[pct-l] a beer story

[ATnavi@aol.com (ATnavi@aol.com)]

Okay, okay, my beer story just happened yesterday. I *should* be hiking 
today, but that's another story...

Anyway, I spent yesterday doing a section of the Florida Trail with 
Nimblewill Nomad, out on the Western Corridor. Now most FT folks don't know 
the Western Corridor all that well, so Solar Bear and I have been out there 
gathering data and hiking sections, in part, to help Nimblewill along with 
his hike. One thing we've found is that the maps are almost always wrong. 
Yesterday was no exception.

Nomad and I had planned a 17.5 mile day to Richloam, which included a 12 mile 
roadwalk. Temperatures rose to the high 80s when we got out of the woods and 
started down the dusty back roads to US 301. We found a little store and 
kicked back with some ice cream and cold drinks. But it seemed like no matter 
how much I drank, I couldn't get enough water. We got out on US 301 -- no 
shoulders, of course, and cars going 60+ mph -- with the sun beating down 
furiously and no shade to walk in. I was overheating pretty badly. I drank 
almost all my water, and I was starting to get chills. We crossed the road to 
find some shade, and immediately a car pulled over -- local family, five 
people in a sedan, asked if we needed a ride. Nomad suggested I take them up 
on it and get up to the corner store where I could get something cold to 
drink. Sheepishly, I did.

I got in the car (my first hitch ever) and they immediately asked if I wanted 
a cold beer - -a cooler full sat between the kids on the back seat. I said 
no, since I knew I was dehydrated. They said, "Hey, is that the hiker guy who 
we've seen on TV and in the news?" I said I didn't know, but he'd been on TV, 
and had walked here from Canada. They were incredulous. "Hell, I KNEW that 
was him! I saw you two earlier, and I said I knew that guy from somewhere!"

5 minutes later, when we reached the store, they insisted I take two cold 
beers for Nomad. Unfortunately, when he pulled in, the beers were warm. We 
ran into some trouble with the shuttle, so we never did get those beers 
cooled down. And looking over the maps, we'd found that the roadwalk was 
longer than we thought, so it was 21 miles to Richloam. Nomad took a warm 
bottle with him into the woods last night, and I repaid my Dad -- who'd come 
to pick us up -- with the other one. 

I'll have MY cold beer tonight. <G>

Cheers, Navigator