Mountains Under Foot

From Hazard’s notes:
Day 54: July 2, 2009
Travel:
From: Front Royal, VA
To: Rod Hollow Shelter, VA
Beginning: 12:30pm
Ending: 9:00pm
Number of miles hiked:
a) Trail – 23.7
b) other
c) AT Mile Marker – 983.2 cumulative
Weather:
AM & PM: Great weather for hiking and no rain!
People: Nick, Two ladies at the shelter tonight were friends of the woman who gave us a ride to Front Royal. (Gaia & ?)
Animals: Saw a raccoon for the first time while cooking our dinner. Glowing eyes were a surprise.
Money: $2 laundry, $12 breakfast. $892 cumulative
Notes of the day:
AM: Woke up early-ish because we had a lot to do this morning in addition to the miles. Spoon headed off to the post office to get his new poles and Nick and I headed off to the laundromat so we could have clean, dry socks. When the clothes were spinning I was feeling really hungry so I wandered down the street to the Daily Grind for a bagel to hold me over until Spoon got back. Nick and I passed this restaurant called Wynn’s Restaurant that looked pretty good so we stopped in and checked out the menu. Lots of food for fairly cheap. The only problem with cheap food is that we end up ordering a lot of it. Nick secured us a table and I got back to the laundromat to move the clothes over to the dryer and that was about the time Spoon returned with his new poles. We left the clothes and met up with Nick at the diner. I had a western omelet, toast, hash browns, a waffle, and sausage. We were all feeling pretty full and it was getting late so we collected our clothes and Nick changed and headed out for the trail because he needed to make a stop in Lindon for a package. Spoon and I headed out to the motel to collect our stuff and pack out. It was after 11am so we had to take all of our stuff out of the room and dump it on the porch so we could turn in the key. After we got packed up we were off down the road to find US 522 to get a ride back up to the trailhead. We ended up on the street corner with a KFC across the street and I knew we needed some water to fill up our Camelbaks so went over to get some cups of water. By the time I got back Spoon had secured us a ride from a pair of nice girls. I don’t think they were even headed our direction.

PM: The trail ran alongside the local zoo for a while but sadly none of the animals were near the fence for us to see. There was even trail magic waiting for us on a post that we indulged in before continuing on. About 5 miles down the trail we came to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter that was like a palace. It had a huge front porch with a bench chair to relax on while checking out the covered picnic table. There was even a solar shower but it seemed a little broken. The main reason for our stop was not to experience luxury but to pump some water. The filter was really getting tough to pump at this point. We definitely need to replace it when we reach Harper’s Ferry. We left and continued down the trail and crossed over the road that leads to Lindon, the trail followed the road past some residences and then up some stairs toward the mountain. Nick was at the top of the stairs, he had just gotten back from picking up his package from town where he had to walk the mike in and out because he couldn’t get a ride. So he walked with us until Manassas Gap Shelter were he split off to stay the night. He had ended up deciding not to go to DC with us so he wouldn’t blow a fortune in town. So we kept on hiking, and hiking, and so on until we got to Rod Hollow Shelter. It was getting really dark and I was getting really sleepy so I was glad to be in camp. Not to mention the trail had become really slippery. Not a good combination. We cooked and ate and went to bed as fast as we could.

From Hazard’s notes:
Day 53: July 1, 2009
Travel:
From: Byrd’s Nest #3, VA
To: Front Royal, VA
Beginning: 6:50am
Ending: 6:45pm
Number of miles hiked:
a) Trail – 30.9
b) other
c) AT Mile Marker – 959.5 cumulative
Weather:
AM: Sunny and nice, for now.
PM: An afternoon thunderstorm that came with a vengeance. It was like it knew we hadn’t had rain for a long time and wanted to punish us. We walked in a downpour for over an hour.
People: Kathy and Don who gave us some primo trail magic. Nick from UConn. Hecklers from town.
Animals: Mamma bear with her cubs at the wayside.
Money: $15 for lunch, $17 for room at the Scottish Inn, $11 for dinner, $8 for movie ticket. $878 cumulative.
Notes of the day:
AM: Woke up at 6am because we had a ton of miles to cover. We pushed really hard and made it the 11.6 miles to the Elkwallow Wayside in about 3.5 hours, that’s really moving. When we got there Kathy and Don, who we had met yesterday going up Stony Man, were waiting for us. They had been trying to catch us all morning but we had hiked faster than anticipated and they missed us at the road crossings. Don brought us some drinks and I mixed up some Gatorade with the bottled water he gave me. He handed us a couple of Snickers bars each and then brought out a big Rubbermaid container of hiker goodies. We were actually able to resupply with enough food to get us to Harper’s Ferry with the stash. Then we walked into the wayside and paid a fortune for lunch of a bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, and a blackberry shake. Blackberry has to be my new favorite flavor for ice cream now. Nick came down to the wayside, we had somehow passed him as he was in front of us throughout the Shenandoahs. We told him of our crazy DC plans and he thought it was a cool idea and decided to join us. Another hiker came down the trail who we had never met and asked us, “Hey, are you the guys blazing through the Shenandoahs?” I guess we are. While eating lunch a bunch of tourists started gathering down the way taking pictures of something. That something, we learned, was a mother bear and her two cubs. We were able to catch a glimpse of them running off into the woods as the tourists chased them with their cameras.

