Pamola's Quest - Push 13 - The Push to Rockfish Gap- Part 2

The Push to Rockfish Gap, VA (Push 13) - Part 2

I had four days left to finish the Push and Phase III.  I was ready to get off trail and see what was up with my shoulder.  I was also looking forward to all the Other World delights that are so rare or non-existent out here.  I would see another long day in these last couple of days, but it would be sandwiched in by shorter days that contained their own challenges.

Day 407 - 18.5 miles - Bobblets Gap Shelter
Day 408 - 14.6 miles - Hilltop campsite
Day 409 - 12.3 miles - Harrison Spring Camp
Day 410 - 13.1 miles - John Hollow Shelter
Day 411 - 18.3 miles - Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Day 412 - 15.8 miles - Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Day 413 - 20.4 miles - Maupin Field Shelter
Day 414 - 15.8 miles - Paul C. Wolf Shelter
Day 415 - 5.0 - Rockfish Gap

Rain and Fog

I was up and out early again as I had a 2700 foot challenge early on and I wanted to get it done before the day heated up.  I could also feel that there was some weather approaching and I would see some interesting stuff before I arrived in camp.

The climb was well switchbacked and I was up and over it before too long.  The top of Cole Mountain opened up into meadows and fields.  It was completely socked in and I moved along as if I was in a dream.  It was eerie and pretty cool.  I could hear hikers approaching from the north, but didn't see them until they were about 20 feet away.  Visibility was pretty much zero up there.  

Fog starting to clear

I came down to Hog Pen Gap and decided to eat an early lunch and get some water down the easy .3 trail.  I saw Freight Train in his tent there.  He was zeroing in his tent as the day was looking like it was going to turn nasty and his knee was bothering him.  

I ate lunch with another guy who had stopped.  I decided to try making a cup of cold coffee at lunch to see if it would help with my afternoon tiredness that I had been feeling the last couple of days.  It seemed to help and I would continue this practice for the rest of the hike.  When I went down to get water, I saw a guy camping at a nice site that wasn't far from the spring.  He asked about the weather forecast and I just said I didn't know for sure, but it looked like rain.  

As I rolled along the day, I was moving up a fairly easy climb when I heard a hello from behind.  It was eWolf, who I though had moved well ahead of me by now, but him and Handstand had gone into Buena Vista for the night, so I had moved ahead again.  

He mentioned that he had walked through some nettles and had taken some hits on his legs.  He also mentioned that he had heard of a plant that he thought was called Forget Me Not that would help.  I told him about Jewelweed, aka Touch Me Not and looked down to see a plant at my feet.  I picked one and showed home how to crush the stalk and apply the juice.  He did so and moved on.  It felt good to pass on some woods lore.  

The rain started a little after noon and lasted the rest of the day.  I walked for a couple of miles without my rain gear.  It feels good at first, especially on a hot day, but after an hour or so of steady downpour, my core starts to get cold.  So eventually, I stopped and put on my rain gear over my soaked shirt, just to keep warm.

I arrived into camp and stopped at the shelter for a second.  Everyone who had come in already was snug in their down, trying to get warm again.  They all had that thousand yard stare.  After a short rest, I went behind the shelter and found two good trees.  I had to put up my tarp first so my hammock wouldn't get too wet, then I just slowly got out of my wet clothes, into dry stuff and made my dinner under the tarp.  The warm meal helped and I was snug in my down early and happy to be there.  

I fell asleep early as tomorrow was another 20 mile day.  I needed my rest for that. 

Last Long Day

The rain continued off and on all night and the morning dawned cold.  It was hard getting out of the down, but I had a long day planned and I needed to get moving to warm up.  I ate a quick breakfast and packed up fast and was out before 0700.

The first climb wasn't too bad at all.  The Trail made its way up to the Priest Shelter, where I took a break.  After reading the other hikers confessions in the log, I added my own private confession.  

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned...

During the next climb, I used a new tactic to keep my mind off the effort.  I made a story up in my mind, slowly adding to it as I made my way up the mountain.  It diverted my attention and just as the story ended in my head, I was at the top of the mountain.  I no longer remember exactly what that story was, but it was interesting to me at the time.  

For the last few days I have been seeing the little puffs of fluff pass me and then disappear.   They remind me of the small puffy seed pods I remember chasing as a kid that we called Santa Clauses.  These though, appeared to be self locomoting.  The funny thing is I would see them for about a half of a second and then they would disappear.  It was weird.  I started calling them Forest Fairies.  Eventually I was able to follow one until it landed and saw that it was an insect with long legs and small wings.  They were another cool distraction.

When I was about seven miles from the shelter, I came to a sign at a blue blaze trail that showed that it was only three miles to the shelter if I went that way.  I stood and thought about not climbing Three Ridges, but even though I have taken bypasses before for various reasons, I don't take short cuts just to walk less miles.  I continued on, following the white blazes and I climbed that mountain.  I was doing this 20.

