lunch. After lunch, I continued on and passed through an area of forest devastated by the gypsy moth before eventually leaving Shenandoah National Park. I reached Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter at 6:10pm. It was very nice, apart from a long hike down the mountain to get water from a spring, and I had it to myself. A good dinner and a leisurely evening, and a lovely sunset, made for a great evening. Went to bed at 9:30pm.
Date: Wednesday, 18 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 23.1
Daily Other Miles: 0.4 (0.2 shelter, 0.2 spring)
Total AT Miles: 930.2
Total All Miles: 958.6
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink then, later, hamburger, fries, orange juice, ice-cream, milk-shake.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar.
Dinner: Macaroni cheese, pop tarts.
Aches: Tired feet.
Animals Seen: Many deer, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen: Six overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 5:50am and left at about 7:30am. Katherine was very chatty and wanted me to wait a few minutes until she was ready to leave, even though our paths would only be the same for ¼ mile. We said our good-byes and I headed off, looking forward to a shorter day with easy grades in pleasant walking conditions. I decided to walk steadily to Elkwallow Wayside where there was a snack bar and have a second breakfast. I arrived there around 10am and bought a few supplies plus burger, fries, shake, orange juice, and ice-cream. I took these out to a picnic table in the sun and spent a very pleasant hour eating and itinerary planning. Then I walked another 8 miles including gentle grades and a few views to the top of North Marshall Mountain for lunch. After lunch, I continued on and passed through an area of forest devastated by the gypsy moth before eventually leaving Shenandoah National Park. I reached Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter at 6:10pm. It was very nice, apart from a long hike down the mountain to get water from a spring, and I had it to myself. A good dinner and a leisurely evening, and a lovely sunset, made for a great evening. Went to bed at 9:30pm.
Appalachian Trail - Day 046
Day: 046
Date: Tuesday, 17 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 26.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.3 (shelter)
Total AT Miles: 907.1
Total All Miles: 935.1
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Chilli, hamburger and fries.
Dinner: Salad, chicken, fries and ice-cream.
Aches: Back outside of both feet very sore.
Animals Seen: Many deer, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen: Two AT Thru-hikers, approximately 15 overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at about 5:50am and got away at 7:20am. It was much cooler and promised to be a cool sunny day – good for hiking. The rear outside of both soles were still very sore, as though there were deep blisters, but I was loathe to push needles in any further. Once again the Trail had easy grades and was generally even. There were some parts where the nettles were quite bad. I hadn’t expected that in the Shenandoah National Park. The less humid weather meant less haze and therefore some of the best views for the trip so far – especially over the Shenandoah Valley. I put in four miles between breaks and thought about stopping at Big Meadows (where Barb and I had camped) for a second breakfast, but decided I didn’t need it , especially since I expected to be buying lunch and dinner. I stopped for a nice long break in the sun at the picnic area there while I worked out an itinerary to Delaware Water Gap, including 1½ days off in Front Royal. It seemed reasonable provided that the going wasn’t too bad. I was again nostalgic for the good old days in the van (gone forever) as I walked along parts of the AT I had run a couple of months ago. The 8 miles to Skyland seemed hard and the feet were sore – inexplicable mood swings. I arrived at 2:10pm and went to the restaurant at the Lodge for a reasonably-priced, not particularly good, meal (good chilli, though). On leaving, I met two AT Thru-hikers I must have passed in the morning – GEOKA (George and Karin). I chatted for a while. They had left on 15 April and I was the first person to catch them. It was then another 8 miles to Thornton Gap, including a couple of mountains and some more views. I arrived at the Panorama Restaurant at 6:40pm, discovered it closed at 7pm, and went straight in and ordered. It was a good meal and I was last to leave. I then had an easy uphill 1½ mile walk to reach Pass Mountain Hut where I arrived on a lovely evening at 8:10pm. Already in residence was Katherine, an English 30yo archaeologist who’d been living in Hanover, West Germany, for the last 7 years. Initially she was a little reserved, but later became very friendly. I went to bed at 9:30pm. Lots of fireflies again.