PM: Spoon, Nick, and I departed the wayside with full bellies, intent on making it to Front Royal. The trail was pretty good to us like much of the rest of the Shenandoahs with gentle hills and descents. Then the sky got dark and opened up with furious anger. Within minutes we were all completely soaked and slogging upstream. It went on to rain for almost two hours until we finally made it to the park boundary. Sadly there was nothing other than a small sign to mark our accomplishment and then a slippery climb down some sharp rocks. We stopped for a moment at the next shelter, just past the boundary, to take a look at the guidebook and rest our feet. This shelter was more elaborate than we were used to as it had a front porch with a railing and a loft overhang for gear. Too bad we couldn’t stay for long. Next stop was US 522 and Front Royal. When we got to the road crossing we dropped our packs and stuck out our thumbs. I was worried that as three wet and dirty hikers we might not have much of a chance getting the hitch and be stuck on the side of the road for hours. Luckily a woman with her dog came down to the road from the other side of the trail and offered us a ride into town. She dropped us at the Scottish Inn, (run by Indians) that she couldn’t really recommend, but it was cheap and that’s what we like. I went into the office to inquire about rates and stood at the desk while the lady talked on the phone for another 5-7 minutes and I just wanted to yell, “I’ve hiked almost 30 miles to get here, get OFF the phone and hand me a key to a room with soft beds!” Anyway, I eventually got that key and when you split a room three ways it’s pretty darn cheap, so I was happy. We showered and cleaned up the best we could and collected our clothes to go do laundry next to this pizza and subs place up the street. When we got to the strip of shops we found out that it was more of a dry cleaners than a laundromat so we simply moved on to the food. First up was a pepperoni pizza for everyone to snack on while we waited for our foot-long subs. I found some hints of WiFi and stepped outside to check email and…wait for it…show times at the local theatre for ‘Transformers’. There was a show starting at 9:30pm so I went back inside with the news, Nick ordered another sub to go, and we headed out to the movie theatre. We purchased tickets and then I did something I had never done in a theatre, I walked up stairs to the movie. It was a much smaller room than I was used to with a much smaller screen and frankly too much bass. Despite those small things it was a dazzling display of computer and technical effects and if that wasn’t enough to melt your mind, the explosions certainly were. Optimus Prime rocked my socks and then we staggered back to the room after midnight for some much needed sleep.

Spoon writes:
The morning was sunny and cool. Across the railroad at US 11 a tent was set up in the middle of the trail with stuff strewn all about. On the inside were two hikers, a man and a woman, sleeping in the nude. We decided to pass as quietly as we could. Before we knew it we were five miles out at Fullhardt Knob Shelter. Two other ’sectioners’ were there and told us about the rain purification water system around the back. We also got a kick out of the 12/1985 Playboy at the shelter and it’s sections on ‘future tech’. We didn’t stay long though. The terrain was gradual, more so than expected. At the next shelter we had lunch alongside several other thru-hikers. We were as surprised at their starting dates as they were with ours. We met Cookied a cute girl with sandy blond braids and blue eyes and MamawiPod and Hazard blasted Led Zeppelin. Mamaw had an ‘eargasm’. The lunch was very enjoyable but we were soon done and looking to get water at the spring ahead. While pumping, a large was fun with a jellyfish tattoo on her arm. She tried cunningly to get us to take some trash for her, but failed. Lunch was aided by a guy having speakers for an crayfish attacked the end of the pump. Once filled we again ran into everyone from lunch. Traveling up the trail, we saw signs of Two Pack and SP. Just before hitting the BRP we saw SP on her phone. She told us where she was going to stay, but we were going farther.

