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9 PM - Today's hike brought several new experiences. I learned how to hike in the dark, in a cloud, over rocks, covered with wet leaves. I helped a few lost hikers only to get turned around myself. The most surprising event was the discovery of a dozen wild miniature ponies.
When I started hiking at 9 AM today, I figured it would be a long day, but the temperature was 65F with high humidity. I figured that would make the summits comfortable. On my way up White Top Mountain from Lost Mountain Shelter, I quickly realized my error. The clouds moved in and I watched them engulf me. The rest of the day was spent inside the clouds with about 55 degree temperatures. A steady mist collected on everything.
After hiking about 10 miles to Deep Gap, I encountered 3 hikers with 2 dogs. They inquired how far a side trail was behind me. I guessed about half a mile. They thanked me and mentioned that there were 3 others in their party who may be passing me soon.
I continued northbound, up Mt. Rogers. Finally I started on the downward slope and reached Briar Ridge. I took the logical route, over a barbed wire fence staircase, and found 3 more hikers debating the meaning of a sign. There were no more white blazes and these hikers were looking for the AT. I directed them back toward my barbed wire staircase, then proceeded the rest of the way up the mountain.
The trail quickly changed to a downhill slope. I remember thinking how odd it was that several springs on this mountain had algae in them. Then I reached a trail crossing.
I saw three more hikers in the distance. Strangely enough, they had two dogs as well. My mood quickly dropped as I realized the springs were the same and these hikers were the first three I saw.
After chatting a while, I turned around and climbed over the Mt Rogers section again. At this point, I had no intention of climbing the stupid side trail which has no view. I had to make up for a lost hour of daylight.
After a quick lunch at Thomas Knob Shelter, I walked over Wilburn Ridge. I was so busy muttering about my mistake and the inconsiderate horseback riders who left manure all over the trail that I almost walked into the side of a wild miniature pony. I stopped to get my camera out and 5 of them crowded around me. I figure they thought they were getting fed. I suddenly felt like Gulliver with a cross between the Lilliputians and the Yahoos standing before me. I started talking to the ponies. They nodded their heads and seemed to understand me. When I held out my left hand to be sniffed, the closest pony licked it. Either my salty sweat or the thought that I might have food must have been on the pony's mind. I got a snapshot of this.
I said goodbye to the little ponies and started down the mountain. By the time I got to Stone Mountain, the clouds were thick enough to permit visibility for 40 feet. Night quickly fell. The last two miles to the Old Orchard Shelter had to be hiked in the dark, in a cloud, with a small flashlight that lit up the mist more than the ground. Fortunately, my poles helped me navigate the rocks on the trail and caught me several times on my way to more closely inspect them.
At 8 PM I arrived in this shelter. I quickly changed into dry gear, made friends with 2 guys from Ohio and their dog, and got into bed. It's now time for me to sleep (10:50 PM). Longer day tomorrow! I did 23.2 miles today.
9:30 PM - I feel GREAT! I'm at this new shelter,a couple of hundred yards south of VA Rte 16 and the Mt Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters. The shelter is two stories with a hot water shower! I just spent an hour melting the trail grime off my clothes and body with soap and their wonderfully hot water. I'm all dried off, clothes are hanging on a clothesline at the opposite end of the attic. My sleeping bag is warm, dry, and aired out while I was showering. I'm cuddled up in the bag. What tops off the evening is that it poured down rain about 20 minutes ago and I'm still warm and dry!
Fortunately, I kept both Wingfoot's Handbook and the ALDHA Companion because the companion tipped me off that I might want to push for this shelter. I walked 24.8 miles in almost exactly 8 hours. I averaged 3.1 mph! The shower was a great way to end the day.
I debated ordering a pizza on the pay phone, but I decided to wait until I get to the I-81 crossing near Atkins, VA where there are two restaurants; a truck stop and a Dairy Queen. I'll have 11 miles tomorrow morning, then I'll dive and possibly pick up some groceries.
I should hit Pearisburg, VA on April 7th. Jim will need to adjust his hiking schedule accordingly so we can hike together for a few weeks. (I'll slow down my pace as well.) (Phew! He'd better, says Jim!)
The two guys I stayed with last night were section hikers from Ohio. One plans to become a veterinarian (John The Novice); the other is thinking about the peace Corps or a Jesuit Mission (Yukon John). They both seemed to enjoy their circular hike over Thomas Knob. Yukon John is thinking about thruhiking in a year or two. I gave them my web address so maybe we'll hear from them when they finish this section hike.
Their big white 'German Shepherd' mutt was gorgeous. Once she decided to let me sleep in her shelter, we got along fine. The next morning she was quite playful with another section hiker's border collie puppy. I even got a wakeup call full of dog tongue at 7 AM. I missed my watch alarm!
I'm going to try to leave here at 6 AM tomorrow so I have time to enjoy myself at the I-81 intersection. I just made some hot herbal tea (from the hot water shower) and I've stuffed myself with oatmeal, potatoes, stuffing, etc. Less weight for tomorrow morning and calories I need to consume anyway! G'night!
2 PM - I just resupplied at the Texaco on Interstate 81. I called Jim to update my anticipated arrival date in Pearisburg to April 7th. Stopped and talked with 3 thruhikers that I caught up with today. We chatted as I ate half a gallon of raspberry ice cream. One goes by "Ditkas," the other two are a couple with a dog. They sent the dog home due to an injured paw. I forget their trail names, but I'll see them again. Ditkas started 2/14 and the couple started 2/4. Apparently they hit more snow than me. Go figure.
I'll update you all on the GPS mapping that "Delaware Doc" is doing when I get to camp tonight. This is the third time our paths have crossed, but this time I hiked and chatted with him a couple of miles. Lots of stuff for [radio] hams to enjoy!
2 AM - I've been up talking with "Cook" for the last 3 hours. I stopped short of the Knot Maul Mountain Shelter. I reached the top of the mountain and loved the view all around. It was 9 PM and the full moon was not up yet. I stopped to drink my 2-liter Dr. Pepper, but once the pack was off, it didn't want to go back on. So I dug out the rest of the heavy lunch - cold cuts, bread, etc.
By the time I was finished with dinner and making my nest, Cook and "Senator" came walking up the hill. Thy said they were about to quit, but they saw my campfire on top of the mountain and figured it was the shelter. I apologized for misleading them and offered them some dead leaves upon which to throw their sleeping bags. They plopped down around my fire and Senator quickly went to sleep. Cook and I sat up talking about all kinds of things until 2 AM.
I enjoyed today's stop at the Texaco Grocery. After eating the half gallon of ice cream and finishing two liters of soda, I had a lot more 'heavy food' left so I carried it to the first shelter. I took four hours of breaks today!.
The resulting night hike across a field and up Knot Maul gave some beautiful views of Venus setting after the sun and the moon later rising in the east. I'm glad I did the night hike, even if it was much tougher than climbing this in daylight.
This morning I ran into "Delaware Doc" for the third time on my thruhike. He is an MD from Delaware who thruhiked in 1992 and 1994. This year he is thruhiking with a support team and a Global Positioning System Receiver and a large antenna strapped to his back. He is mapping the trail and every landmark. He says it will be accurate to about one meter. This is far better than anyone has done in the past.
Because the U.S. military applies a deviation to the satellite signals, the data that he gathers is later compared to a deviation list that the military produces. (They don't want someone targeting missiles with our GPS, but they don't mind people making accurate maps.)