I arrived in camp tired but feeling accomplished.  I had finished my last long day of this Phase.  I found some nice trees and set up and then went and talked to a hiker who was in the shelter.  She was Begonia and was heading south, trying to get to Tennessee.  She had been forced to take a long break in Waynesboro at Stanimals because of a tooth problem.  The same thing that had plagued Snoboat.  Having an injured shoulder sucked, but I think a tooth problem would be worse.  

There was a bear pole here, so for the first time in quite a while I didn't sleep with my food.  I know some people have a fit when they hear you are doing that, but my theory is if I surround my food smell with my rank human smell, the bear knows I'm there and will leave me and my food alone and will go look for something easier, like a poorly hung food bag.  Judge if you must, but that is how I roll.  

It had been a long day and dusk was settling on the camp as I finished dinner and headed to my hammock.  Two other hikers came in who I had been behind for several days and had passed earlier in the day during one of the climbs.  They were Buddha and BuddhaPest.  The pest was Buddha's sister.  They were an older couple who liked to take their time, hence my catching them after several days of seeing their entries on the log books. 

Tomorrow was going to be a normal day of around 15 miles.  The hard, long days were done.

A Happy Surprise

There were a few sprinkles off and on again overnight, but the morning was cloudy and calm.  I packed up and headed out.  Over the last few days, as my schedule firmed up, I had made plans with LoGear for her to meet me in Waynesboro in two days to pick me up.  Luckily, it had fallen on her days off.  I spent the day thinking about seeing my bride again in just two day's time.   Each of my texts to her as I  checked in was counting the sleeps I had until I saw her.  I was really missing my bride. 

The Trail today had a lot of rocks and the humidity and previous rain made them sweaty and slick.  I had to be extra careful as I moved through them to make sure I didn't fall again and compound the injury to my shoulder.  I just took my time and made it through no problem. I was in no hurry.

I ate lunch at a nice view that looked across the valley to a large ski resort named Wintergreen.  It was a good view.  Afterwards as me and a few other groups leapfrogged each other coming down Humpback Mountain we all needed water at the only spring on the way down.  We all gathered around and helped each other find the best flow to fill our bottles.  

Wintergreen

One of the hikers I met today was Dog Whisperer.  On the way down the last descent of the day, I saw him talking on his phone, so I decided to check for signal and texts from LoGear.  The last text I had sent here was to let me know what time she left the next day so I could figure the time she would arrive.  I had good signal and a weird text from LoGear.  She said that she would arrive around 6, with hoagies, so don't eat.  

I was confused, so I called her.  The smart girl had decided to drive out a day early and hike into the last shelter, where I was just 1.5 miles away from.  And she was bringing FOOD! She had just arrived in Waynesboro and was trying to figure out where the visitor center was next to the trail at the bottom of Shenandoah.  No more sleeps until I would see her!  There were tears of joy.  

I practically ran to camp and set up.  Now that we were a couple again, I had to find four trees that would work for our hammocks.  I found some spots and put my tarp at one spot and my hammock at the other.  Saving spots.  I was excited and happy and talked with the other hikers who had come in later in the day. Fantasizing about the Hoagie I would be eating for dinner. Probably pissing them off a little as they prepared their boring backpacker fare.  

LoGear had told me not to eat, but everyone knows a hiker can eat multiple meals a day.  As it was, my food bag was almost empty, just as I wanted it to be at the end of a Push.  As I waited for her I ate the last of my salami (which had lasted all eight days) with some mayo and cheese.  It was a tasty snack.  

Emptying my food bag

Before too long, I saw her coming down the Trail and went to meet her.  I was so happy to see her and really enjoyed this surprise.  It made perfect sense.  Splitting up the multiple hours of driving over two days was always better than doing it all at once.

We ate and caught up and I shared my chips with the other hikers.  Afterward, we finished setting up and retired to our hammocks.  I fell asleep with a satisfied smile on my face.

Tomorrow we finish.

The Final Day

I slept well and rolled out as usual, heading to the privy for my morning evolution.  I wanted LoGear to sleep as long as she wanted, so I headed up to the shelter for some coffee and breakfast.  I talked to the other hikers there, Squirrel, Molasses and Smiley as I waited for LoGear to roll out.

We were all packed and ready before 0730 and started out on our last hike of the Phase.  It was an easy five miles with no hard climbs.  LoGear had made a good 3+ mph pace on the way in and we were able to duplicate that on the way out.   

LoGear, back on Trail

We were done in a little over two hours and at the road where we had entered Shenandoah the year before.  I climbed over the guard rail and went to reach the exact spot we had started at to connect the dots.

