1777 Trail Parking 1402.5 (zero miles, 377.1 total miles)
I slept till 6:30 this morning, and woke up with no idea what I was going to do for the day. I did know that I had to do some work on my phone for a while, so I was getting a late start no matter what. I was 20 miles ahead of everyone else, and Piñata was too, but she was taking a zero with Charlie.
It didn’t sound like NYC was happening though, so I decided I would just hike ahead for the next few days so I could take my zero at home and not fall behind. I was surprised to find that I had missed hiking with the group the last couple of days.
When they all decided to take a zero at the drive in, I was perfectly fine with doing that as well. I was supposed to have done a nearo the day before anyway, and I could use a rest after doing bigger miles the last several days. I would still maintain my head start, but would get to have the social interaction with the group that I would miss the new few days.
We went to get breakfast at a place called Bagel Time, a short walk to the plaza next door. The food and service were just alright, but everyone was there and it was a good time. I got my usual bacon egg and cheese, coffee, and danish.
Back at the tenting area, most hikers had taken off already or were waiting for shuttles. Baked Potato had camped out the night before, and was helping people get back, and he was able to get Draft back to where we left off as well.
Furprittius showed up around 11am when we were all hanging out in a circle of chairs we’d set up. He brought the leftover cold pizza from the night before, more desserts, fruit, and drinks. Everyone enjoyed a big lunch, and by 12:30 we were ready for a nap.
I napped hard, the same type of nap I’d had when I was at Ray and Michele’s. Just a deep sleep that comes from the exhaustion of what I put my body through on the trail. I woke up at 2:30, perfectly in time to go bowling.
There was a bowling alley a couple blocks over. It was a little dated, but they had food and a bar as well. We bowled a few games, and I even managed to score a 135, though Neon and Jedi both beat that.
After bowling, I hit the store for a couple things, and we hung out at camp again for a while. Baked Potato played Jedi’s guitar and we made up a new hiker song to Johnny Cash’s Hurt, about tripping on rocks and other thru hiker pains.
The theater owner, Papa, arrived while we were hanging out, too. He is a little bit older, and clearly well organized and a really good guy. He had us sign his log book, and explained how the drive in had become a must stop for hikers in the last five years or so.
Papa doesn’t charge hikers anything for movies, and lets them camp for multiple days, as long as they are respectful. It is such a special thing to do for the community.
Baked Potato, Neon, Riveter, and Speedgoat (two other Cult members who I had just met and had caught back up with the group the day before) and I ended up back at Shop Rite a little later on. I meant to grab dinner, but instead got enough resupply food to last me the three days hiking to Kent.
At 6:30pm, the theater was mobbed with cars coming in to watch movies at the drive in. The same movies were playing, and the shows all quickly sold out. Baked Potato had a car, and so did Platinum, who had come out to visit and surprised QT and everyone the day before.
We tried to watch the movies from the car, but where we parked in back it was difficult to see the screen. We were parked next to a truck with excellent speakers, so we could at least listen to Top Gun.
I had seen Jurassic World the night before, so I was content to watch a little of whatever movie. Furprittius showed back up again for a bit and brought me some dinner from Burger King, since it was about the only thing open.
He really went above and beyond to add some magic to our hikes, and those things make such a difference in morale, and also the wallet. Again, food is the biggest expense out here.
It had been an awesome time taking a zero in Warwick, getting to spend time with my friends after hiking alone for a couple days, and it was great to not spend so much in town this time, thanks to the kindness of Furprittius.
I have sixty miles to Kent, and I hope I can knock it out in three days to keep pace with the Cult. If it’s too much on my body I’ll slow down, but they are meeting with Wizard, a former successful flip flop hiker, so I am eager to meet him and pick his brains on his hiking experience.
I also can’t wait to get home for a day and see some people I love, and know I walked every step of the AT all the way to Connecticut from West Virginia. If that’s not a morale boost, I don’t know what is.