Doc explained another way to bypass the need for the military's deviation list. If someone starts on a Geological Survey benchmark, a second unit can be used to monitor the change in deviation as the benchmark unit then walks along the trail taking readings. The two sets of data will then be compared to get an accurate reading.
Del Doc said his results will be published, but he is not sure which journal is the most appropriate. Possibly the ATC Trailway News or a national park journal.
At 11:30 I met Ralph Etherington (KK4VZ) who is traveling with his wife (N4RXK) in a Winnebago. They are running as Del Doc's support crew. They go by "The Virginia Haus" and they thruhiked in 1990. I got all of their email addresses and hope to find out more about this project when it is completed. Ralph tells me the data is being entered into the American Radio Relay League's software package so ham radio operators can easily find the closest repeater at any point on the trail.
The other use for the data, about which the ATC is most concerned, is the placement of cellular telephone towers all along the Appalachian Trail. In order to best defend the narrow corridor from the blinking strobe lights, power lines, telephone lines, and other visual pollution, the ATC wants an accurate map of what area the towers would cause the most damage.
The cell phone companies seem to think their towers will improve the trail. I'd like to see them make the towers look like rocks or trees. Maybe they can make sure to place reflectors son the strobes so only aircraft can see them.
The weather has been warm and humid the last three days. I took photos of the first flowers I've seen on the trail today. They were tiny daisy-like flowers, but I'll leave the identification to someone else. I'll publish the photos (on the net) when I get back.
I hope it doesn't rain tonight. My clear sky just clouded over. Well, I'll see how well the small tarp idea works if it does rain. I'm not far from a shelter, if it gets bad. It's time to switch to the fleece sleeping bag. The weather has been holding at about 50 degrees. The fleece bag, my fleece clothing, the reflective tarp, my emergency mylar bag, and the trash bags can get me through real cold nights, if necessary. Time to drop a few more pounds!
10 AM - Stopped here with Yahtzee, Symbol, Joshua Tree, and some other hikers that I've seen in the past. Yahtzee is convinced that I'm trying to follow him. I can't seem to get past him, yet he can't shake me either. I'm not really trying to bunch up with this group, but fate must be at work. Actually, the shelter and town placement probably have more to do with it.
I came in at 11 PM last night after getting lost looking for water a mile before the shelter. The ATC Data Book said 1/2 mile from the shelter was water. The AT crossed some boulders a mile back and I heard running water. Thus, Sven dug out the pump and bottle. I found the water about 10 feet above and 20 feet below the trail were two access points. The problem is that the water was 5 feet down, between the boulders and only about a half inch deep. It was a nice rapid creek, though.
I decided to hold off after having trouble positioning the pump's tubing in the creek. I went back to the trail, where I had left my pack to mark the location. I couldn't find a single blaze or marking that indicated where the trail came from or went to.
After about a half hour of doing the circular search routine, expanding the radius of my search circle, I hit a spot that let me see a crushed log. The crushed log had a boot print which told me either some other idiot got lost or here's the trail. I found a blaze and walked a few thousand miles over rocks, stumps, elephants, etc. until I hit a good spring not mentioned in the books. It's probably snow runoff. I drank 3 quarts and filled my platypus bladder with 5 more quarts.
When I got to the shelter, I squeezed in and probably woke everybody up, but they didn't complain.
This morning they took off. I chatted with "Symbol" a long time over coffee and a Snickers Egg that he gave me. He started his 2000 mile trek last year and got to Fontana Dam. Now he's finishing up in long section hikes. Very friendly and interesting person (and he gave me food...Woo Hoo!) He's going to check out my online journal, so I'll put a picture of him by the shelter online when I get back.
It's 11 AM, 80 degrees in the shade, I'm down to one day of food, possibly two if I don't eat what I can. I wanted to do a 25 mile day into Jenny Knob Shelter, but I should stop at Bland, VA to resupply before hitting the trail again. I'm leaving late. Daylight Savings clicked in yesterday at 4 PM for my watch. My body still doesn't understand what happened with that change. I had a long talk with the toes. We came to a settlement that seems to avoid a strike. Of course, holding them under the freezing mountain stream while I sponge bathed yesterday may have changed their attitude a bit. They're not shooting pains as much, but the big toes are still numb.
12 miles to the road and another 2.5 into town. Maybe I'll just hold out 'til the grocery half a mile off the trail and walk real fast today. (If someone said that to me, I'd cringe.) besides the body can go without food for three weeks. (Cringe again!)
2 PM - I stopped in Bland, VA yesterday. The town is appropriately named. Nothing big or fancy. It has the necessities but no frills. A helpful old man and his son gave me a lift seconds after I started walking toward town.
The local IGA doesn't take credit cards, so I put most of my food back and spent my last $7.10 in cash. A guy behind me in the line tossed in a few cents so I could get the last Ramen Noodle packet.
On the way back to the trail, I saw the Bland Square Restaurant by the Citgo gas station. They had the Visa emblem on the door. I walked in and ordered dinner. Since you pay in the store section, I picked up a few packages of food (at much higher prices) and paid for it all on Visa. The cashier was nice enough to ring $30 over my purchase to give me some cash.
Web Breaker, who thruhiked a few years ago and met me at the Chestnut Knob Shelter a day earlier, gave me a ride back to the trail from the Restaurant. Apparently he attended The Gathering with me last year but we never ran into each other. (The Gathering is the annual convention of the Appalachian Trail Long Distance Hikers Association. It's a great place to learn a variety of outdoors-related skills through workshops. It is also a fun group of people to hang with.)
I've discovered a disadvantage in my hygiene regime of bathing and washing clothes in a stream when it's near noontime. When you spend the night in a shelter with 6 other thruhikers who have NOT bathed in an unknown period of time, you start to debate sleeping in the rain or sleeping in the shelter. Two nights ago my eyes were watering as I climbed onto the floor of the shelter. I think it may have affected my decision to take it easy today and hang back at the Jenny Knob Shelter.
I camped at the side of Kimberling Creek last night. The setting was wonderful! I had the creek flowing, a mailbox with trail register next to me, rhododendrons (still not in bloom) above and around me, and a nearby gravel road at eye level, over the creek, through the trees. I hung my bear bag, prepared my tarp for rain even though it was a clear sky, and climbed into my sleeping bag.
At a bit before midnight, I woke to gunfire. It sounded like a small caliber handgun, possible a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. I think I heard about 6 shots, and they sounded fairly close, on the road. A few minutes later, a pickup truck sped by. I'm glad I wrapped my gear in black trash bags and my sleeping bag in a forest-green tarp. I felt invisible and went back to sleep.
Ever since I hit Damascus, the climate has been warm and humid. I'm going to make myself take noon breaks for lunch, water, and siesta. This should prevent some of the possibly heat-related injuries that hikers are prone to suffer.
Along that line, I have learned that Hydrocortizone cream is a necessary part of the summertime first-aid kit. The heat and humidity, along with hiker sweat, make for the most uncomfortable heat rash. Regular bathing and application of hydrocortizone has reduced this problem. Removal of the swimsuit liner has also helped.
I'm going to send my 0-degree winter sleeping bag home. The last few nights have only dropped to 50 degrees, which is plenty warm for fleece clothing and a tarp. I also have an emergency mylar blanket and hope to receive my fleece blanket when I meet up with Jim.
Since most of the weight in my pack is the sleeping bag, I'm considering sending the entire pack home when I reach Pearisburg. I figure the pack, without the metal stays, fanny pack attachments, compression stuff, and other add-ons weighs about four pounds instead of the seven pounds with everything. The fleece bag and the tarp can be rolled into a satchel that I will fasten over my shoulders and around my waist. I've constructed the design in my head, but I'll need the fleece blanket to see how it works.