As I approached the parking lot I saw Kaleidoscope and Big Tuna getting out of a vehicle to start their day.  I went over to wish them luck and say farewell.  They asked a couple questions about what was ahead and I gave the best advice I could recall as they entered the Park.  

I went back down the road and we headed to the car.  My emotions were at a great height.  Once again, there were tears.  I had finished Phase III.  With an injured shoulder to boot.  I had now hiked 1,593.3 miles. Everything from Springer Mountain in GA to Williamstown, MA.  I only had about 600 miles to go.  

Our first priority was a shower and to put on clothes that I hadn't been wearing for weeks straight and had actually been recently laundered.  Conveniently, the YMCA offers free showers in town, so that is where we went.  

After the refreshing shower, we headed over to Mings AYCE restaurant.  Google has said it opened at 1000 and we arrived at 1030.  The doors were open and we went inside and were seated. The workers did look a little flustered tho and we saw that the only thing ready to go was the salad bar.  They actually sat us in the regular area, not the walled off hiker area.  We must not have smelled bad at all after our shower.  

I checked their website and saw that they didn't actually open until 1100, but we had some nice salads and just hung out until the other food was ready.  I had plenty of room in my belly.

Squirrel came in and at first they seated him in the hiker area, but we invited him to join us in the Other World area and he did just that.
  

Squirrel

We had a great lunch of many foods.  I can't even remember what I ate, but I went back for more several times.  

We left the restaurant full and headed home.  Three hours later, I was unpacking my pack in the basement.  I weighted it before doing so and it was only 22.6 lbs.  I wish it was that light all the time.  I was home...

Phase III Complete

Phase III was complete.  Only 597 miles left to complete my first traverse of the Trail.  My original plan was to take a couple weeks off and then head up to MA in early July and complete the last 50 days or so.  With my shoulder in the shape it was in, I was hesitant to go back out before I had it checked and if need be, fixed.  It was different hiking injured in "flat" VA, but doing VT, NH and ME with torn tendons was just asking for more pain and most likely more injury.

Before the last Push had ended, I knew Phase IV would be put on hold.  Not only did I need to get my shoulder fixed, but I freely admit I had had enough for now.  My mental fatigue was straining my senses.  I needed a longer break than the planned two or three weeks.  I had scratched my hiking itch.  

But like all itches, I know it will come back.  I was just happy to spend the rest of the summer going to the beach, seeing Ozzy, walking Ginger in the woods, going to RV shows, hanging out around the house and driving my Uber.  

Ozzy in concert

Ginger and I enjoying a fire in "our" woods

I have to admit, the itch didn't start to come back for several weeks.  I kind of put it all away for awhile.  I did check in on some of the hikers as they continued their trek up the trail, but my obsession had calmed for a bit.  

I went to the Doctor, confirming the tears in my shoulder and scheduled the surgery.  I was given a rehab estimate of six to twelve months.  I had the surgery and am on my way to a fully functioning left arm.  It has been 10 and a half weeks since the surgery and I still have a ways to go.  If I wanted to, I could put a pack on and get back out there and the itch has started to return.  But I'll wait.

Post-Op

About six weeks out

Recently, I find myself planning those last 50 days.  Going through the guide, figuring out possible daily mileages as I work my way through the Whites and into the final State of my Quest.  I will get back out there. The itch has fully returned.  Hopefully that will be July of 2019, but life has a way of taking your plans, laughing at them and then saying, "hold my beer".   

Until then, the Quest continues...


Peace,
EarthTone and LoGear

Pamola's Quest - Push 13 - The Push to Rockfish Gap- Part 1

The Push to Rockfish Gap, VA (Push 13) - Part 1

The last Push was going to be a nice challenge.  I headed out of Daleville, refreshed with a heavy pack. I technically had enough food to get me to Rockfish Gap, but I was ready to change the plan if I needed to.  This Push would be 133.8 miles and would take me nine days to complete.  It would be a mixture of long days and some not so long days, with a very short and easy day at the end.  This would complete Phase III of Pomala's Quest.

Day 407 - 18.5 miles - Bobblets Gap Shelter
Day 408 - 14.6 miles - Hilltop campsite
Day 409 - 12.3 miles - Harrison Spring Camp
Day 410 - 13.1 miles - John Hollow Shelter
Day 411 - 18.3 miles - Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Day 412 - 15.8 miles - Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Day 413 - 20.4 miles - Maupin Field Shelter
Day 414 - 15.8 miles - Paul C. Wolf Shelter
Day 415 - 5.0 - Rockfish Gap

Walking Along the Blue Ridge

Once again I confirmed that motel beds are not as comfy as my hammock as my shoulder pain made sleep a hard thing to find.  I was up early and headed out after another nice motel breakfast.  The climb out of town wasn't bad at all and I switchbacked my way up the ridge and crossed I-81 and some railroad tracks.  I made steady progress and took a break at Fullhardt Knob Shelter.  Frolic was there eating and eWolf and Handstand came in later.  I got to talk to them for a while, asking how their hike was going.  I would end up leapfrogging them all day long.  

