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[at-l] December 19 - 29 Hike part III



Lots of TV and a good nights sleep under my belt Merry Xmas.
I found out I could get a shuttle to 42 (Sinking Creek Valley) for 
$25. This way I can really take it easy and still make it to my car 
for New Years. Actually I could have made it anyway but I took the 
shuttle instead. I walked to Niday shelter for the night. I had a nice 
campfire with little effort. There was a nice stack of cut firewood 
already there. I wonder if Red did that or maybe it was Long Horn. I 
saw in the register where he had been through recently. I also saw 
where Heald and Dog Wonder had come through a few days earlier. Darn 
that?s what I get for skipping a section. I would have like to run 
into them again.
	Today will be a fairly short day. I walked to Pickle Branch Shelter 
and stopped there at 12:30. Along the way I stopped briefly at the 
Audie Murphy Monument for a snack. It had been a long time since I 
stayed at Pickle Branch Shelter. There was plenty of wood for a fire. 
After a hot beverage I put some veggies on to slow cook for dinner. I 
smelled tobacco and later heard a 4 wheeler prowling about out of 
site. It was probably a hunter. This shelter gets a lot of abuse and I 
expect some groups haul in supplies on 4 wheelers. It is too bad most 
of them don?t haul out there trash. The caretaker gets to haul it out 
on his back. 5740 total elevation change today.
	A little bit longer day today. Ten hours and 10,320 feet in elevation 
change. Lots of up and down in this section. I did not eat very well 
today. Started out with a can of barbecue Hienna Sausages for 
breakfast. That?s unbelievable since I rarely eat stuff like that. 
Still when I got to the Catwaba store I ate a hot dog, a barbecue 
sandwich, a cake, 16 oz Dr. Pepper and a cup of coffee. It was only 
mildly tempting to go to Four Pines Hostel. Instead I went on the 
Campbell shelter. The view from McAfees knob was spectatular as 
always. No campfire today.
	Another short days walk to Lamberts Meadow shelter. I stopped at 
Tinker Cliffs for an hour and a half. I made a cup of coffee and had a 
snack. I met a couple of day hikers passing through. At the shelter I 
made another camp fire and cooked on it. I was glad for the new 
Moldering Privy as my stomach was still a little upset from all that 
stuff I ate yesterday and I ate and a large honey bun for breakfast 
and that didn?t set very well either.  A while back I had camped here 
to help build that privy but the job was delayed and no one showed up 
that particular weekend ?  In fact I saw several new Moldering Privys 
along the way this trip. I like them much better than the old 
smoldering johnny houses. If you can just get people to pee in the 
woods and not in the privy everything works much better. Pee is what 
makes them stink and also  pee kills the natural break down of waste. 
Elevation for the day changed 3780 feet.
	It warmed up during the night. I didn?t even have to sleep with my 
water bottles. In the register Heald had written about the little 
ordeal that he and Wonder Dog had gone through in Daleville. Heald 
went in the outfitters and bought a sleeping bag. Wonder Dog got 
arrested while Heald was shopping. He spent a couple of days in the 
motel getting things straightened out. On my way out I met a couple of 
more hunters. 4110 feet in elevation change for this section. I met 
three backpackers today. One of them was Got To Be FREE AT 95. He was 
out trying to loose some weight and get in shape for the CDT next 
year. The other two guys were stopping at 311 but he planned to go on 
to Pearisburg. Once at the car I zipped over to Hardies for a burger. 
Before going home I climbed one more mountain for some trail 
maintenance that I need to do. That?s about it for this trip report.
I didn't quite make my 500 miles for this year but I got pretty close!

chase