We traced the scenic parkway for a bit and after a while we ran across everyone from lunch again. “Cheater cheater pumkin eater!” I cried as they threw me an apple. The welcome magic led to a short break as the view was perfect and as was the weather.

Onward we trudged along the parkway. We ran across some bikers but didn’t talk to them. Soon we were climbing up, but that didn’t slow our pace. The ridge was more exposed and hotter and buggier. Coming down we found the shelter we were supposed to stay in that night and pushed forward to Jennings Creek. About a mile from the road we heard rustlings and a small bear poked his head around the way. We were quiet, trying to get a picture, but it proved elusive and too quick for us.

The creek was beautiful and we walked the short distance to Middle Creek campsite. We found comfort at the first covered picnic tables there. I pumped water and we ate trail nachos in the dark. We hung our food and went to bed on top of the tables.

I tossed and turned all night. Nothing seemed to put me in a good sleep. So when the morning came, I was very groggy. I saw Hazard get up to the privy and I shuffled out of my bag to get the food bags down from the trees.

I unwrapped my Poptarts to get the chocolate milkshake pair. As Hazard came out, he did the same and we looked ahead at the day after which we wrote our journals in the morning light. We packed up and headed uphill. The trail was good condition wise and we quickly came up to Bryant’s Ridge Shelter. The trail split and I looked up to see a mansion. This shelter was massive and beautiful. We could still smell the fire from the previous night. We checked the register to find that Tuesday was trying to get off the trail! This was sad to see, as we were trying to catch her.

In the privy was written “Some come here to sit and think. Some come here to shit and stink. I come here to play with my balls and write dumb shit upon the walls.”, (*editor’s note – Spoon, remember your grandma reads this site… perhaps you need to self edit?) we got a kick out of that. We left to face a brutal uphill, Floyd Mountain. The climb was difficult but as spirits improve, so does the trail. We ate lunch before the next push at Cornelius Creek Shelter. We again read that Tuesday may in fact stay on the trail! The note in the shelter warned of a skunk. Hardee and his eventful day made for interesting conversation. A lof of hearts get broken out here and he was a good example. His girlfriend cheated on him while he was on the trail, so he was probably heading back home, even though she protested.

The climb up to Apple Orchard was tall but generally easy. I was intrigued with what appeared to be a giant soccer ball looming from the top of the mountain. It turned out to be an old radar tower still in use and I was tempted to dump my trash from the previous night. Fearing ‘prosecution under law’, I decided to wait on it.

A quick stroll down the trail was the ‘guillotine’. An impressive rock formation made for a great photo opportunity. We worked our way down to Thunder Hill Shelter. No word of Tuesday. The rest was flat and dodged along the parkway. Approaching the Thunder Ridge overlook we heard voices and said a passing hello to some people climbing on the boulders. At the lookout was a man with a blond mullet who identified himself as Alex. After a quick conversation we dumped our trash in the parking lot and he gave us water and bananas. They were a great treat but the bugs were horrible.

Downhill we went until the hurt at High Cock Knob – 800 ft up in about a mile with a false peak. But that was the last peak of the day. As we pulled into the campgrounds two tents and three people were setting up. Turtleback didn’t talk much but Curio and Knees were friendly. We built a fire and wrote our journals after topping off our water. It was early enough and to try to control the bugs, the flames got higher. It didn’t do much good and after dinner went to bed. I slept on the hammock and Hazard slept underneath.

It turned out to be another sleepless night. My legs were stiff from the hammock and it sunk down during the night. Waking up earlier than usual we went for the food. I feared going hungry later for breakfast when the cereal ran out. Everyone left before we did.

The hiking was fast and we caught up to everyone. We took a quick break at Matts Creek Shelter, a beautiful site with a little stream with swimming holes in front. We read in the journal about a ‘Punch’ at Punchbowl Shelter for St. John the Evangelist day. An exciting proposition considering that was our site tonight. I suggested to Hazard we go into Glasgow or Big Spring for lunch and resupply breakfast. We crossed over the footbridge. Under the bridge were three men fishing and a Rottweiler dog. I passed them on the way to the road and the dog barked at my legs which made me jump and run. One of the men was a big stereotypical redneck; only wearing overalls and a straw hat and barely was understandable.

The hitch was impossible. NO one wanted to stop for us and it only got worse when the other 3 came down. After 45 minutes and after Knees and Curio left we reluctantly asked the fishermen. They agreed and took us to Glasgow. “Blink and you would have missed it”. We ate at CC’s gas station and picked up some cereal and other sweets at the Dollar General.