I fell asleep in the sunshine while writing this entry. I'm curious if the other thruhikers I saw in town are going to stop at this shelter. It's about 4 PM and I've been here 3 hours. My gear is aired out, I'm revitalized after a big lunch and a gallon of water. Since I have 4-1/2 hours of daylight left, most of it with cooler temperatures, I'm thinking about walking further. My trash is burnt, along with the litter around and in the shelter. The Trent's Grocery is only 5-1/2 miles ahead. They have a deli. It'll also put me close enough to walk into Pearisburg tomorrow night. I'm feeling restless. I guess it's time to move on.
first page of notes is missing - ed.
some cash. After purchasing meals to tide me over to Pearisburgh, I hiked to Doc's Knob Shelter, 8 miles short of town. There, I stayed with Yahtzee, Captain Chase, and Cheech. Yahtzee made up a new song for Cheech. It's basically the Stevie Wonder song with the line "teacher -- keep on teaching" changed to "Cheecher -- keep on Cheeching." It works well.
On the way to the shelter, I met a Scout troop from the Norfolk, VA area. They're trying to complete the VA portion of the AT. I chatted with a few of them after they gave me a ride back to the trail from Trent's Grocery. Nice troop. It reminds me of good old Troop #144 from home! I burned the trash in the parking lot while we talked. It's amazing how people who love the outdoors could carry full soda and beer containers (and every food product known to man) and feel they're too heavy to carry out. We chatted and burned until they had to go to the next car stop. Unfortunately, one of the leaders had all four of his tires stolen. I hope he got that straightened out without too much trouble!
Just before the shelter last night, I took the worst fall of my trip. It was about 8:30 PM. The sun was setting. I kept looking at the sunset, debating if I should take a photo. The trail was smooth, leaf covered, and was headed down in the standard 'shelter dive.' (I call the long windy descents to the shelter the 'shelter dives.') Unfortunately my left foot found a rock sticking out of the ground about one inch. As i fell, my right pole glanced off a smooth rock and my left pole sank into the leaves and soft dirt. I came down on my left knee, but my right leg kicked hard and I managed to flip over my left shoulder and land on my back/pack. NJ School of Aikido would have applauded. I just lay there thinking of Dave C. saying "What are you doing?" as I lay at the bottom of my basement steps, trying to breathe. That time I strained ligaments from bounding down the steps four at a time.
After a damage assessment, I realized I had a small abrasion on my left knee and all other pain and numbness was normal.
I'm going to mail this now, because the postmaster wants to charge me rent. He's very helpful, but I think I'm stinking up the place. More Soon!
Transcriber's note -- Sorry, no more soon! I'm heading south tomorrow to join up with Sven. He should catch up to me by Wednesday or Thursday. I'll slow him down big time for the next three weeks or so. No journal postings until then! -- Jim Newman
1 AM - Today was a day for introspection. It started last night when I did my flip on the shelter dive trail. I thought about how easily I could have shattered the patella bone of my left knee where it obviously hit a rock causing a small abrasion. My ankle could have been injured as well. Either would have meant the end of this year's hike and a probable long delay before completing an end-to-end thruhike, hitting every white blaze, with all my gear and my two rocks from Springer Mountain.
I thought about the definition of a thruhike. To me, since I was 12 years old, it obviously meant walking from one end to the other with gear. Two years later I learned the need and use for a rock with a spare.
Many, in fact a majority, of the thruhikers I have met have different concepts of what a thruhike involves. I've watched Crash and Scooby flip-flop slack-pack with fanny packs and water bottles on every segment where I've run into them since leaving Georgia. They are happy with this concept and their goal is to hit all of the trail between Georgia and Maine this year. They aren't into camping, but like seeing the views. I appreciate their perspective and I have no intention to imitate their approach. I also see little reason that someone could criticize their method as not being of thruhiker quality.
Tonight it struck me why I feel uncomfortable around "the pack" as they have been called by other thruhikers. In addition to the combined fragrances of unbathed hikers, I believe I dislike being judged with every question they ask. The first questions I get every time I stumble into them is, "Where did you camp last night?" followed by "How many miles was that?" which leads to the inevitable "How long were you chasing us?"
People have accused me of being paranoid before, but that takes the cake. I listened to several comments tonight from members of the pack, and realized that they have quite high standards for what a person must do to be considered a thruhiker in their eyes.
First, they must carry all of their gear and not use other resources to help "slacken" the load. Of course, the two pack members were busy stripping gear from their much lighter packs for the US Postal Service to lug home.
Second, they must hit every white blaze and hike it in one direction. I didn't ask them if they crossed the river where the two bridges were washed out, because I already knew they didn't. They might have, but I'm sure a comment would have been left in the shelter register, and it was fairly blank. It's interesting how many people take the high water routes during near-drought conditions. I think it's a challenge and have to have a Federal Emergency Management officer tell me not to cross. (See photos of the Adirondak High Peaks Ice Storm Ski Trip.) I don't hold others to my bone-headed standard of fording a river twice for the hell of it, against US Forest Service pleading. I really wish I took a photo of the notice.
I haven't noticed any other standards but there are several thruhikers who meet these criteria that are still not cool in the pack's eyes. A guy who goes by "The King of Spain" ran into the pack a few times. Apparently he didn't feel comfortable around them and made a few30-mile days to launch ahead of the pack. Trail register entries indicate that this was his motive for the added speed. This thruhiker is apparently hiking too fast in the pack's mind. Apparently he wasn't very social when he was around them, either. I look forward to meeting him some day if I can catch up to him.
I know I fell out of grace with the pack when its two lead dogs were still working out the rules. I never hitch-hiked before. Growing up and attending college and grad school in New Jersey led to an understanding that you don't pick up hitch-hikers if you don't want to die, you don't hitch-hike if you don't want to die, and you don't stop at the red light at night in the city if you don't want to be car-jacked. I hope these guys are careful when they're hitching in North Jersey and New York's sections. I'm still very cautious deciding from whom I'll take a ride.
I also know that my hiking style disturbed them. I would start two hours after them, with the intent of letting them get to the destination before me. (It makes competitive people happy if they feel victorious on occasion.) Unfortunately, on three of these occasions, they watched/heard me "barreling down on them" as thy put it. I would end up passing them and stay with them at night. It's interesting what I've heard about myself from others that have talked to them. I apparently keep trying to "chase them," Whatever.
The interesting people I've met on the trail include "La Tortuga", a marine biologist from Washington state who is savoring every experience on the trail. I walked past her "slack-packing" with a friend and she looked full of life and happy to be hiking her own way. She takes the trail slow and has told me a great deal that she learned along the way. I really had a head start with my years in the Boy Scouts. There is a lot one learns from nature that is difficult to convey in a manual or handbook.
Amishrejec is another fascinating hiker. His hiking style seems normal. It is his calm, methodic, rational approach to every situation that impresses me. He has never expressed a negative opinion about anyone and seems to look for the best in everyone he meets. I hope to develop these qualities better in my own daily lifestyle.
The Ice Falcon has the innate ability to take an issue and see both or several sides. He can also summarize the issues into a simple explanation. I guess his years as a criminal defense attorney, civil rights attorney, and municipal judge have honed these skills, but he has definitely been the most interesting conversationalist I have met thus far. Rarely can I have an intelligent conversation with someone that lasts for the length of our discussions. Rarely have I found myself accepting that my own logic has a flaw as often as I did in our talks.
