Trail Journal 04.30.05

Last day at Peyton's and Carol's.  Early morning.  Rain falling steadily.  Glad I'm not out walking in it but come a few days and I will be walking, rain or shine.  I'm ready to go--it's time to be walking again but I have very much enjoyed the break.  Peyton and I canoed a stretch of the Rockfish River, visited Gordon Kerby  Richmond and, with Carol, met Bev Carver for dinner in Staunton last night.  We're supposed to join a canoe race on the Tye River today but rain may cancel that plan.  Peyton will shuttle me to Pennsylvania tomorrow and I start walking north from Boiling Springs the following day.  I'm pretty sure I'll have company.  May is a good mothe to hike in the mid-Atlantic states so I expect to see section hikers and even a few thru-hikers, especially toward the end of my southbound leg.  Some thru-hikers are already to Rockfish Gap.  I met Bommerang and Day Tripper at the  Kroger's supermarket in Waynesboro on Monday and gave a ride to Shorts on Thursday.  Saw about five tents in the city park that day, too.  I am mostly prepared to hike alone--looking forward to it actually--but will welcome any company I find.  Pat Doyle and Bev Carver plan to join me for the last 16 miles of the walk into Duncannon so I will have friends with me for he final miles and the "summit" moment of my Appalachian Trail hike.