Even though the day was going to be a long one, it wasn't too hard.  We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway a few times and got to see some nice overlooks.  The great thing about these overlooks is they usually have a trash can.  We like to be able to dump our trash as we go.  I didn't have a lot, but I made sure I had none when I walked into camp.

View

At the last overlook there was some trail magic.  Freight Train's wife and sister were there handing out snacks and sodas.  I enjoyed some of each and took a banana with me for a camp snack.  It was an awesome end of the day.  As I talked to them, they said that Freight Train had mentioned me and the water I had left him.  This was some good Karma at its best. 

I came to the blue blaze for the shelter and it was a .3 walk down hill.  I wanted the convenience of the morning  privy, abundant water and use of the table, so I headed down as the others set up camp up top.  The pickings were slim for tents and hammocks, but I found a descent hang near the shelter over a bunch of rocks.  It wasn't ideal, but it would do.  

Later some girl scouts came in and the camp had a good amount of hikers in for the night.  They were pretty good at finding places to set up.  

A New Experience

After that long day, I now had three days of what I now call short days.  All around 13 miles or so.  It's funny how your definition of long, short and regular days changes as your body adjusts to the rigors of being on trail.  When we started this Quest, a 9 mile day was a good day for us.  Now, that is considered a nearo. 

The first part of the day was nice and easy as we rolled along the Blue Ridge, with no climb being too steep.  I had planned to eat lunch at Jennings Creek as I knew the climbs were going to start after that.  I got there as eWolf and Handstand were heading out. 

I had a nice lunch and thought about taking a dip in the creek, but decided not to for some reason.  Another opportunity missed or not taken advantage of.  Oh well, I had some mountains to climb so I just got to it.

I made the one big climb of the day and headed down to Bryant Ridge Shelter, my original goal for the day.  I had read in the comments that there were not any good hanging spots and hardly any tent spaces, but that usually had not deterred me from finding a spot in the past.  

I arrived at the huge shelter and took a snack break.  I actually did set up my hammock in the shelter off to the side, just to see if I could as it had a large porch in front and to the side.  I was able to get it up, but the hang wasn't very good.  I could have moved it across the side porch to the other side for a better hang, but now I felt as if I would be intruding on other hikers use of the shelter.  Looking at the topo in Guthooks, I saw that as I climbed up the next mountain, there was a spot near the top that looked like it had a level area.  All I would have to do is find some trees.  

I decided to move on.  This was a new experience for me.  So far, during this Quest and all my hiking along the trails, I hadn't been forced to move on because I couldn't find a place to hang.  It was strange.  Even stranger, just the day before, Two Crows had asked me if I ever had trouble finding a spot to hang as planned and my answer then had been never.  That was no longer the case. 

I slowly made my way up the climb.  I was in no hurry, it was still early and I knew I wouldn't have to go too far to find a place.  Eventually, I came to the level spot and saw a perfect place to hang.  It had been used before, so I wasn't carving a place out of virgin forest.  I was just reusing a camp that had been used before.

I set up and rested in my hammock as the other hikers came by and said hello.  I had good signal up on the ridge, so I called LoGear to catch up. Later, as I was looking around I found an Deuce of Spades, an expensive cat hole digging trowel, that I had coveted, but didn't want to spend the money for.  A gift from the trail.  I packed it away and looked forward to trying it out in the morning.  

I would be alone again it the woods that night, but sometimes, there's no better place to be.  

Happy Birthday Mom

It was a peaceful night all alone in the woods and I heard Bigfoot screech early, before dawn, but I rolled out of the hammock thinking about my mother.  Today would have been her 86th birthday.  I sent a happy birthday wish out on the wind and started my day.  I would use thoughts of her to get me through the day, but it was going to be an even shorter one today, since I had to move on the day before.  I saw no reason to change the plan for today, even though I did look at my options.  

The Deuce didn't disappoint and I was on the trail early as usual.  First on the list of things to do was to find water as last night had been a dry camp.  I didn't have to go too far before I was able to follow a trail downhill to a spring.  It was a little bit of a walk, but a necessary thing to do.  

The big climb of the day was Apple Orchard Mountain.  It was fairly long and challenging, but at the top I stopped for lunch at an FAA Tower.  There were quite a few bugs around, but they didn't bother me too much.

Buggy mountain top

On the down hill I passed another feature of the Trail, the Guillotine.  It is an impressive rock feature. Not too long after passing that rock, I was rolling into camp.  It was a descent campsite with good water nearby.  It also had a lot of gnats that wanted to dive bomb your eyes, but I just retreated into my hammock to get away from them and relaxed.  The short day felt good.