Second Degree seems to contribute the "lighten up and enjoy your walk" attitude. She announced that she has no intention of completing a thruhike, yet she continues to walk north (I think) until she "decides to stop." I think her attitude kept me from walking into a dangerous blizzard on more than one occasion in the Smokies.
Third Degree reminds me of many of the people at my ambulance squad. He's hard-working, finds the task then solves it, but doesn't let the task get to him. The day Ice Falcon convinced him to put his frozen, soaked, "blocks of ice" onto his feet and "become one with the essence of the snow storm" is the day I thought he was going to die. It was also the day I saw how effective mind over matter techniques g\can get one through pain that would normally become debilitating. He enjoys the hardships thrown at him, which is something I feel we share and have found it in several thruhikers up to this point. I think this quality must be the most important for completing the thruhike. A sign on the wall at the Kincora Hostel said, "It's not where you go that matters; it's how you get there." Above it was a picture of a couple of climbers rappelling down a cliff in the Grand Canyon, which is easily accessible by road.
The hardships that fly at us become experience that prepares us for worse situations. It becomes confidence that drives us to find more hardships. It also becomes a standard by which to judge the comfort of daily life. A simple hot shower, dry socks, baggie of potato flakes, or gulp of iodine-tainted water never provided me with as much pleasure before this thruhike.
The Buddhists believe that life is suffering and the resulting non-suffering experiences are to be savored but not sought after. This thruhike has provided a wonderful opportunity to experience this in a less complex setting. I think that this, along with the rock I will take with me once I reach Katahdin, and the knowledge that my skills were tested and improved, will be the reward for completing my thruhike.
Tomorrow, I leave Pearisburg. I'm at the hostel behind the Holy Family Catholic Church. It's run off donations by hikers, not church funds. Hot shower, kitchen, shelter-style sleeping, loft, and electric lighting make this a cozy little cabin. I can see myself living in one of these some day. Maybe I'll have a room for a pool table as well.
Jim N. and I should meet up on the 13th or 14th shortly after Troutville, VA. My online entries will be/have been delayed due to his presence on the trail. I'm looking forward to some familiar company. Tonight's fortune cookie read, "Getting together with old friends brings new adventures." Talk about irony!
Last night I got into a verbal/guttural argument with a skunk. I was apparently pumping water from its drinking hole and it was telling me off. I heard its approach from 50 feet and mad loud growls, spitting, and shaking of leaves noises. Eventually it made its way up to a rock 10 feet to my left where it sat glaring at me in the star-lit darkness. I bowed down to its superior stinking power and retreated to the shelter with my still-open water bottles. After stowing my gear for skunk attack (rat hooks), I went to sleep in my closed sleeping bag (in case it wanted to cuddle). The other shelter occupants wondered what the noise was all about. A few minutes later, the most magnificent looking weasel appeared from the woods. I call it a weasel because it looked just like a ferret with dense, short, black fur and a speckled whit pattern. It was definitely a skunk, but not the pepe-le-pew variety that I remember in NJ/PA. It was also nothing like the big, puffy skunk-beast that was sauntering down the trail at 0.01 miles per hour in Georgia. This thin black creature came right up to the shelter edge, inspected the occupants with the bright light sticks, then disappeared after sniffing every inch of the campsite.
The hike into Pearisburg, VA is where the real beginning of spring struck: I saw what appeared to be cherry blossoms, violets, daisies, and thick green sprouts and grasses pushing the brown carpet of dead needles and leaves off to the side. It was a wonderful start of a new segment of the AT. Tomorrow I enter the central Virginia section. To date, I've completed 616.6 miles out of 2160.2 miles. I'll have to check that later, because several new signs indicated they added distance with relocations and other temporary modifications.
28.5% finished! I'm no longer worried about my deadline. I've learned I can regulate my pace however I wish. Onward to Troutville tomorrow!
10 PM - Today was a beautiful day for hiking. 75 degrees, clear and sunny, with a gentle breeze. My head feels different now that I have shaved off all the hair. Don't worry, I left the scruffy facial hair. I picked up a tube of zinc oxide at the Rite Aid , along with 5 pounds of 1/2-price Easter candy. I plan to paint my head each morning with the zinc oxide and cover it with the bandana until it has some good stubble.
I shaved it to help me stay clean. It's hard to wash long greasy hair without using soap. To use soap requires that I move the water away from the stream. That's too much work and takes time. My head now feels like a leather bomber jacket. It's weird! I'm not sure if I'll take any photos of my bald head...Maybe with a bandanna covering it.
I stayed an extra day in Pearisburg, VA, giving myself a second zero-day on this thruhike. I enjoyed Senator and Cook's company and conversation, and the ability to soak my feet in hot water also influenced this decision.
Cook had an infected pitted abrasion on her right shin. I convinced her to scrub the greenish tinted tissue off/out, along with the scab and all other necrotic tissue. Once the wound was cleaned out, I built a dike of duct tape around the site and we let the wound marinate in hydrogen peroxide for about ten minutes. The wound was then filled with Neosporin antibiotic ointment, covered with a sterile 4"x4" gauze sponge, and wrapped with cling gauze. She complained that it itched, but the dressing has stayed clean. Tomorrow morning we will change the dressing and reapply the antibiotic ointment. I told her a horror story of cellulitis and now she wants to take care of her wound properly. Cook and Senator are a nice couple to hang out with. We all have a lot in common.
Last night, Senator had me laughing uncontrollably as we planned the script for a "Revisiting Walton's Mountain" episode. We decided to reroute the AT through the living room of the Waltons' home. This was quite easy to do since we declared eminent domain. The Waltons could stay on their mountain, but they had to move the dishes and furniture to other rooms. I suppose they could build a hostel, but we will send some IRS agents in to squash that little enterprise before it gets out of hand. I'm not sure if the Waltons had barbed wire fences, but we can add those to the land, and build a few more step-ladders to climb up and down.
I'm at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter with Cook, Senator, Cheech, Captain Chase, Cheech's dad, Chase's dad, and a section hiker. We're packed in like sardines! Cook, Senator, and I covered 19.6 miles today.
Amishrejec went ahead to Bailey Gap Shelter after staying with the three of us last night. He wants to keep doing 25-mile days. I'm not sure what his hurry is, but I'm going to wish him luck and go slower. I can only do 25's occasionally.
I took a one-hour break in the new Star Haven Shelter, formerly known as the Rice Field Shelter. It had a great view, so I aired my toes a while before moving on. My second lunch break was at Symms Gap Meadow with Gary from Fairfax, VA. He plans to mention me on AT-L. I have to look at that listserv sometime.
I need to thank Bill, who takes care of the hostel. Mrs "Virginia Ham" stopped by and fed us pizza as well! (Another good reason to stay in town.) I lost the name of the woman who was kind enough to drive me to the hostel. Thank You!
I managed to mess up my plans with meeting Jim on the 14th. According to our discussion on the phone in Pearisburg, he started today, 20 miles north of Troutville. I now have to make up the 85-mile difference between our locations while he walks about 8 miles per day. If I can pull a few 25-30 mile days, I'll catch him in 4-5 days. I'm hoping for good weather and smooth terrain. I also have to get mail in Troutville.
Crash and Scoobie stopped in our shelter this morning during a bad thunderstorm. It rained all night and morning starting at midnight. Around 2 PM the rain lightened up and it stopped by 4 PM. Senator, Cook, and I get along entirely too well. We realized it was 1:30 PM when we finally got moving today. None of us even imagined we were gabbing that long. They stopped at the last shelter, but I have to meet Jim so I kept moving. I only walked 12.4 miles today instead of 20 miles. Tomorrow morning will be an early start!
