After setting up my tent I checked my phone and found I had cell service. There was a message waiting for me from Stick.
He said he had gone off the trail because he had been concerned about the storm forecast. He made his way back to The Notch Hostel and was taking a zero there.
I texted back and told him of our plans. Ralph and I thought we would only go as far as Lakes of the Clouds Hut tomorrow. With luck and good weather, Stick could catch up with us there.
Later I got another message. This one was from my wife Kim, who was asking about a couple credit card charges. I decided it best to call her right back.
Kim told me she had discovered two charges to Virgin Mobile for the purchase of cellphones. When she saw the first she thought maybe I had somehow needed to replace my phone, though this seemed odd because we use Verizon. A charge for a second phone told her something wasn’t right, but she thought it best to confirm this with me before contacting the credit card company.
No, I told her. I had not bought any cell phones and this was definitely credit card fraud. I had only used my credit card once in the last couple weeks, not counting the charge for the trekking poles I bought, which probably won’t appear on the statement for a few more days.
The last time I used the card was when I paid for the dinner with Felix, Stick and Stitches.
No wonder the waitress was so nice.
Once again, Kim had to deal with a mess while I was gone. Gratefully, though, I knew she could handle it well without me, so I didn’t worry about it.
Ralph and I wondered again about the weather for the next couple days. It had turned very cold tonight, but at least the wind had died down some.