The Guillotine

Looking at my food bag, I did have enough to get me to Rockfish Gap, but I was already feeling the calorie deficit.  I would feel a tiredness later in the day and my hunger was turn't up another notch.  I started thinking that a trip into Glasgow would be necessary to load up on some town calories and maybe add a few more to my food bag.  

Since tomorrow was my last short day, I would plan a Hero stop.  For me, that means getting into town, eat, resupply as needed and getting back on the trail all in the same day.  The letters h e r o didn't stand for anything, it was just something coined out here to go with Zero and Nero.  You become a Hero when you don't let the town suck you in.  

Glasgow Refuel

There was some heavy rain overnight, but it was all done in the morning with a drippy start.  My plan to get into town and get some food solidified as I moved along the Trail.  There was only one challenging climb before the long descent to the James River and the longest footbridge of the Trail.  

Along the way, I had a nice, close encounter with a deer that was using the trail, same as me.  She waited for me to turn on my phone and take a couple of photos before moving off and letting me pass.  

Deer on the Trail

I got to the River and crossed.  The road after the bridge was the one to town.  I headed to one of the parking lots and planned on putting my thumb out.  Just as I approached the lot, I saw a pickup with two guys in it and a canoe on top start up.  I asked the guy if I could get a ride into Glasgow and he waved me over.

James River Footbridge

I sat in the back, in a puddle of river water for the windy ride into town and hopped out when we got to the sleepy, small town.  I looked around a bit, then headed to Scotto's to refuel my body.  After a very nice, large meal, I headed out with a plan in mind.  

Dino in Glasgow

I decided that I could try to drop a  little more weight as this Phase was almost over and the lighter I could get my pack, the easier it would be.  I went by the post office and picked up a box then started heading to Stanimal's Hostel, that is just down the road.  On the way there a woman called me over to her car.  Luckily enough, she was the hostel innkeeper, named Donna and she agreed to mail the box for me on Monday (for a small fee, which I readily offered) and I also arranged a ride back to the Trail later, for another small fee.

She took me over to the town shelter, which is a nice free place to stay if that was your inclination.  I hung out with the other hikers as I got my box ready to go, took a nice shower and rinsed out some clothes.  There was even some tape I could use to seal up my box.  

Donna was a little early, but I was ready to go and I hopped into her car after throwing my pack in her trunk.  She took the box and promised to get it to the post office first thing Monday.  After another five mile twisty ride, we were back at the trail.  

I made my way just about a 1.7 miles up to the next shelter and set up camp.  Some rain rolled in at the end of the day, but I was all snuggled into my hammock and feeling good.  My stomach was full and the day had worked out perfectly.  

An Empty Trail

Usually, there are a group of other hikers, that I see for several days in a row.  Either during the day or in camp.  From time to time that group changes.  It it either from the faster hikers moving ahead or hikers taking a night in town or a zero here and there, so the people I hike with constantly change.  After passing a town like Glasgow, which is small, but offers lots of amenities, I found myself alone on the trail almost all day long.  No one passed me and I didn't come up on any resting hikers.  It was just me and the forest.    

Looking back at the James River

The several long climbs of the day were each negotiated in their turn and after a while, I found myself descending into down to the Pedlar River and a reservoir that I would hike around.  As I moved along, I saw that I wasn't alone anymore.  I was actually catching another hiker.  I caught Triple Rainbow at a bridge where I had planned a break and water refill.  She was nursing a sore knee, (hense my catching her) and I filled her water bottles for her.  We talked a bit and then moved out together.  

Top of Bluff Mountain, where they found little Ottie in 1891

I quickly moved ahead, not a common thing for me and the Trail was nice.  We moved along the reservoir along a contour line and it was easy going.  After a while I could hear the rumble of thunder as a storm approached.  Soon I was walking in a downpour.  The day had been warm enough that it felt very refreshing and it only lasted about 10 minutes.  

I finished the day walking through the dripping woods and arrived at the shelter area.  The pickings for a good hang were slim once again, but I found my trees and set up.  The area had an interesting history.  It seemed that a collection of freed slaves had homesteaded there back over 100 years ago and you could still see a remnant or two of their presence.  A rock wall here and there, but the forest had reclaimed most of everything else.  

A real lady bug checks out the Museum bandanna

Triple Rainbow came in and stayed in the shelter and a group of four also rolled in later in the day.  Today's long day of over 18 miles will be followed by a normal day of around 15 miles.  These mileages would rotate back and forth until I completed the Push and the Phase. 

Seeing The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Stay tuned as I continue to walk along, ready to finish this Phase and see my bride again.  I had had my fill of hiking and I was ready to return to the Other World and see what I had to do to fix my shoulder.  But before that could happen I still had miles to go, before I finished.  