I'm enjoying the lighter weight on my back. My pack is doubling as a bivy for my legs and feet. It is warmer than the sleeping bag was! I'm using fleece clothing, the Ridgerest foam pad, and my reflective tarp for the top part of my body. I was very warm last night. It got down to 45 degrees.
11:30 AM - I stopped at Laurel Creek Shelter just before a good mist covered the leaves. It's been 45 degrees all morning with gusty wind about 30 mph. Occasional sunlight breaks up the overcast sky, but the random sprinkles of rain make up for the sun.
I'm eating lunch early and adding another layer to my hiking attire as my fingers are cold. The gloves feel great, now that I dug them out of the bottom of my pack. I figured it would warm up today, but the morning air has hovered at 45 degrees after 2 hours of hiking. Well, off to find Jim!
I made it to Niday Shelter tonight. The ridge walk along Sinking Creek Mountain was difficult, especially after the cold walk up the side. It's only an 18.1-mile day, but it was work. The goats have made a noticeable dent in some of the brambles, but I still fought with a bunch that have overgrown the trail. Tomorrow will be sunny. How do I know? It's not sunny now, so it has to change. It looks like it could pour rain any minute and has looked this way all day.
I'm staying with Dancing Cloud, Quilter, and Alpo in the Niday Shelter. Dancing Cloud thruhiked in 1977 and had some stories to tell about the changes in the AT.
Quilter and Alpo showed up later. The recently finished all 2160 miles of the AT in sections. They're back from Vermont to hike a few days in Virginia.
Dancing Cloud was nice enough to give me a few oranges that he inherited from a dayhiker. He was enlisted in the Coast Guard for 4 years before entering a German plastics company. I like the variety of having section hikers to talk with.
11 PM - Excellent day all around. I got an early start because I was freezing to death in my sleeping outfit. I decided to start packing at 6:10 AM when I woke to a glimmer of daylight and 35-degree air. The wind was only 5 to 10 mph inside the shelter, but the 30 to 30 mph gusts outside weren't very quiet. I knew I had to move or freeze. At 7:05 AM, I started walking, after having cold cereal for breakfast.
I changed to shorts gradually and by 10 AM it was 70 degrees, clear, sunny, but still very windy. At this time, I discovered a brown tarp with food lying by the side of the trail. No one was around. I shouted, "Hello?" a few times with no reply. At first it seemed like a gift - synthetic trail magic. I soon realized that some camper left the tarp and food dangling in a tree and an animal ransacked it. I took the sealed canned goods - 1 gallon of spaghetti & meatballs and 2 tuna cans. I built a fire with the 15 plastic forks, 20 plastic spoons, 8 plastic cups, packaging, and ransacked leftovers.
After adding some wood, I opened the spaghetti cans and heated them by the fire. I ate almost all of the two 2-quart cans. I burned the rest.
After all burnable trash was consumed, I put out the fire, flattened the cans, and rolled up my new brown tarp. After an hour and a half, I figured the owner didn't plan to return, especially since the food obviously felt the rain a day or two before, and the packaging was sun-bleached.
I was stuffed. Fortunately, the next few miles were down and not very difficult. I covered 22.8 miles today, another reason to feel satisfied.
While approaching Dragon's Tooth, a very difficult set of climbs (up, down, up...), I saw 5 deer together. I've seen several white-tail deer in the last few days, but there were fawns and parents in this group. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them.
I took a photo of the Audie Murphy Monument, several of the new blossoms on the trees and plants, and one of a cow. I didn't take the photo of the first part of the herd that I walked into, but I got the curious cow that kept stalking me.
I had to cross a farm after Dragon's Tooth, Cove Mountain. After climbing the barbed wire stile, I almost bumped into a cow standing on the trail. I asked it to move and it immediately stepped aside. They were very polite cattle. Only one objected to me taking off my pack to change cameras. She kept mooing and walking closer. I took her picture and quickly got my pack and got out of her way.
A few minutes before reaching the farm, I walked up to a large cooler. Southpaw, aka Jeff Williams, filled a cooler with soda, apples, candy bars, ice water, and Gatorade. His wife even put some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches inside. The sign said that he was offering the food to any "thruhiker or long distance section hiker." I dropped a thankyou note inside after eating dinner and plan to write them when I reach Katahdin, Maine.
Tomorrow I'll pass through Troutville, VA. I have a mail drop at the post office and need groceries to last another 80 miles - 4 or 5 days.
9 PM - I just woke up to see Venus and a few stars come out. Today's hike must have gone over at least 20 peaks along a single ridge that twisted left and right. I saw my destination (the I-81 interchange) all day, but I couldn't imagine the route as I walked North, South, East, and West. After hiking 18.6 miles by 4 PM, I decided to take advantage of the AYCE salad bar at Western Sizzlin, sleep back on the trail a few feet from the highway, then go to the Winn Dixie Supermarket which is supposed to be open for 24 hours. I'm worried that they won't want to take Visa. The guidebook wasn't clear. I need my checkbook desperately!
By 6 PM, I was snuggled into my makeshift bivy on the side of the trail. I slept a couple of hours. It's supposed to rain tonight so that should be a good time to shop. Tomorrow morning I will reach the Troutville post office at 8:30 AM sharp. From there, I'll hike until the predicted heat tells me to stop.
Even though I had 3 liters of water today, I needed more. The ridge had no water for the last 10 miles until I entered Troutville. My face was sunburned. I no longer produced sweat,. My lips were dry. All the warning signs of dehydration. On these long stretches I might start carrying 4 liters of water instead of the two I carried today.
The views from atop the sheer rock cliffs were impressive. I did a bit of experimental photography and hope to create a 3-dimensional image to put online. We'll see how that looks after I scan, crop, resize, and color correct the few hundred photos I'm taking.
At the Lambert's Meadow Shelter, I saw two deer, The doe watched me as I took her photo. I tried to get closer and got a shot of her just before she ran. I missed her fawn since it was well hidden until after the second shot.
3:30 AM - I'm sitting on the front step of the Winn-Dixie. There is a small handwritten sign that says, "New store hours 6 AM - 12 midnight." They do take Visa so I will sit on their doorstep until they open. There are 3 employees inside eying me nervously. Hope they don't call the cops when I go to sleep here. I guess my departure will be delayed another three hours.
I've got a foot-long hoagie at Subway with Visa. I'm still hungry. I should have waited until I could get cold cuts and bread. With the hundreds of trucks here, I'm surprised everything's closed!
10 PM - It's been three days since I wrote in my journal. I'm lying in my emergency survival shelter on the trail, just north of US Route 60. I have finally accepted the fact that I am injured. I don't believe it will stop my thruhike, but it will delay its completion by several days. What started as minor cramping at night in my right shin has turned into a 24-hour knot in the shin that prevents extension of my foot, even after ibuprofen, massage, stretching, and hot water soaking. I'm a bit worried that I may have more than "just a cramp" in my leg. No matter what it is, walking, especially when ramming the right shoe into the occasional tree root, rock leaf, or other obstruction, makes the pain increase and range of motion decrease. Obviously, I need to stop walking and kicking things with my right foot.
Jim will pick me up at 11 AM at this spot tomorrow morning. With the remaining time, I plan to decipher my pile of notes and scribbles and translate them into a chronological journal entry.
