Flip Flop Hikers: Bubbles Day 96 (Friday, July 1st, 2016)

Today is Sprout’s Dirty 30! Celebrating Sprout’s birthday on the trail was pretty incredible. We woke up and think we heard Moose off in the distance. At first we thought it may be cows, but then we realized it couldn't be cows because cows don’t make a moo like the sound that we heard. We hiked a few miles and got to a road that leads to a small country store. Sprout and I got a hitch into town and the guy who picked us up said he couldn't pass up my smile. I LOVE hitchhiking. It's such a thrill.

When we got to the tiny town we bought breakfast sandwiches and a few drinks and sat down at some picnic tables. We hung out for a while and then a lady and her son came up and asked if we were thru hiking. When we said yes they asked if we wanted any beer. We told them we already had some birthday drinks and then they asked, "Do you want GOOD beer"? We laughed and said sure. They came back with 2 six packs of IPA's, cookies, and snacks. We officially met these kind folks and they told us they hiked the AT! The mom thru hiked in 1985 and her son did last year (he Southbounded). The really really cool thing was the mom’s trailname, which is The Walrus Yertle the Turtle. She thru hiked with her sister, Jansan the Blaster, in 1985 and they Flipflop hiked! I didn’t even know that people flip flopped back then. It was interesting and exciting to meet someone else who flip flopped before I was even born!

Her son’s trail name is 2G (second generation). It was really cool to meet a mother and son who both hiked the trail. It was also interesting to talk to Walrus's mom, who was also with them. I asked her how she felt about her daughter's thru hiking in ‘85 and she said she was supportive and happy for them.

Also a mom and her two adorable daughters came over to chat with us. The mom had thru hiked the long trail! I gave the little girls my bubbles to play with and enjoyed watching them blow bubbles together. I ended up giving the bubbles to them so I am bubble-less again.

After all the great conversation and drinks we got back on trail.

Everyone walked back to the trailhead except for me. I hitched and got myself a ride. Sorry boys :) I have been lucky with the hitches lately. We hiked to the next shelter and continued celebrating Sprouts dirty 30 and tried to wait out a bad rainstorm. Finally, we realized the rain wasn't going to stop and the shelter and campsites were full. It was already dark. Smudgy Cheeks took off like usual and was supposed to meet us in a field .9 from the shelter. We all left at separate times. First Smudgy Cheeks, then Sprout and me, then The Flying Dutchman with Whiskers bringing up the rear. As I was walking down the hill I heard Whiskers yelling for the Flying Dutchman. He had what he thought were The Flying Dutchman’s poles and when I told him The Flying Dutchman didn't pass me, we both started to really worry. We both turned around and Whiskers basically started to run back up the mountain yelling for The Flying Dutchman. We finally found him. He wasn't using a head lamp and it was dark and storming. I felt like slapping my forehead. No head lamp in the pitch dark??? He went the wrong way on the trail and was walking up the mountain instead of down it and he had his poles so Whiskers then had to go back and return the poles he thought The Flying Dutchman had forgot.

The Flying Dutchman walked behind me because he couldn't get his headlamp as he wasn't sure where it was in his pack and it was raining pretty hard. We made it to the field and couldn't find Smudgy Cheeks. We really started to worry then. Why wasn't Smudgy Cheeks there setting up camp? We continued on yelling out for Smudgy Cheeks. Was he lost or did he go the wrong way too? Finally we were able to reach him on the telephone and he was already halfway to town. Over five miles from the shelter! We were not planning on walking five miles in a big storm in the dark. I was not a happy camper to say the least but we had to continue on because The Flying Dutchman was sleeping in Smudgy Cheeks tent.

After hiking along some very dangerous cliffs with slick rocks and major erosion we came to the conclusion that we should stop hiking and set up camp quick. Sprout slid down the side of the mountain and landed on some trees. If those trees hadn't been there to catch his fall, Sprout may have been seriously injured or worse. I don't even like thinking about it. The Flying Dutchman ended up sleeping in Whiskers ridiculously small tent. Thank God we are hiking with such a kind hearted person to let my stinky brother-in-law sleep in his tent, whom he had just met. The Flying Dutchman's BO smells very strongly of onions. I felt bad for both of them.

I was basically in tears and really upset with Smudgy Cheeks for leaving us. He told us he misunderstood where we were supposed to meet. It was a mistake, but a huge one that put all of us in danger. I think it was a big learning experience for Smudgy Cheeks, specifically that he can't leave The Flying Dutchman. They have to stick together and be a team. I went to bed hungry and upset, but happy that no one got hurt.