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July
7, 1983 Thurdsday (1196.7 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal
This
morning the trail was just basic trail - get there from here kind
of trail. Even the data book had only one thing listed for the ten
miles between the shelter and Ashbey Gap. At Ashbey Gap, I found
US 50 and turned onto the highway that led toward the small town
of Paris, Virginia just up the road a bit. As I followed the road
a short distance, I noticed a small restaurant situated along the
road beckoning me to try its delicacies. It was the Paris Restaurant,
so it had to be good. I stopped in for a hamburger and "French
Fries," and met a southbounder named "Smitty."
We probed each other for tidbits of information about the upcoming
section of trail while we ate. I bought a few candy bars for the
road. One was a Snickers bar, the number one favorite candy bar
along the A.T. I liked to spread the top of them with peanut butter
before eating. To me it not only tasted good, but seemed to be the
best value as far as weight and calories for the money.
From the restaurant the trail followed route 601 for the next 12
miles. This road takes the hiker past the secret government facility
at Mt. Weather, where it is said that the president and his essential
crew would come in case of nuclear attack. The entire facility was
fenced in with cyclone fencing sporting razor bladed barbed wire
wound around the top edge. I saw workers with weed whips out trimming
the lawn and imagined that they converted into machine guns at the
touch of a button when the situation called for it. The trail continued
past the facility and eventually descended into Snickers Gap. At
that point I dropped my pack and took out the Snickers bar that
I had purchased while I was in Ashbey gap. Silly thing to do, but
on a twelve mile road walk you have to have something other than
secret government facilities to keep you occupied. The trail
continued on up the road out of Snickers Gap for another few miles.
Before leaving the road walk, I stopped in at a residence with a
mailbox for someone named Tony Carbone. I had found out earlier
that this man welcomes hikers at his residence. There was a "hikers
welcome" sign out front, so I stopped in and knocked on the
door. He came to the door and welcomed us, but said he was busy
at the time, but we were welcome to relax out in the back yard.
The place was set up with an outside shower, and an outhouse. Later
he came out and we talked about his invention that he was getting
ready to send to the patent office. It was a computer scanner and
printer that he claimed could send a faximile over the phone lines,
but had better resolution than any that were being looked at right
now. He was an interesting man. Later, "the "fatheads"
drove up with their driver, a former 2000 miler named Tony. I guess
they figured they could cover the roadwalk by car and still consider
themselves to have covered the route. I chose to spend the night
at Mr. Carbone's house, as did they. The weather looked non-threatening
so I slept on top of my tarp rather than under it.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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