Outside CC’s were 3 cute thru-hikers, Sarah, Shannon, and Kelly. These were the folks who were going to throw the party later. Eventually we needed to go back up to the trail but ended up stranded. The girls got a hitch in five minutes. The rest of us called a $7 per person shuttle.

The climb up was long and soon enough we caught up to the girls, one of whom was sick from eating too much. The party would have to be put on hold. Up, up, up. I grunted at some day hikers coming down the hill as I was out of breath. Finally the peaks slow and we are treated to a great view. We could even see Apple Orchard and the radar tower from yesterday which gives us a lot of perspective.

More climbing after the rocks. A steep down leads to a pond and the shelter. It was small and just south of it on the bald was a memorial to a child who had wandered off and his body was found at that spot. At the shelter there was a grave reading only RIP. We were the first ones there and set up camp. It was small so we waved room for the others. The bugs came in droves so we applied Deet which didn’t seem to help much.

People came into camp and Croc built a fire. Everyone set up tents to ward off the bugs. I let Knees borrow my filter because the water was yellow. To our surprise the girls showed up after all. After dinner at the table I joined them near the fire while Hazard stayed in the shelter and wrote in his journal.

It was good conversation and they shared some of their food and pudding with me. Jokes were told around the pit as the fire burned down. I thought of all my regrets of the past and jumped over the coals as was tradition on St. John’s day. The fire was cleansing and I went off to sleep. I woke up in the night because of a spider biting Hazard’s toe, but until the morning it was sweet dreams.

We woke up early this morning. The sleep was good but the bugs were starting. Lazily we took down our food bags and ate, glad to have gone into town now. My pump was being difficult and I might need to get a new filter in Waynesboro. Hazard had spider bites all over his feet. We packed up and got everyone’s information and left. It wasn’t long before we were making good time. The trail was nice and down. Just before the shelter was a sign regarding the old community of freed slaves and the part about the ash cakes just made me hungry. Instead of lunch at the road as planned we ate at the shelter because of the water source. The scenery was nice and Knees and Curio soon caught up with us.

We took our time and ate the rest of the mini Oreos. The hike ahead wasn’t going to be easy. Soon we packed up and went up the hill to US 60. Picnic tables dotted a pull in and we dumped our garbage. Just as we about to move on a car came around the corner. ‘Wait a minute’. An elderly couple sprang out with their two grand kids. To our surpriseGatorade and peaches. One of the kids eyes widened in reaction to how far we’ve gone. They picnicked and gave us a few bites of salami and Swiss cheese. A SOBO came down and joined us for the magic and conversation. they made a beeline right to us. ‘Oh this is good’. The y introduced themselves and offered us

The climb began but was built up so much it was psychologically easier. The next stop was in the dip after the hill, just a mile beyond the 800 mile mark. We took video and were happy to see only 10 miles to go. Up again and through some balds around and down to the next sign. 5.5 to go! We were making great time. But the next few were brutally boring. The longest few miles of the trail so far. Into the shelter a fire was already going. Pacer and Mayagues were one foot in bed. The spring was piped and I didn’t even filter the water. We ate dinner and went to bed without much event. While falling asleep, I mused on the robin’s egg I had seen on the trail earlier in the day. With as rough as our days are, it was interesting to see something so fragile.

The two men in the shelter made quite a bit of noise getting up early. Plastic grocery bags are much noisier than dry bags and they put that on display. We were awake though and ate a lazy breakfast in our bags. We packed up as the bugs became rampant. Mentally preparing for the Priest was the hardest part of the ascent. I suppose we buit it up in our heads a lot. On the way up, a deer and her aging fawn casually lingered off the trail. Soon we caught up to the folks in the shelter and passed them with ease.

We barely realized we summited until we were going down. Eventually we went to the river and saw two fly fishermen angrily coming up the hill. The fish had all left because of two girls playing in the river while their grandmother and mom set up the picnic on the riverbank. To us it was a good call and we ate a double lunch on the boulders above. The little girls made me nostalgic for my childhood and it came to me that life didn’t need to be complicated and dramatic when we get home.

The women left and we asked them to take our trash. Getting ready for Three Ridges, we filled up water among the numerous tadpoles and guppies. The long up hill began and only got steeper. Eventually it became a cliff and straight vertical climb. A heat wave came and so did the humidity. By the top of the cliffs I was drenched and rung out my shirt. I took my pack off to help ventilate my back and cool down. Hazard didn’t come up for another 30 minutes. By that time I was relaxed and we soon pushed the summit. There wasn’t much to show for that end.

