Chapter One: N. Trovert crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway on the AT at BRP MP 9.6. He is hot. He is tired. It is a sunny afternoon and he was already worn out after the morning’s initial climb to 3,870′ Three Ridges Mountain. Parked next to the road is a large red pickup truck. Tied down in the truck’s bed is a large plastic cooler. N has never seen Trail Magic inside a vehicle, but this truck is parked exactly on top of the AT as it crosses the Parkway.

N walks over to the truck. There is no one around, but the Troverts don’t just want a Pepsi and Mountain Dew; they need a Pepsi and Mountain Dew. N opens the cooler. Inside he finds iced plastic bottles of Gatorade. N is very disappointed.

Chapter Three: N. Trovert walks up the AT towards Laurel Springs Gap. He meets momma visitor, daddy visitor, and teenage son visitor coming toward him. They speak. N asks do you all have a big red pickup truck? They all look worried, and daddy visitor says yes they do. N says well I have done a bad thing. They all look more worried. N says we were so hot, tired, and thirsty, I took two drinks from your cooler. I left three bucks to cover the cost, but I just have to get it off my chest. Momma visitor says it is alright, and they are just glad they had something to take. N says he is glad they are not a larger group of day hikers expecting exactly that number of bottles when they completed their walk. He says he still has the empty bottles and would feel better if he could return them to their rightful owners. He digs in his pack and hands back the empties.

Chapter Two: N. Trovert is hiking north of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Dripping Rock Spring. He is still hot. He is still tired. He is still thirsty. The next shelter is still miles away. N stops and asks X if she wants a Gatorade. X asks what flavor? Lemon Lime or Fruit Punch. X says Fruit Punch, what are you going to do? N says he is going back to the road, take two drinks and throw in some money. Maybe the owners will think the Parkway bears now have access to ATM’s and blame them.

N walks back to the Parkway. He arrives at the same time as a local couple who just a little earlier had taken the Troverts’ picture at Cedar Cliffs. They ask him if he’s coming back for the spring water. N says he is thirsty but was thinking more of Gatorade. Is this their truck? No, their truck is just up the hill off the Parkway, can they offer a ride to the store in Wintergreen, just five miles away. N says no thanks, as the Troverts are still hoping to do four more hours of hiking today, explains his intent for the drinks in the red pickup. The couple says it sounds fair enough to them. N carries the Gatorades back up the trail to X. They are quickly consumed. Refortified, the Troverts continue north towards the distant shelter.

A Postscript: At 5pm the Troverts come on a campsite with a great view south towards the Wintergreen ski resort. They decide this is the place to quit for the day. They decide to use their limited water to bathe rather than cook, but enjoy a cold dinner of snacks. Three cousins from Minnesota hike by, but a brother/ sister couple (he thru hiking, she joining him for a week after college graduation) also stop for the night at this lovely campsite. There’ll be time tomorrow for the last 12 miles to Waynesboro.