Peace,
EarthTone and LoGear

Pamola's Quest - Push 12 - The Push to Daleville - Part 2

The Push to Daleville, VA (Push 12) - Part 2

The last part of this Push wasn't going to be too hard.  I was once again in familiar territory and would be in town in two days.  I was looking forward to my first zero of the Phase and the rest and recharge it would give me.

Day 400 - 20.4 miles - Near Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Day 401 - 18.5 miles - Laurel Creek Shelter
Day 402 - 13.9 miles - VA 621 campsite
Day 403 - 15.3 miles - Four Pines Hostel
Day 404 - 16.3 miles - Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Day 405 - 9.4 miles - Daleville, VA
Day 406 - 0.0 miles - Zero Day in Daleville

The Knob and the Cliffs

We were on a farm and farms have roosters, so at 0445 I first heard him crowing.  He was far down the hill, so not too loud, but I was still up and getting ready pretty early.   

My barn mates headed out even earlier.  After a visit to the hostel to get the morning going, I headed back down the road to the trail.  The first part of the day was nice.  There were no big climbs that weren't switchbacked and I arrived at the 311 parking lot where LoGear and I had started our hike a few years ago and took a nice break.  

As I checked out the map, I saw that there is a fire road that parallels the trail up to a point.  Since I had already hiked the trail there and was always looking for new experiences, I decided to follow the road up to where it crossed the trail.  It made for a little easier start and I avoided the burnt section that had caught fire a month or so earlier.  

The climb was steady though, no matter where I was walking it and I just took my time until I was at the overlook.  I had passed a couple hikers named Down Hill and White Sands on the way up and as I ate lunch at McAfee Knob we talked a bit.  They were slowly doing the trial in a nobo fashion.  Each year, they would pick up where they left off and continue on for a few days.  Down Hill took a photo of me on the knob with my phone.  I had to edit out the day hikers nearby, but it came out good enough.  

Iconic photo that everyone takes

I continued on.  Next was a ridge walk that continued to climb up to Tinkers Cliffs.  My guide mentioned a trail that may bypass the cliffs and head directly to the shelter, but after exploring it for a bit, I decided to keep following the trail as laid and did the slow climb up to the cliffs. As I made the final climb to the cliffs, I remembered when LoGear and I were hiking up this hill in 2013 and a Hiker came passing us like we were standing still.  I had my trail legs, but for me, they just give me more stamina, not much speed.  I'm perfectly happy going at my own easy pace. 

Along the way I took a break with a woman from Australia, who I had been hiking around for several days.  She had broken a rib a couple weeks ago, so we compared our pain as we rested.  I can't recall here trail name.

When I got to the best part of the cliffs, it was time for a break.  There were a threesome of guys who were out doing the VA Triple Crown and were going to circle around on another trail soon.  We talked a bit and then I moved on.

Looking back at the knob from the cliffs

The last part of the day was pretty easy as I lost all the elevation I had gained and arrived in camp at Lambert's Meadow shelter.  This was where LoGear and I had stayed last time.  I found a spot near where we had set up last time and hung my hammock.  Cruise Control and Tent Sense were at the shelter when I arrived and realized they better get a spot to camp before someone else comes and takes up the spots.  

My first priority when I arrive in camp is to find a spot for my hammock. Everything else is secondary.  Once I have claimed my spot, even if it is just by putting my pack between the two trees, then I can relax.  I don't know if I took a spot they wanted, but it is first come first served out here.  Finding a spot that works for me, is always job #1.  

When they came down, they mentioned that a copperhead was living in the shelter. I went up to check him out and sure enough there was a snakes head sticking out of the stone.  He pulled back when I got close, so I didn't get a real close look, but his head didn't seem the right shape for a poisonous snake.  More like a corn snake.  I wasn't going to test my herpetology, so I just took a photo and headed back to the hammock. 

Shy snake

The stream was close enough to provide a comforting sound as I finished my day and headed for slumberland. 

Town

There was some rain overnight, but everything was dry in the morning.  I felt the pull of town, so I was up and out early.  The short day was pretty easy.  I seem to move along faster when I know the pleasures of town await me.  

A bright morning. Town Day!

Before I knew it, I was coming down the last stretch and I could hear the sound of traffic.  As I came to the road, I saw a smoker cooking at the convenience store across the road.  I went over and took a whiff of the bbq.  It smelt like heaven.   

I went in and bought lunch and then hung out at their tables for about an hour or so.  The Howard Johnson's which I had reserved a room for two nights was just across the road. Around 1300 or so, I went over and checked in.  

After taking a shower and doing some laundry, I called LoGear to catch up and then went for a swim in the pool.  Dinner was at Pizza Hut and the rest of the night I just chilled and watched a few shows on my phone.  