It was gradual at first on the way down, but then I cursed how steep the slope became and the rocks. I took my next break at the entrance park sign again among the bugs. I tripped on the way down and banged my left knee on the ground. It hurt, but it wasn’t terrible. Hazard came and it was another 7 miles to Dripping Rock on the BRP. The rain began to drizzle and pack covers went on but luckily it didn’t downpour. The rain ended as soon as it began.

It did however make the rocks slick as snot. On the flat road we made good time and I ate wild blackberries along the way. While off the road I slipped again and ground my right knee along a boulder. I took a step .5 miles from the road at a beautiful sunset view. Hazard was soon to follow. Enjoying the view, we made jokes and lightened our spirits. A couple came to enjoy a picnic and the view. The man took pictures of us and we went to the road.

Their car was parked and Iceman was hitching next to it. Cattywampus had already gotten a ride to the nearby hostel, Rusty’s Hardtime Hollow. We too decided to go there to escape the bugs. A woman pulled up and was cautious to give us a ride. “Ma’am, we are as cautious of you as you are of us”. She let us in and tensions slowly melted.

Six miles down we entered Rusty’s and were greeted by hilarious signs on the trees. We went into the kitchen and made good use of the unlimited free snacks and cold sodas. Rusty was hilarious and we were in good company. We sat and caught up with Wheels, Iceman and Cattywampus. Soon we retreated to the barn where Hazard and Catty attempted to play ping pong. Abandoning that from the dark, the good conversation continued until we went laughing to sleep. Cowboy movies played in the background as we heard Rusty watching them late into the night.

Out here a dirty attic with gnats is still better than the trail and we slept soundly until 7:30am. Iceman and Catty left early. Hazard and I ate breakfast and waited until 9:00am when Rusty would take us back to Dripping Rock. He fed us pancakes with blueberries and I pounded a few more oatmeal cream cookies. On the way into the kitchen, Rusty came real close and spoke to me, “I want you to come back here and talk to me.” “Why is that Rusty?”, “I just think you are a cool person. I have thousands of hikers come through here and there are very few that you just get that feeling with.” It was inspiring and felt good. It is stuff like that which keeps us on the trail.

-Spoon

Spoon writes:
Entering into Pearisburg, we sought refuge from the rain. The nearest motel offered an awning and showed us the way into town. I offered to pitch for Hazard’s portion of the room at the Plaza Motel because of his birthday. We hitched a ride with a woman and her son who had just finished baseball practice. The Plaza was nice and right across the street from groceries. We checked in and gave the keeper our laundry. We hung up everything and took the insoles out of our boots and filled them with newspapers. The next order of business was to try to find a solution to the bugs that had been plaguing us. Off to the Walmart! At least we tried. We walked up the highway for a mile or two just as the book told us. On the cusp of town, I decided this was too far and stuck out my thumb. Soon enough a man stopped for us. “There isn’t a Walmart up there for another 19 miles. There is one back behind you about 2 miles.” He was then nice enough to turn around and take us to it. We went in and to our surprise saw Patch there. We caught up a bit; he was waiting for a pair of boots to come into the local hostel. He had been there for days. I asked him to come to lunch with us, but he refused and we headed across the street to eat some fast food.

We eventually decided to resupply at the Walmart just because it was so convenient and cheap. We got everything we needed including bug spray and a note pad for me. Having no idea how to get back, we stopped some people in the Walmart parking lot and asked them to give us a ride. They did reluctantly, but at least they did. Once back, celebration was in order. The Food Lion across the street filled us up with the milk, ice cream, cookies, and German chocolate cake that we needed. The rest of the night was all a matter of sitting around and eating until our gluttony forced us to sleep.

‘Beep Beep Beep’, the alarm on my clock was ignored as we slept in at the Plaza Motel. Warm milk and oreos and a mostly eaten chocolate cake sat on the table; remnants of the previous night. Groggy, we woke up around 9:30am and flipped the tele on to the weather channel. Rainstorms today, but only 30% chance tomorrow. I began repackaging food to try to get moving. It was the normal stuff, but included doughnut sticks and even more candy bars than ever. It took us a while to get moving but we finally left around 10:30am, a late start. Mistaking the turn, we went down the highway for a bit and got our bearings in the right. Once we were actually on the trail, it was about 11:00am and we walked the winding road out.

The weight began to take its toll. My legs began to shake and I quickly realized I was carrying far too much. I groaned uphill and I dropped the pack. Right in the middle of the trail, I left 4 Snickers and a jar of Nutella. We ate 2 king sized candy bars, not left in the pile. After that things weather wise became worse.

