5.15.12 - There is Such a Thing as a Free Lunch

Woke up to rain sometime in the early morning. It had rained for at least 24 hours! It was all good though because a handful of us at the shelter had no intentions of getting up early. We laid around and took our time getting ready, then headed out about 9:45am. Coffee To Go made me 2 cups of great coffee with cappuccino and espresso! This guy knows how to eat and drink well on the trail! We hiked about 2 miles out of the shelter, then took a side trail that would eventually put us in a parking lot where there should be a shuttle at 11am to go to the Dutch Haus. This is a bed and breakfast that serves lunch to hikers for free! Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch!?! Yeah, we had to walk a few additional miles, but it was worth it! Earl picked us up in his truck and drove from the parking lot near the AT, to Dutch Haus. Earl's wife left soon after we got there, but their niece served me, Coffee To Go, Caveman, LOL and Zion chili, baked potato, homemade macaroni and cheese, pecan cake, cupcakes, coffee, and lemonade/iced tea blend. No problem wiping all that out! Not only did we get a great meal, but Coffee To Go snagged a full fuel bottle for my stove from the hiker box.

Zion got a shuttle back to her car at the James River Foot Bridge due to some hurting from previous injuries. The rest of us got a ride back to the parking lot and had to hike back up the gravel road / side trail we had come down, to meet back up with the AT. We had to go up a ways, then some down, then back up to The Priest Shelter. From there it was a long, steep downhill, down 3,000 ft of elevation. We had heard it was pretty rough, but it went well and didn't seem as bad as some others made it sound. Hiking down The Priest was steep and a little tough, but we eventually got to where it levels out, then went up 1,000 ft of elevation. Filled up water at the river and had 0.2 miles to the shelter. Made some great food with Coffee To Go. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, oil, cayenne pepper, Parmesan cheese, and chicken wrapped up in multiple tortillas! It was amazing! Had intentions of playing Phase 10 again tonight, but tried starting a fire which LOL was able to maintain even with wet wood, but then we all decided it was a late night again already, so we called it a night.