On April 8th, I made a poor judgment call: I told Jim that it was time to switch to the fleece sleeping bag. Damascus has traditionally been the location for many thruhikers to lighten their load, but I felt it was still too early in the year to trust the hot, humid conditions, so I waited until Pearisburg.
After spending my first nine days in Virginia sweating in a zero-degree rated mummy bag with the lowest night temperature being 55 degrees, I decided to drop the 6.5 pound mummy bag and use a 2 pound fleece bag with the use of trash bags, reflective tarp, emergency mylar blanket, foam pad, and fleece clothing to supplement on cold nights.
I am not sure if this would have been an appropriate decision anymore, but I made a mistake after using this logic. I mailed my mummy bag home from Pearisburg. It was 85 degrees, sunny, and humid. I hadn't received my fleece bag yet, but I figured I would risk the next few days of comfort until I met up with Jim. I would see him only four days later.
After committing to my decision, and paying postage on my box, I bought groceries at the store. To my horror, as I repackaged my food, the temperature dropped to 50 degrees (from 85), the sky clouded over, and a lightning storm poured on the parking lot and blew under the awning.
The next day brought more rain, and I realized the pain in my leg was worse than before. I figured I would take a day to recuperate, rest, and let the weather blow past. The weather never blew past, and I still hurt.
While I truly enjoyed the company of Senator and Cook, I think I also liked the excuse to not make up for lost time the first few days I stayed with them. I still had the ability to pull a few 25-mile days to catch Jim. No Problem!
After a decent 20-mile day on the 10th of April, I was reassured that I would catch Jim in time. The next 3 days would leave me with no telephone access, but I was convinced the hiking would go well. In hindsight, I should have asked Amishrejec to pass a message to Jim to wait a day or two at the first shelter, but that would require that I acknowledge an imperfection in my physical capabilities. "It'll loosen up," was my quick way to dismiss the whole topic. One of the first things I learned from my patients while working as an EMT, is how to deny the existence of pain. Unfortunately, this rarely cures the cause of the pain.
The rain poured for several of the next days. The 11th, 12th, and 15th all brought rain. This presented a new problem: I was warm enough (barely) in my fleece clothing at night when using all but my mylar emergency blanket. It hadn't occurred to me that the days might be so cold that I would need more than my usual polyester T-shirt and nylon rain pants. I felt up to doing 25 miles, but how could I risk getting in late at night with wet clothes, on a cold, rainy night? All the makings of hypothermia! So I did a few more short days. "I'll catch Jim by doing a couple night hikes," was the reassuring thought on these days. I'm still sure I made the right decision based on the immediate circumstances.
On the 13th, I hiked 22.8 miles, tearing the hell out of my legs as I awkwardly "rappelled" down Dragons Tooth on Cove Mountain without any rope. The constant up and down terrain on top of all three ridges didn't help my shin, either. This was when I realized my right shin was hurt, but "There's nothing I can do about it at this point," was my stubborn denial. I pushed on to make my miles and cried for joy when I discovered the "Catawba Cooler" that Southpaw left on the trail. I felt revitalized!
That night (4/14) was not too cold in the Boy Scout Shelter. The shelter was in ruins, but the name made it feel like home. I started early and did 19 miles, became dehydrated, experienced some heat exhaustion symptoms, and crashed after a big meal with lots to drink.
Winn-Dixie helped me out the following morning by changing their hours for the first time in over three years. No longer are they a 24-hour store. They made me stay in town until a large, expected downpour was able to engulf me. Thanks for the help!
I thought about calling someone to tell them my schedule problems, but Jim was out of reach, and I could still do a few long days to catch him. I decided not to risk hypothermia by night hiking on the 15th. The 16th got off to a slow start because I had to dry my stuff, and I met a fun group of thruhikers who planned to take it day by day. Paw Paw, a local celebrity who is thruhiking his second time at age 82, was staying in the Wilson Creek Shelter with us. He had stories and jokes, most of which I wouldn't repeat in public.
Doughboy, a 22-year-old Eagle Scout who just graduated college, was also in our shelter. I still find it amazing how much I can tell about someone when they tell me they are an Eagle. We crashed at Cove Mountain Shelter after I discovered there was no moon to light my trail. I would have to use a flashlight and that can be dangerous when a bulb has to be changed in the dark. Jim had signed the register at Cove Mountain on the 11th, so I was 5 days behind him.
With excellent weather and a kick in the butt from Doughboy, I hiked 29.6 miles of the AT plus a mile of various shelter and water trails. I crashed at the Matts Creek Shelter, with a couple of families, weekend hikers. I still find it more enjoyable to spend time with the occasional section hiker than hanging with the same thruhikers every day. It's nice to have familiar friends, but an occasional group of naive, curious campers makes me realize the true UNimportance of my mission to deliver rocks from Springer to Katahdin.
Between the shelter entries, and the information of passing southbounders, I stalked Jim from 80 miles back. Today was the day I would catch up to him! I got an early start, but my cramped up leg now had visible signs of injury. The lower part of my shin was swollen. Yesterday's 30 miles must not have been good for it. I remember blocking the pain out of my mind as I trotted down the hills with my poles. I kept a pace over 3 miles/hour including breaks during the day!
I continued to ignore the pain and lack of mobility for the first 5 miles today. When I arrived at John's Hollow Shelter to find a bag of 5 pounds of food, my heart sank. It meant Jim was getting tired, and the extra weight would make it harder to catch up to him.
At Punchbowl Shelter, 10 miles after the weight gain, I read Jim's final log entry. He said he was going to hike out to US Route 60 to figure out where I was. It was 4:30 PM when I read this. I realized he was already standing on Route 60, because two passing southbounders saw him cross the Blue Ridge Parkway at 9:30 AM. He was keeping a 1 mile/hour pace according to two southbounders I met the night before.
Hoping he would stop at the Brown Mountain Creek Shelter and wait until morning to hike the last couple of miles to the road, I staggered the rest of the distance to find no entry by Jim in the shelter log.
A new thought developed as I approached the last shelter. Would Jim go looking for me as he indicated in his last entry? I started leaving notes at every road crossing to prevent an expensive and time-consuming search for me.
After finding no entry by Jim at the Brown Mountain Shelter, I made an entry, then walked to the road. The ability to ignore pain had disappeared several hours earlier. Every movement of my right leg hurt, and I stumbled several times an hour.
Leaving a note taped to the AT sign on Route 60, I walked the one mile west to Hamm's Store in hopes that he would let me use his business phone. He did, even though the store was closed. Jim's wife seemed to be expecting my call. Jim had called her less than 2 hours earlier. My letter from Troutville that had been postmarked later than expected was the information that convinced Jim that I was far behind him.
I then called Jim's daughter's home in Virginia. Jim had just arrived at her house. When I told Jim where I was, I found out he was picked up at the same location only three hours earlier.
At this point, my right leg will not let me hike safely. Stumbling off a cliff would probably hurt, depending on the elevation. I need a physical break from hiking and I need an emotional break from this botched plan to hike with Jim.
I also need to reevaluate my whole plan of attack. While I'm quite comfortable in my ultra-light, minimalist shelter, I realize it has restricted my progress more than it can help me walk faster. Nothing is able to change the fact that over 50 percent of my pack weight is always food. The slight increase in weight of using a heavy sleeping bag and a large tarp would have enabled me to hike in the inclement weather with the confidence of knowing I would be warm at night.
I have learned that I can truly survive in the cold, wet conditions without most of the basic equipment (stove, tent, sleeping bag, cookware, and rain gear), but my thruhike was not supposed to be about survival. It was supposed to be an enjoyable experience with nature, in which I carry rocks from Springer to Katahdin.