Thunder cracked above us and then the rain came. The downpour was mostly caught by the canopy but we still got soaked. The drops on the grass last much longer than the rain and that is what turns the boots into bathtubs. Over the balds, we only saw white clouds. Sufficiently soaked, the day continued to mist. The ridge leveled out.

A warm breeze powered over us and improved moral and dried us out a little. Wisps of blue hit the sky and a few hikers passed us going SOBO. One had a dog chase him for a mile down the hill. Gypsy Rose’s dog was in trouble when we hit the bald where she was camping. It barked more as we left. Continuing down the hill the peepers came out (tree frogs) and called to each other. As we went downhill the creek turned into a waterfall and red newts came up out of the ground. Eventually we found the top of the Pine Swamp Branch Shelter. Ted was already settled in with his two, not friendly, dogs. We ate some Oreos and cheese puffs then cooked dinner. Ted was a talkative guy and kept us entertained throughout our stay there.

To try to control the inevitable gnats, it took a while to get the fire going, but eventually it went and put out some heat. With the rain that day, the fire was very welcome.

The next day, the clouds settled in over the valley ominously. The trail winded down in the morning and then back up until a massive drop down to War Spur Shelter. Along the trail, the last remaining Boy Scout troop still selling Liberty war bonds hiked alongside the trail. It seemed as if we’d had just as many questions for them as they had for us. Eventually we moved on. The sky stayed ominous but the rain had staved off for the day! More down hill until a swell in the trail before Sarver Hollow Shelter. The trail switchbacked many times and just as we were maybe losing hope on getting to the bottom, it appeared. It seemed almost new and was massive with a great view. It was nearing dark but we wanted a fire to ward off the bugs. I gathered wood as Hazard tried to get ignition. It didn’t do much good as the sticks were mostly wet. I faded to sleep, full and happy while Hazard fanned the flames.

I woke up and we ate breakfast lazily in our sleeping bags. The sun came in and eventually we started waking up more. Up the switchbacks until Hazard realized I had forgotten my hat. I trudged back down and met him at the top of the hill. Down at first, but then the trail turned up to the Audie Murphy monument. Three miles up well groomed but steep enough trail. It never seemed to end and I was soaked enough in sweat to ring out my pants at the top. We were comforted to see a bench at the trail crossing near the summit and we decided it was a good enough place to eat lunch. Slightly recharged, but still exhausted, we moved on and went up to the monument. The plane that killed this war hero crashed near here and a granite monument was in place. Hikers had piled flat rocks high near the place to show their respect and we did the same.

A gradual trail down a ridge led us to what was called the Dragon’s Tooth. This rocky ridge led up for another eternity. The trail led over giant boulders and we crawled hand over foot to eventually reach a cliff where we stopped to enjoy some refreshing candy bars. But we still had more climbing to do. Eventually the top emerged and a sign led off to the summit of Dragon’s Tooth. We wanted nothing to do with it and we descended down a flat rocky cliff with iron ladders forced into the rock. To our surprise, people were coming up from SOBO to day hike the thing and we couldn’t imagine why someone would want to do that.

Night fell as we neared the VA 311. I made out a small muddy trail and I simply wanted to get down. The mud sucked my leg in to past my boot, and I fell on my pack. I headed over to the streetlight and Hazard found the easier path down. After a bit of waiting, a police car came up. Office Josh came out and greeted us. He gave us some tips on what to do, most of which was useless being as late as it was. He filled us up on water and suggested we go to the Catawba Center where there was a picnic table that we could sleep on. I asked if he could give us a ride and he ferried us one at a time because there was a K9 unit in the back. Once on the grounds, we met Dave a cross country bicycler who had started in Oregon a few months ago and was 4 days from completion. We ate dinner and went to bed just as fast.

We woke up the next morning and Dave was almost packed up. His bike was covered in yellow water proof bags and he was easy to spot as he cycled away after some quick conversation. We packed up our things and went to the corner store and enjoyed some quick Gatorade’s. We asked some locals to give us a ride and luckily they were familiar with AT hikers and gladly assisted. Up to the same spot we were the previous night and the trail was gradual. We were awestruck when we came upon the McAfee Knob. It was a massive rock overhang and we enjoyed taking numerous pictures, some specifically designed to frighten Hazard’s mother. Up again to the Tinker Cliffs where we had our lunch. We took video in the bushes because the wind was blowing out the microphone. The trail wrapped around the cliffs and provided some of the most beautiful views of the trail and we could see the valley where we would end the night the entire way. Once off the cliffs, everyone said the trail was easy, but it was actually very rocky and mostly uphill. At the third power line, we enjoyed our first helping of wild blueberries and from then on I was hooked.