Date: Tuesday, 17 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 26.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.3 (shelter)
Total AT Miles: 907.1
Total All Miles: 935.1
Weather: Mild, sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, health drink.
Lunch: Chilli, hamburger and fries.
Dinner: Salad, chicken, fries and ice-cream.
Aches: Back outside of both feet very sore.
Animals Seen: Many deer, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen: Two AT Thru-hikers, approximately 15 overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at about 5:50am and got away at 7:20am. It was much cooler and promised to be a cool sunny day – good for hiking. The rear outside of both soles were still very sore, as though there were deep blisters, but I was loathe to push needles in any further. Once again the Trail had easy grades and was generally even. There were some parts where the nettles were quite bad. I hadn’t expected that in the Shenandoah National Park. The less humid weather meant less haze and therefore some of the best views for the trip so far – especially over the Shenandoah Valley. I put in four miles between breaks and thought about stopping at Big Meadows (where Barb and I had camped) for a second breakfast, but decided I didn’t need it , especially since I expected to be buying lunch and dinner. I stopped for a nice long break in the sun at the picnic area there while I worked out an itinerary to Delaware Water Gap, including 1½ days off in Front Royal. It seemed reasonable provided that the going wasn’t too bad. I was again nostalgic for the good old days in the van (gone forever) as I walked along parts of the AT I had run a couple of months ago. The 8 miles to Skyland seemed hard and the feet were sore – inexplicable mood swings. I arrived at 2:10pm and went to the restaurant at the Lodge for a reasonably-priced, not particularly good, meal (good chilli, though). On leaving, I met two AT Thru-hikers I must have passed in the morning – GEOKA (George and Karin). I chatted for a while. They had left on 15 April and I was the first person to catch them. It was then another 8 miles to Thornton Gap, including a couple of mountains and some more views. I arrived at the Panorama Restaurant at 6:40pm, discovered it closed at 7pm, and went straight in and ordered. It was a good meal and I was last to leave. I then had an easy uphill 1½ mile walk to reach Pass Mountain Hut where I arrived on a lovely evening at 8:10pm. Already in residence was Katherine, an English 30yo archaeologist who’d been living in Hanover, West Germany, for the last 7 years. Initially she was a little reserved, but later became very friendly. I went to bed at 9:30pm. Lots of fireflies again.
Appalachian Trail - Day 045
Day: 045
Date: Monday, 16 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 26.6
Daily Other Miles: 0.7 (0.3 campground, 0.3 store, 0.1 shelter)
Total AT Miles: 880.7
Total All Miles: 908.4
Weather: Hot, humid, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, two bananas.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, corn chips.
Dinner: Corn chips, ice-cream.
Aches: Blister on right foot, wasp sting on left wrist, numbness in left knee.
Animals Seen: Several deer, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits.
People Seen: Ten overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am after quite a good night’s sleep (though I could have slept longer) and after a somewhat leisurely start (finished reading the paper) I set out reluctantly on my 26+ mile day in weather that was forecast to be hot and humid. Knowing that it would be hard, I paced myself and had a rest every hour. The new shorts and T-shirt were definitely more comfortable to hike in. I set as my goal Swift Run Gap for lunch, 17 miles down the track and, with a little help from the Sony Walkman, made it at 3pm. Although there were a number of viewpoints, the immensely thick haze marred the views. It was quite oppressive. After lunch, I set out for Lewis Mountain Campground, 9 miles away, and reached there at 6:50pm, feeling very tired. The store was open and I purchased a quart of ice-cream and three cans of Coke (plus some powdered milk) for dinner. Fortunately, the storekeeper told me the water was bad at Bearfence Gap where I was headed, so I was able to top up. I arrived at Bearfence at 7:15pm, very footsore, and got a fire going while I had a wash. Although the fire was good, the grill was too high and, after a lot of stuffing around, I never did manage to get water boiled for macaroni cheese. In the end, I dined on corn chips, ice-cream and Coke. As it got dark, there were lots of fireflies dancing around. I went to bed at about 9:40pm. There were some no-see-ums biting.