I have finished 786.2 miles of my thruhike. That is 36 percent of the whole trail. I am not about to quit. I realize that most people drop out in the middle of Virginia, but I have waited 15 years to do this. I'll tie my leg into a sling and hop the rest of the way if necessary! I think a few days rest may work better, though.
Now that Jim is ready for a break, I figure he has some time to type my pages and pages of journal entries. :) I hope I can actually walk with him, now he's got his trail legs back. How about the White Mountains again? I suppose, since I'm also taking a break, I should do my own typing. With that in mind, I'll start planning my attack on the remaining 64 percent of the trail:
I am tempted to switch back to my reliable, lightweight, CampTrails external frame pack. It's always worked well for me and weighs considerable less than the sweat-soaked Osprey Silhouette, even with all the heavy parts removed.
My heavy zero-degree sleeping bag may have been excessive. I don't want to pay for a summer weight bag, but I don't feel confident that the fleece bag will keep me warm on the cold, wet nights. The fact that I didn't even have a fleece bag makes me believe that I would have been sufficiently warm with a layer of fleece clothing and a layer of fleece bag. (Transcriber's note - I felt barely warm enough with fleece clothing, nylon wind suit, and TWO fleece bags, covered with a tarp! Good thing for me I was carrying the spare bag for Sven!) I think two fleece bags and my reflective tarp would keep me sufficiently warm in weather down to the freezing point, even if my fleece clothes are saturated with rain. I clearly need to investigate the weights of the various options and decide based on that. If the fleece and tarp option is heavier than 6.5 pounds, I might as well carry the zero-degree bag.
My tenting situation also concerns me. I enjoy camping much more when I have a solid shelter that protects me from bugs and the elements. Backpacking tents weigh slightly more than the bivy sacks for sleeping bags, with the lightest near 4 pounds. Nowhere did I see the simple A-frame tents with two upright poles being sold. My hiking poles could easily double as tent poles at night. I believe a bit of Seam-Gripper, a polyurethane tarp, and some netting will let me build a satisfactory structure at low cost and low weight. Something to do while healing. Besides, my tent won't have that notorious 6-foot-long problem that every commercial tent seems to inherit.
Stove - simple - I don't miss it. I'm very happy being stoveless, especially on the cold, rainy days when I have no need to lug fuel around. For the skeptics who thought I'd die without a stove, HA!
Cook gear - I plan to bring some aluminum foil to cook foil dinners. The added variety of cooked meat and veggies will be nice occasionally. Besides, cooked hamburger is pretty light once it is drained. I'll cook everything the night after a resupply.
Water Purification - my PUR Voyager filter/iodine pump has only jammed, clogged, or frozen about 20 times in 54 days. I waste about 1/2 hour every time I pump 2 liters of water when it doesn't have problems. Iodine tablets are expensive. One gallon of chlorine bleach is a dollar. I'm going back to the chlorinated water method. Boot to the pump!
Footwear - my feet have been rubbing on a specific place on the side of each foot. I think the leather stretched and the plastic didn't. Amishrejec bought a pair of $10 sneakers at WalMart. They look more comfortable than my Salomon foot weights (aka boots.) Maybe I'll start my gear shopping at WalMart this time. They seem to know much more about camping gear than the other outfitters do!
Well, I ate a big dinner tonight. I took 800 mg of ibuprofen earlier and will take more before going to sleep. My leg still hurts and the swelling hasn't diminished. The stretching seems to have increased mobility, but a few walking steps changes that quickly. I'm hoping two days of rest will fix all my aches and pains. Now for some sleep!
10 AM - I woke this morning well rested, comfortable, and in less pain. The swelling in my right shin has gone down, the mobility increased, but it feels the same as yesterday morning. I debated calling Jim to tell him I would keep hiking north, but I know the shin needs rest. I think I need some time to talk to familiar friends as well.
I looked at my databook and saw that I could arrive in Tyro, VA today. For some reason I gave myself 11 days to cover 100 miles. I think it was to slow down for Jim. Hah! He outran me! I also allotted too much time to reach Harper's Ferry, WV from Tyro. The later dates look appropriate.
Jim is coming up the trail with Derek on his shoulders. Kristin is with him. A few days off is looking mighty good!
10 PM - I spent several days at Kristin and Dennis V's house. They were very kind to feed and house me for so long. One of the days I helped install a new tile floor in their kitchen. It was fun and I enjoyed the change of activities.
Tonight, I am 4 miles north of I-60 on the AT. My shin is nice and loose, my joints feel more relaxed. Best of all, I had time to rethink my gear.
Jim brought my 15-year-old external frame CampTrails pack with him to Kristin's house before attempting to meet me on the trail. I replaced the shoulder straps on that pack with the straps from my internal frame Osprey Silhouette. The metal pins weren't necessary, but a few modifications had to be made to add the load adjustment straps to the top of the frame and to hold the top of the shoulder strap harness from sliding side to side. No big deal considering the added comfort.
I bought a new sleeping bag at WalMart for $40. It is rated down to 30 degrees with 100% polyester fiber fill, 100% polyester fleece liner, and 100% nylon shell. I haven't weighed it yet, but the package said it weighs 4 pounds (I think).
The pack itself is lighter than the Osprey and it holds the load much better. I will need a new hip belt. I could probably use the belt from the Osprey, but I think it is overkill.
I'm looking forward to doing some miles tomorrow in my new sneakers. I'm pretty sure the lighter footwear will cut back on the stress my shins experience. They are the latest in $10 WalMart technology. I remember paying $60 for some Rebock running shoes of similar construction and quality. We'll see how they turn out. I will have no ankle support, but much of that was imagined anyway. I had to do something to eliminate the sharp spot inside the Solomon X-Mountain boots I was using. This solves the problem.
I spent part of this evening making candles. An old pile of paraffin was sitting in the shelter, so I heated it and molded it into several small candles with toilet paper wicks. They work well, until the end when they flare up.
I'm staying with "New Hip" tonight. He had a hip replacement 18 months ago and is hiking southbound starting at Harpers Ferry. He has already finished Lehigh, PA, through Katahdin, ME, so now he is working on the south, he says.
Tomorrow morning I want to repackage some things and make stuff fit better in my pack. I', still carrying my filter purifier pump, my rocks, the small tarp (5'x7') and no stove.
My body weight is now 202 pounds. I started the thruhike at 215 pounds. I will try to eat more. (People who see my diet don't seem to believe it's possible.)
8 AM - The first night back on the trail within my new sleeping bag, I had to open it many times to cool off. I was worried that I bought it for no reason. Last night, however, the bag proved its worth. The temperature dipped down to 35 degrees this morning on top of Priest Mountain at the shelter.
I met a long distance section hiker named "Peanut Butter" on the trail yesterday. With "Launchpad", "Grizzly Adams", and "Fly Boy", he walked into Seely-Woodworth Shelter at 3:30 PM , waking me from my extra-long siesta. It was hot all morning, so I took a siesta at 1:30 after lunch. I finally left at 5:30 and got to the Priest Shelter by dark for a 17.7 mile day, 17.1 of it on the AT.
Alec & Tina, a couple celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary and Alec's 42nd birthday, were here with "Aragorn." they have a beautiful Siberian Husky that kept our shelter free of mice!
Aragorn is a southbound thruhiker. He started last fall. His winter break from Thanksgiving through April just ended, and he intends to reach Springer, GA this spring or summer. He's carrying some interesting gear: 9-mm static rappelling line, walkman, cotton pants, etc. I guess its worked this far.