Downhill until the trail leveled out just before US 220 and our stop at Daleville, VA. My friend Charlene lives in Daleville and she invited us to stay with her parents. I felt a bit like I was imposing because she was away at a wedding, but I had met her mother before and they were very welcoming. We had some Icees at the gas station while waiting for our ride to show up. Mama Ava pulled up and took us away. Coming in the door we smelled fried chicken warming in the oven and we walked upstairs to the bedroom. Quick showers and we were treated to some real home cooking. We relaxed for the night and went to bed early watching the television in the room sharing a bed.

We woke up around 9:00am the following morning and breakfast was cooking. The homemade biscuits and sausage gravy was delicious and Charlene’s dad heckled us for sleeping so late. The next step was to get to a computer. We went over to Charlene’s aunt’s home where she had a computer she was willing to let us use. It was a beautiful home and we spotted a gorgeous 1961 Ford Starliner. Charlene’s uncle gave us the rundown about it’s restoration and it took our minds off the trail for a bit. It took time to get all the photos loaded, but minutes turned into hours and soon it became 4:00pm in the afternoon.

Not wanting to pass on the wonderful hospitality we decided to stay another night. Mama Ava fixed pot roast for dinner and we ate well then went up to the bedroom for the rest of the night.

Charlene’s dad woke us up the next morning wondering if we were going to sleep all day. It was only 8:00am and we do not lose time on a mattresses if we can help it. We packed our backpacks and headed down stairs. Mama Ava and Charlene’s dad were watching television and they let us know about the biscuit in the kitchen. After eating those and some cereal we said goodbye to the dad. As we drove off with Mama Ava she mentioned, “I think he likes it when you stay here.” We pulled up to the trail head and exchanged hugs and kisses and gave gratitude. After which the hike began.

-Spoon

Spoon writes:
The resupply at Atkins was all about healing ourselves. We trudged into the Relax Inn and met the innkeeper. He gave us our room key and we were out just as soon as we were in. Back on the road trying to hitchhike to the grocery store was difficult. After about 45 minutes of waiting around we moved to asking people at the nearby gas station and soon enough, someone gave us a lift in the back of their car.

The Atkins Grocery was more or less a poorly supplied convenience store with their hiker items priced way over value. It was our most expensive resupply to date. We grumbled about the prices and quickly got a ride back to the Relax Inn. The rest of the day was spent recovering from the morning. We got newspapers to stuff in our boots to help dry them out and put them next to the air conditioner to get air moving. For dinner, we hiked up to a restaurant/barn and ate a good supper. We then moved on back and began our recharge ritual of laying around and watching television.

The next day we needed to get moving. Fortunately for us the weather took a massive turn for the better and forecasts were in the clear for the next week. We walked the ridge out of Atkins that morning through some private farm fields which gave us a nice view of the town and we mused on the idea of hiking this in the rain. Uphill and uphill we went the whole day. The last few miles of the uphill rewarded us with one of the best view we had seen in a while. Chestnut Knob was all long grass and balds until the summit. The woods grew and the trail became a bit muddy. It came upon us all of the sudden; a large stone building that was to be our shelter for the night. It was a warm and welcome site. The water source was backtracked about a half a mile down the trail and we began to cook our dinner of gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Sal was surprisingly at the same shelter along with some other folk. We set up inside and enjoyed being out of the elements entirely for the day.

Someone snored that night very oddly and it woke everyone up a few times. It would start up loud and seemingly wake the person up enough that he would stop. It didn’t bother me much, but I heard Sal complaining a lot that night. Sal woke up early that next morning as usual and left early. Hazard and I were the second ones to go. We rolled off the wood platforms and ate our Poptarts and cereal and moved out. The sun comes up early this time of the summer and was bright in the sky before we opened the door to the shelter. The trail was ridge and we were a bit tired going out.

Downhill was rocky, but on the way up some angels came up the trail. “Are you thru-hikers?” They then gave us some blueberry and peanut butter chip pancakes they had made that morning and some bacon. We gobbled it up and I am going to have to remember that combination. She also gave us some cheese sticks which we stuffed in our packs for the dinner that night. We thanked them and prepared to get water at a source off the trail at the bottom. It was a rocky descent and the forest road to the spring was very muddy. Onward we went until we hit a long road. At the end of the road was a styrofoam cooler and trash bag. Melted ice filled the cooler and all there was was a small plastic bag of Nature Valley bars and a bible. We ate the new magic and soon enough a man pulled off the road to refill the cooler with fresh supplies. The grape Gatorade was warm… The man apologized,”They would be cool if I was on time.” “I think you’re right on time”, we replied. Up the hill a little bit until a long side trail led us to the shelter for the night.