Date: Monday, 16 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 26.6
Daily Other Miles: 0.7 (0.3 campground, 0.3 store, 0.1 shelter)
Total AT Miles: 880.7
Total All Miles: 908.4
Weather: Hot, humid, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Muesli, two bananas.
Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, corn chips.
Dinner: Corn chips, ice-cream.
Aches: Blister on right foot, wasp sting on left wrist, numbness in left knee.
Animals Seen: Several deer, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits.
People Seen: Ten overnight hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 6am after quite a good night’s sleep (though I could have slept longer) and after a somewhat leisurely start (finished reading the paper) I set out reluctantly on my 26+ mile day in weather that was forecast to be hot and humid. Knowing that it would be hard, I paced myself and had a rest every hour. The new shorts and T-shirt were definitely more comfortable to hike in. I set as my goal Swift Run Gap for lunch, 17 miles down the track and, with a little help from the Sony Walkman, made it at 3pm. Although there were a number of viewpoints, the immensely thick haze marred the views. It was quite oppressive. After lunch, I set out for Lewis Mountain Campground, 9 miles away, and reached there at 6:50pm, feeling very tired. The store was open and I purchased a quart of ice-cream and three cans of Coke (plus some powdered milk) for dinner. Fortunately, the storekeeper told me the water was bad at Bearfence Gap where I was headed, so I was able to top up. I arrived at Bearfence at 7:15pm, very footsore, and got a fire going while I had a wash. Although the fire was good, the grill was too high and, after a lot of stuffing around, I never did manage to get water boiled for macaroni cheese. In the end, I dined on corn chips, ice-cream and Coke. As it got dark, there were lots of fireflies dancing around. I went to bed at about 9:40pm. There were some no-see-ums biting.
Appalachian Trail - Day 044
Day: 044
Date: Sunday, 15 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 21.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.7 (around Campground)
Total AT Miles: 854.1
Total All Miles: 881.1
Weather: Very warm, humid, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Four cakes
Lunch: Chicken, salad, pate, biscuits.
Dinner: Chicken, chips, rock melon, ice-cream.
Aches: Blisters on both heels.
Animals Seen: Many deer, a bear, snake, chipmunks, squirrels, grouse.
People Seen: Four overnight hikers, ten day hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 5:30am after a reasonable night’s sleep and managed to get going by 6:40am. Everything was wet after a heavy night’s dew. After about an hour, when crossing a fairly open scrubby part of the crest of Calf Mountain, I disturbed something big about 30 yards in front of me which turned out to be a big black bear. It went lumbering off to the right and I had a good view for a couple of seconds. My first black bear – I was very pleased. Shortly after, I entered Shenandoah National Park and concentrated on maintaining a good pace on the good quality Trail. Although there were hills, the grades were good and surface even. The scenery wasn’t much altered from further south, although perhaps there was less undergrowth. Occasionally, through the clearings and when the Trail crossed the Skyline Drive, it was possible to get good views of other mountains and the valleys but, as always, it was very hazy (and hot and humid). I only allowed myself short breaks in my efforts to reach Loft Mountain Picnic Area, 21½ miles away, at the 2pm time I had arranged with the Binnings. My pack was light and my progress was good. With about 3½ miles to go, I met Mark coming the other way and he accompanied me back to the Picnic Area, chatting all the time, which made the last few miles a bit easier. He also had some soft drink and I had run out of water. We reached the Picnic Area, and Fran and Ashley, at about 2:20pm and I was glad to sit down. They had brought lots of drinks, fruit, pasta salad and chicken, so I ate my fill and talked a lot. Asley had the sulks. They had driven 130 miles to meet me, which was really nice of them. At about 5pm, we moved down to the shower and laundry building and I had a shower before putting my washing on. The 50¢ for 5 minutes shower ran out (no cold water, either) when I was fully soaped up (hair and all) and I had to wipe myself down with a towel, throw on some shorts, and walk out to Mark to borrow another 50¢. Broke my thong en route. While my laundry was on, we had cheese and pate on the lawns before the Binnings left at about 5:45pm – leaving me with food, newspapers, etc. – for the long drive home. I could have joined them easy – a bit of takeaway on the way home, some TV, and bed. Instead, I did some shopping in the poorly stocked store, walked the 1/3 mile to the Campground, and booked in for a night as well as getting my Backcountry Permit. In the remaining two hours of daylight, I ate, repacked food, and read the paper. It was strange to be in a standard National Parks Campground without Barb and the van. It made me nostalgic for this time last year. Hot tomorrow and 26½ miles. I went to bed on my new air mattress (also got a new Sony Walkman Radio, new shoes, new shorts, new groundsheet) feeling tired already.
