AT 51 - 16th May (610.2)

600 miles done!!!! Crazy wet day. We got tents down in a dry spell but the fly sheet is soaking. We only had 16 miles to do to get to a two bed in a room hostel. It’s actually Trent’s Grocery but he does the other on the side. Washing cloths, hot shower, food (pizza or burgers) and bed. I’m sharing with Yeager (German). Morning all rain. The path was lethally slippy. Rain stoped just after lunch so took off coat. Then at 2pm the heavens opened. Thunder and the rain was like stair rods, as we used to say. But no one  knows what a stair rod is, so pretend you are driving and you have to put the wipers on two times speed and you still can’t see out. It was like that. The path was a river. Slipping every tenth step. I didn’t fall but others did and got really mucky. Really enjoyable day. Saw lots of interesting stuff. 

Got to Trent’s by 3 and had 12” pizza. 

Then burger for dinner. Got some resupply for two days to get us to Pearisburg. 

As I was slipping today it was like driving on snow with ice every so often. You’re meant to steer into the slide but when it happens your brain freezes. I remembered two other incidents where my body reacted weird. 

First was when a fighter jet flew over. I was on a very steep part of the track. My brain said “aaaahhh loud noise, what is it”. My left leg said jump this way, that was down the cliff, my right leg said fall this way into the hill. My heart skipped a few beats. Finally my brain said “don’t panic”. Luckily my right leg won. 

Second was when some thing slithered in front of me. Brain said “what’s that, I don’t recognize any thing that moves like that”, finally brain said “snake, aaaaahhhh, is it poisonous?????” Body jumped in the air, arms flew even higher, finally brain said “garden snake, don’t panic”. 

The body can sure let you down. 

Wasp nest. 

Just to mention, I’m not eating anything I find on the trail. Relax.