Plumorchard Gap Shelter, April 13
M=4.3; C=71.1; E=3100
A night in the bunkhouse at the Blueberry Patch, along with a lot of foot massaging and a lot of Advil got me back in my boots. The feet remain swollen a half size or more larger than normal. Unlike the past few days, now enjoying sunny skies and warmer temps.
A hitch up the highway to the trail, I felt a bit better with the dryer weather. Stopped in to Plumorchard for some lunch and the read the register. This shelter was magnificent, even better than Hawk Mtn. I was impressed with the trail crew construction.
Registers were in most every shelter. They are generally notebooks where hikers note weather and terrain conditions, stories about trail happenings, notes to hikers coming behind, venting about 'stuff', doodles, or just to say 'I was here'.
In '94, the trail registers were usually left by a hiker who would leave their (real) name and address -- asking that when the register was full, to kindly mail back to the originator. The hiker who mailed on a full register would then leave a fresh register if they wanted. It was considered a great honor to get to leave a register and someday get a snapshot of the hikers who had passed that way. It was a form of newspaper, a brag rag, and a time capsule.