[at-l] Continued RD Adventures

[Marsha]

What a report Kinnickinic!

I didn't know Hoplite was out there too.

Ponderer with you also - sounds like a lot of fun even though Spinster had 
abdominal problems.

You've been a busy person. Thank you for the report. I always love hearing 
about RockDancer. I do not know the other hikers but have heard their names 
mentioned.

Marsha

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <pudscrawler at aol.com>
To: <at-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 5:54 PM
Subject: [at-l] Continued RD Adventures


> I have forgotten which date I last reported about our trail-angeling RD 
> and Spinster, but I think it was after we had also picked up Laceys and Pi 
> but before they headed south, going farther per day than RD and Spnster.
>
> Anyway, that morning we took Pi and Lacies to their drop-off point and 
> then returned to the Baptist hostel at Troutdale to get Rockdancer and 
> Spinster, who planned to hike from Dickey Gap to Massie Gap.  The thought 
> was that, if Pi and Lacies dawdled (not likely), they could catch up with 
> them.
>
> We were to meet RD and S at The Scales to hand back their packs.  Bad 
> idea.
>
> Do not, repeat DO NOT, ever attempt to take a passenger car up to the 
> Scales.
>
> So, we turned back after a few scrapes of the bottom of the Honda.  We 
> left notes for them at an agreed-upon trail crossing, saying that we'd 
> meet them at Massie Gap.  Actually, they had hoped to spend the night at 
> the shelter before Massie Gap and not have to go down there to get their 
> packs.
>
> If this sounds confusing, well, it probably is because it was a confusing 
> day.  The notes were on hot pink index cards in ziplocks, so we hoped that 
> they would notice them.  Alan put one under a rock at one place; I, at 
> another.  Then we went blissfully off to Marion to work out and to have a 
> fajita wrap at One-Twenty, a little restaurant on Main Street.
>
> The scenario we were playing out was to have them at Massie Gap at 5:30 
> PM.  We were there at 5:15 because I'd never picked up RD without his 
> waiting a while for me.  This was to be a nice surprise.
>
> They weren't there.  They still weren't there at 6:45.  Ponderer insisted 
> on waiting at the appointed spot in the cold with my 20-degree orange-red 
> sleeping bag wrapped around him.  (It was windy, so watching him try to 
> get it around him was pretty funny--think Superman's cape.)  I went to the 
> visitor's center to see what I should do to notify whomever about the 
> possibility of missing hikers.  No one was there, of course.
>
> At 6:55 I was saying, "Let's go."
>
> Ponderer was saying, "Let's wait" as he wrote a note to leave on a picnic 
> table for them in case they arrived later.  It was almost completely dark.
>
> Then I saw a bit of orange coming down the slope across the way. 
> Hoplite's jacket!  Blinking the car lights and tooting the car's horn, we 
> waited, overjoyed, to see RD come closer.  There was only one person 
> coming though.  Where was Spinster?
>
> Indeed, where was Spinster?  RD had last seen her as she was driven away 
> by a couple in a pickup to meet the Troutdale ambulance.  She had been 
> struck down by an acute abdominal attack of some sort at the Scales.
>
> We went to the hostel.  No Spinster.  We went to the Diner where RD and 
> Ponderer were able to talk with the ER in Marion.  She'd been released. 
> Back to the hostel.  Down to the hospital.  Maybe they had more info. 
> Maybe she was sitting in their waiting room.  Face to face inquiry brought 
> results.  We learned that she had been taken to the hostel by a nurse who 
> lives in Troutdale.  Back to the hostel.
>
> There she was, looking quite pert and ready to hike again.
>
> The next day we took them to Damascus to stay at Dave's Place.  Pretty 
> soon we were all in the car again, heading for the corn maze at Abingdon. 
> Well, it was a kinda hike.
>
> Then to Cracker Barrel to get ice cream for RD.  Then back to Damascus to 
> have the second meal of the day at Baca.
>
> My understanding is that they planned to hike south of Damascus for the 
> next three days.  Then she would board a bus for Austin, Texas.
>
> And I figure that Rockdancer must be at Kincora by now.
>
> As for Lacies and Pi, they are probably farther south than that by now. 
> If you encounter them, please tell them that we picked up YoungGun 
> yesterday at the same spot we found them, although he was headed for 
> Troutdale in the RIGHT direction.  YoungGun doesn't expect to catch them, 
> but he is so enthusiastic that I suspect he might.  (YoungGun has nothing 
> to do with the NRA.  It's just that his last name away from the trail is 
> Cannon.)
>
> Kinnickinic
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