I'm debating visiting Rusty's Hard Time Hollow. It's 2.5 miles out of my way, but many thruhikers were planning to visit. I hear it used to be a party place, but it was cleaned up. Rusty has a small farm with no electricity, running water, or other modern conveniences. It looked like it might be a unique experience. He only opens his house to thruhikers or long distance bicyclists.
10 AM - I awoke this morning in the bunkhouse of an old farm. People have reputedly lived here for seventeen hundred years, since well before Columbus came to visit. An annoying bird continued to make the ka-honk, ka-honk, ka-honk noise, but all the other birds and the view out the window kept me lying in bed until the sun was high in the sky.
Last night I spent hours sitting in the main section of the building. The old farmer had replaced almost all of the homestead with scraps of wood from packing crates or metal beams donated from friends. Every piece of material that was placed in the home has been carefully thought and planned, then meticulously installed to be easily overlooked, but efficient in its use of nature.
Modern technology is nowhere to be seen, except the intrusive beeping of several hikers' digital watches. An old windup grandfather clock chimes the hour as a wood fire heats the internally piped spring water to help clean our dishes.
Food and soda were waiting for me when I arrived. A large sign explained that there is no such thing as "trail magic." Nothing requiring planning, hard work, money, persistence, follow-through, kindness, and time should be written off as simple magic.
A hot tub, filled by spring and fueled by wood fire, steamed in the yard, while sodas chilled in a spring nearby. It all seemed like a dream. I thanked the old farmer for his hospitality and slowly got used to the idea that I was allowed to step back and visit, just to hang out.
The location will remain secret, the details I will not print, since this gentle old farmer has an understandable hatred for the media. He's just a simple farmer on the trail, living like most farmers did years ago, but opens his doors to the smelly thruhikers and long-distance cyclists of the trail, just to build his family of interesting folks.
I discussed the log cabins that I found near Anchorage with the farmer. His eyes lit up. The man has the forethought of an engineer, the skills of a carpenter, plumber, mason, and biologist, and the determination of our early explorers to make nature provide all of his resources. He lives in the type of cabin I've dreamed of building. I'm glad I stayed. Someday I hope to return and help with his latest project or dream, whatever it may be.
10 PM - Yesterday, after descending The Priest Mountain a second time, Alec & Tina treated me to lunch and took me to get my mail drop in Tyro. I backtracked 0.7 miles when I started in the morning. I didn't recognize the scenery without the cloud bank all around me and with all the sunlight. The fact that the southbound trail led north and the northbound trail led east really threw me off. I recognized my mistake when I saw "Peanut Butter" climbing the hill toward me. I was glad I caught up with Alec & Tina before they left so I didn't have to walk to town. The sandwiches and beans and franks were an even better treat. They plan to thruhike next year. I wish them luck!
The carbide tips of both hiking poles have smashed off the end of the plastic tips. I discovered this today. The left one was still in place, but I removed it with no effort. I'll try to buy new tips at the outfitter in Harpers Ferry.
The Paul C. Wolfe Memorial Shelter, in which I'm stying, has to be the most beautiful shelter in Virginia. It's practical and roomy. I took a photo.
I'll walk through Waynesboro tomorrow.
11 PM - I'm sleeping on a small trail leading to the latrine from a shelter, 20 miles north inside the Shenandoah National Park. I slept late this morning, so Peanut Butter greeted me as I climbed out of bed. I also ran into "Fly Catcher" who apparently is good at catching small birds, but "Small Bird Catcher" isn't very catchy...sorry.
I saw my first bear of the thruhike. It is about 20 feet in front of me, stomping on the leaves in the dark. I got a good look at its face as it tried to watch me. The retinas of its eyes light up bright yellow and its black nose reflected light as well. It's interesting to be lying here all cozy in bed, with this beast stumbling around. If it wants my food, it'll have to climb a steel pole. I hung my food bag with the others in front of the shelter.
"Why am I on the latrine trail?" you might ask. I lucked out and found this hut full when I arrived. It says in the ALDHA Companion that thruhikers can set up tents within sight of the huts, only if the huts are full. So, at 10:30 PM, when I finished the 25 miles between legal campsites (without renting a room at Howard Johnson's), I rolled out the foam pad and sleeping bag, and went to bed.
OK, I finished planning a few long days so I can reach Thornton Gap before the weekend. Kristin and Dennis V. have some of my stuff that I can use to resupply. I should get there by Thursday.
"Beaver I" just walked past me to use the latrine. He was surprised to find out my identity. Apparently, he read a lot of my journal entries and stayed with Third Degree for five nights. He has decided to flip-flop when he reaches Harpers Ferry so he can walk southbound with his son. He plans to wait until his son gets out of spring classes to do the 100-Mile Wilderness in Maine. I guess I'll run into them again in the New Hampshire area. In the meantime, I'll probably be staying with him and his roommates for the next few nights.
10 PM - The hike through the Shenandoahs has been somewhat depressing. The US Forest Service has posted signs warning hikers about the elevated dangers of falling trees. About 75% of the trees are dead from gypsy moth and fungus attack. There are a few live dogwood trees and several conifers scattered through the dead forest.
I think they plan to let the forest take its own course. They must have learned, by the Yellowstone forest fire, how nature takes care of itself much better when man keeps his paws off. The signs indicated that the "forest is changing." I did take a few photos of the beginning of the natural eutrophication process at work: The dead trees permit extra light to reach the underbrush. The forest floor already has thick, green shrubs and vines. Soon, the decomposing trees, with the protection of the shrubs, should harbor new conifer growth. Eventually a few hardwood trees will sprout and the more diverse stronger forest will become better resistant to massive destruction by a single moth or fungus.
Other than the dead forest, I found the Shenandoah section of the trail to be relatively easy. Few altitude changes and meticulous trail maintenance make these trails suitable for back country skiing. If the Shenandoahs get enough snow, I'd like to try completing this AT segment on skis. I wonder if it is permitted.
I plan to reach Thornton Gap by noon tomorrow. I've had my mind on cheeseburgers for three days. I'm going to buy 10 pounds of hamburger, several loaves of bread, and a few pounds of American cheddar and Velveta cheeses. I figure Kristin & Dennis might enjoy the meal, but I plan to munch on this all afternoon, evening, and Friday morning.
Today was a good mileage day. Another 24.9 miles of AT are completed. Tomorrow will be a 14-mile day. After staying in Luray for the night, I will hike about 22 miles to the home of a friend's Aunt Elizabeth in Linden, VA. I hope to reach Harpers Ferry three days later on May 4th.
The cheap Walmart sneakers went flat, literally. The closed-cell foam soles compressed at a bad angle. They want to make my arches hit the ground and elevate the outside edge of each foot. I've placed small pieces of tree bark under the insoles of the shoes. The bark, plus the "Superfeet" insoles, make the sneakers tolerable. I'll switch back to the Salomon X-Mountain Hikers in Luray and plan on buying new boots at the outfitter in Harpers Ferry. Let's see, what brands haven't I eliminated? The $10 sneakers lasted 90 miles without trouble. The best value I've found to this day!
1:30 AM - I must thank Dennis and Kristin, again, for housing me tonight. It gave me time and telephone access to straighten out a potentially harmful credit problem with Discover Card. The use of their barbecue and stove is also greatly appreciated.
Lawrence (?) and Stacy H, employees of Skyland in the Shenandoah Park, were nice enough to drive me to the Luray Food Lion after their day-off hiking trip. I bought 'way too much, as I anticipate