The morning came in bright and we were glad to be alone. The bugs had come up again that night, and I thought it was a good idea to use the hammock as a bug net. I slept comfortably and it was the most satisfying sound in the world to hear the frustration of the bugs that weren’t able to reach me. Morning also brought decision time. We had been reading the pamphlets about Wood’s Hole Hostel many shelters back and it seemed like ‘the hostel’ to go to. But that would have made it a 30 mile day. We thought we would decide when we reached our proposed destination for the night. At lunch a crossword puzzle left at the shelter kept our interest for longer than it should have, relaxing for longer than normal. At the Wapiti Shelter, it was time to make the call. It was still early enough and we wanted to make the next 6 miles to the hostel to enjoy ourselves a bit. It would put us closer to Pearisburg for Hazard’s birthday the next day as well.

We walked farther and the trail became much rockier, slowing our progress considerably. The rhododendron shrubs blocked out more light until night fell and everything was black. We tripped and stumbled over the jagged boulders until the road intersection occurred. I waited for Hazard and from what I had remembered in the daylight, we were supposed to make a right at the fork. We traveled up and up, each of us not wanting to be the ones who quits just before the hostel. We stopped at the top of the mountain, 2 miles up the road when it split. Clearly we had made a mistake. Back down we went and to the sign. We were supposed to make a left!

Truly dispirited at this point, we were exhausted as we came around the corner to the warm lights of Wood’s Hole. The doors open and three dogs came at us full speed. Quickly thinking, I shouted “Are the friendly?” “Yes! Very!”, replied the cool voice of Neville. We were at ease but exhausted. Neville brought us some of their dinner they had made that night and was shocked to hear of our mileage that day. Roast chicken and broccoli with homemade bread, although cold, felt so warm to us simply because of the generosity she showed in doing that. We went to bed in the barn soon afterwards.

We woke up to the breakfast bell the next morning. All of the other hikers there rounded up and we ate pancakes and shared the story of what had happened last night. I helped Neville with the dishes and Hazard reminded me that it was his birthday. Neville was surprised to hear that and offered us free Internet for the day. We began uploading pictures to the web, which took a long time. In the meantime, we were recruited into helping with the yard work. Work on a backwoods hostel usually consists of ‘move this pile of wood over there’, which is exactly what we did. After that it started to rain a little and One Step offered his stash of Ramen noodles for lunch. Neville spiced it up with some left over soup and veggies and we feasted. Best Ramen I’ve ever eaten. As a surprise, Neville brought out ice cream and cookies for Hazard’s birthday. It truly was a great lunch and we were refreshed by the lemonade Neville made and the dipping sauce Michael, her fiance, made for the bread.

The rain continued and One Step took a nap. About an hour later it cooled off enough to work more on moving dirt into a garden around the house. One Step proclaimed ‘I can hear that grass growing’ as they were trying to grow grass on the other side of their house. Michael seemed a bit bossy, but only wanted things done right. “That spot is too muddy. It needs to be on an incline.” To which I said, “Solution to mud, add more mud.” That seemed to really stick with Neville and it was analogous for her and the trek we were making.

At about 6:30pm all the pictures had finished and we decided to take another zero day at Wood’s Hole because of how late it was. Dinner was being prepared and Hazard took over in the kitchen. The burgers and fresh home made buns were fantastic. Michael offered me a beer for helping out that day. I put it in the freezer to give it a quick chill and I forgot about it until the morning. For a blessing we were asked to name one thing we were thankful for. Mine was ‘clean hands’. We went to bed just as soon as dinner was over.

In the morning, we had a double dose of breakfast- Biscuits and pancakes. Each of which were fantastic. I went in the kitchen to see the frozen beer explosion and I cleaned it out thoroughly. Soon enough we were ready to leave. We couldn’t be trapped for another day. We settled our bill with Wood’s Hole, being surprisingly small because of the work/stay we did. We thanked Neville and Michael and were on our way in the late morning.

The trail was easy, but it had rained earlier that day. The entire morning was rain in fact, but we left when it had died down a bit. Still we got wet, but we were in high spirits as we went down into Pearisburg.

-Spoon