I started to plan the next and final Push of the Phase.  This would be the longest one and I was going to attempt to carry all (or most) of my food.  I always stress a bit when a resupply point isn't right on or within an easy walk of the trail.  Not too many people want to pick up a solo, male, grey bearded, smelly hiker it seems.  My hope was to carry enough to get to the end, but I knew that if I had to, I could hitch into town and get some more food. I just didn't make it a part of the original plan. 

A Lazy Zero Day

This day was all about relaxing, resupplying and just taking it easy.  I didn't take any pictures and even though I didn't walk any AT miles on this day, I wasn't stationary.  The local Krogers was about a half mile down the road and I ended up walking there twice.  I had forgotten to get more coffee on my first trip.  I needs my coffee, even if it is instant.

But the place had some food places too, so I made the best of it.  I also didn't mind walking back and forth.  I'm kinda used to walking a lot and it feels unnatural to not walk at least a couple miles each day.  

During the day, I saw two hikers pass my room and I recognized them as eWolf and Hand Stand, two YouTubers who I had followed for a while before I started hiking.  I knew they were not too far behind and wasn't surprised that they had caught me.  I went out and said hello.

I went and hung out by the pool for a while with the other hikers that I have been moving along with who had also stayed at the motel, then it was back to the room to watch a few more shows and try to sleep in a bed one more night.  My gear was ready to go and I felt refreshed and recharged.  One final Push remained.

Push 13

Push 13 would be 133.8 miles and would take me ten days to complete.  Carrying that much food makes for a heavy pack and leaving town almost always means climbing back up to a ridge.  I was ready for the challenge, but knew that I could change the plan if I had to.  That's what I love about being out here.  Even though you are walking amongst the stone, roots and dirt, nothing is set in stone and can be adjusted as conditions dictate or permit.  It's a freedom that is sometimes eluding in the Other World.  


Peace,
EarthTone and LoGear

Pamola's Quest - Push 12 - The Push to Daleville - Part 1

The Push to Daleville, VA (Push 12) - Part 1

It was day 400 since I had started this Quest and time to head out of town. The first two days of the Push would be long days, followed by a couple not so long days and ending with my first and only zero of the Phase.  LoGear and I had already hiked the last 20 miles or so of this Push, so I would be ending up in familiar territory. The Push would be 93.8 miles and would take me six days to finish.

Day 400 - 20.4 miles - Near Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Day 401 - 18.5 miles - Laurel Creek Shelter
Day 402 - 13.9 miles - VA 621 campsite
Day 403 - 15.3 miles - Four Pines Hostel
Day 404 - 16.3 miles - Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Day 405 - 9.4 miles - Daleville, VA
Day 406 - 0.0 miles - Zero Day in Daleville

Closed Shelter?

The night in the bed confirmed that I sleep much better in my hammock. What can you do?  I packed up and headed to Hardees for another breakfast.  I got back to the trail and passed the factory which is the life's blood of the town.  I think they make cigarette filters or something.  

After passing a deer who basically ignored me I continued on slowly climbing up the ridge.  I stopped for lunch at Rice Field shelter at the top of the ridge for lunch and the sky had cleared enough to provide a decent view of the valley. 

Pearisburg

After getting water, Calves caught up to me and we hiked together for quite a while.  I normally can't keep up with other hikers, but he either slowed down for me or the trail was good enough to allow me to move faster.  We passed the much protested pipeline project that is causing all kinds of ruckus in that area with someone pole sitting in protest somewhere nearby.  We saw a sign to that effect as we moved along.  It generated some good conversation.

When we came to a steep ascent, I fell behind and that was good.  I really am a solo walker, preferring my own company to trying to keep a conversation going.  

I had planned a 20.4 mile day and was able to accomplish that. My endpoint was a shelter that was listed as closed.  The reason for the closure was that there were standing dead trees that were a hazard.  I had also heard that those offending trees had been dropped, but were still laying in place.  When I arrived, I confirmed that all the dead, dangerous trees were peacefully sleeping on the ground and I found a nice spot nearby where I was able to disperse camp.  I set up and a little later a couple came in and found a spot for their tent.  They were Kaleidoscope and Big Tuna.  

We ate dinner at the shelter table and retired to our sleeping places.  I felt good after the long day and was hoping I could do something similar the next day.  

Another Fall - AT 1, Trekking Pole 0

I lived through the night and actually slept pretty good.  It was my Bride's birthday and I was hoping to be able to wish her a happy day sometime during the day.  This would cause a lot of anxiety as the day went along and a signal eluded me.

Some nice trail with an interesting mossy border

After finishing a climb that left me feeling sluggish and tired, I slipped on a rocky section and fell onto my right pole, breaking it on the upper section.  After my shoulder pain subsided, I packed the broken pole away and asked the Trail to provide me with a replacement until I could replace the broken pole down the trail somewhere.  The woods are full of sticks and with 30 minutes or so I was stepping over a branch that had fallen across the trail.  I broke off a decent sized piece and continued on.  It was wet and muddy, so when I came to a stream, I cleaned it off and stripped off some of the bark.  The Trail had provided.