Date: Sunday, 15 June 1986
Daily AT Miles: 21.4
Daily Other Miles: 0.7 (around Campground)
Total AT Miles: 854.1
Total All Miles: 881.1
Weather: Very warm, humid, mostly sunny.
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Four cakes
Lunch: Chicken, salad, pate, biscuits.
Dinner: Chicken, chips, rock melon, ice-cream.
Aches: Blisters on both heels.
Animals Seen: Many deer, a bear, snake, chipmunks, squirrels, grouse.
People Seen: Four overnight hikers, ten day hikers, many others.
Journal:
Got up at 5:30am after a reasonable night’s sleep and managed to get going by 6:40am. Everything was wet after a heavy night’s dew. After about an hour, when crossing a fairly open scrubby part of the crest of Calf Mountain, I disturbed something big about 30 yards in front of me which turned out to be a big black bear. It went lumbering off to the right and I had a good view for a couple of seconds. My first black bear – I was very pleased. Shortly after, I entered Shenandoah National Park and concentrated on maintaining a good pace on the good quality Trail. Although there were hills, the grades were good and surface even. The scenery wasn’t much altered from further south, although perhaps there was less undergrowth. Occasionally, through the clearings and when the Trail crossed the Skyline Drive, it was possible to get good views of other mountains and the valleys but, as always, it was very hazy (and hot and humid). I only allowed myself short breaks in my efforts to reach Loft Mountain Picnic Area, 21½ miles away, at the 2pm time I had arranged with the Binnings. My pack was light and my progress was good. With about 3½ miles to go, I met Mark coming the other way and he accompanied me back to the Picnic Area, chatting all the time, which made the last few miles a bit easier. He also had some soft drink and I had run out of water. We reached the Picnic Area, and Fran and Ashley, at about 2:20pm and I was glad to sit down. They had brought lots of drinks, fruit, pasta salad and chicken, so I ate my fill and talked a lot. Asley had the sulks. They had driven 130 miles to meet me, which was really nice of them. At about 5pm, we moved down to the shower and laundry building and I had a shower before putting my washing on. The 50¢ for 5 minutes shower ran out (no cold water, either) when I was fully soaped up (hair and all) and I had to wipe myself down with a towel, throw on some shorts, and walk out to Mark to borrow another 50¢. Broke my thong en route. While my laundry was on, we had cheese and pate on the lawns before the Binnings left at about 5:45pm – leaving me with food, newspapers, etc. – for the long drive home. I could have joined them easy – a bit of takeaway on the way home, some TV, and bed. Instead, I did some shopping in the poorly stocked store, walked the 1/3 mile to the Campground, and booked in for a night as well as getting my Backcountry Permit. In the remaining two hours of daylight, I ate, repacked food, and read the paper. It was strange to be in a standard National Parks Campground without Barb and the van. It made me nostalgic for this time last year. Hot tomorrow and 26½ miles. I went to bed on my new air mattress (also got a new Sony Walkman Radio, new shoes, new shorts, new groundsheet) feeling tired already.
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