Death of a Trekking Pole

All day long, I was checking for signal so I could text LoGear a happy birthday wish.  Every time I checked, I had nothing.  Usually I can get a bar or two of roaming, which is usually all I need to send out a text.  Not today.  

I was contemplating stopping early at a campsite, but I had to climb a mountain first.  As I was heading up, I stopped for a rest and found that I had some signal.  Not enough to call, but good enough to text.  This gave me the inspiration I needed to finish the day as planned.  I would just imagine LoGear up ahead of me and worked to catch her until I arrived at the shelter.  

It was a hard day and what we call out here a bad day, but there is also a saying out there to "not quit on a bad day."  Today I didn't quit.  

There were a decent amount of hikers at the shelter and we had some good conversation.  I learned the names of two more hikers I had been hiking around, Scissors and Papa Bear and another guy Jake the Dog, who had a whole jar of weed that he was constantly smoking.  Scissors and I traded some condiments.  She needed something salty and my powdered mix of everything fit the bill and she was carrying pesto, which was a great addition to my dinner ramen.  

A Shorter Day and Some Good Rest

After two long days, it was time for a shorter one.  I slept pretty good, but was in no hurry to get going.  I was still out before 0800 though.  The day's trail wasn't too easy.  There were some steep climbs and a lot of rocky trail.  I just took my time and made my way along the trail, cursing uselessly at the rocks, but following the trail where it ran.

Today's landmark was the Keefer Oak, a very large, old oak right on the trial.  Box Turtle was there when I came by and we talked a bit.  I took a break after that and he moved on.  

Keefer Oak

Around lunch time, I needed water.  There was a nice spring at Sarver Hollow shelter, but it was a steep climb down about .3 or .4.  There were a lot of switchbacks, so the only way to get it done was to walk down.  Kaleidoscope and Big Tuna were there when I arrived.  Big Tuna had taken the walk down.  I dropped my pack and headed down myself.

When I came back up, Papa Bear arrived.  There had been a pack cover hanging in the tree near where I had set up last night that someone else had left behind and he had thought it was mine and brought it along.  I told him it wasn't mine and offered to carry it to the next hiker box, but he declined and took it himself.  

The area I was walking through today used to be farmland.  The farmers here did something I had never seen before with all the rocks they pulled out of the field during their plowing.  Usually a wall is formed along the field edge as the rocks are gathered.  These farmers made several cairns or rock piles with their rocks.  There were dozens of them all through the forest as I walked along.  It was interesting.  

Interesting rock cairns

After crossing another landmark, the Eastern Continental Divide, I arrived at Niday shelter.  This was my original destination for the day, but it was still early and I still had some gas in the tank, so I set up my hammock and took a nice rest, then ate my dinner before continuing on.  

Birds nest in a registration box

I went about another 1.5 miles and came to some of the other hikers who were set up.  I was thinking of moving on to the other side of the creek where there were supposed to be some more campsites, but found some decent trees and set up there instead of taking the chance of not finding a decent spot up the trail.  At least I shortened tomorrows hike by a little.  

I cleaned up in the creek and snuggled into my hammock to the relaxing sound of the babbling brook named Craig Creek.

Dragon's Tooth and Four Pines

It was raining in the morning and I did most of my packing up under the tarp.  I headed out before any of the others were up and the rain finished as I started out. 

The trail crossed the creek and wound through the flat land before heading up the mountain.  I passed the area that would have been my goal yesterday and it looked like there were plenty of nice spots.  There were even a couple of hikers there.  I passed an older couple who were sitting by the trail and I said hi and continued on.  

The walk up the mountain was pretty easy.  The trail was wide and rockless and there were plenty of switchbacks along the way.  I figured the reason it was so nice is that I would be passing the Audie Murphy memorial soon.  

There was a nice bench at the top of the mountain and I took a break.  Flex, the guy from the couple I had seen below came up and we talked a bit, his wife is Curly Turtle.

Audi Murphy Memorial

I stopped at the memorial to pay my respects then continued on.  The rest of the day was a steady series of climbs that ended at the Dragon's Tooth.  The first of the VA Triple Crown.  As I was checking out the rock formation, a little rain began.

Another 100 miles down

Dragon's Tooth 

I started down the other side and the trail immediately became very technical.  Lots of hand over hand and drops that you had to negotiate.  I was worried that my shoulder was going to hinder me, but I was able to make it just fine.  

I have heard a lot of people talk about the Dragon's Tooth and never have I heard them mention how hard the nobo climb down is.  After about .8 or so, there was a sign leading me to believe that the hard part was done, but the trail kept going over rocky, climby stuff and after a while, I was tired of it.

But I continued on until the trail finally came to a road, because that is what you do out here.  When the going gets tough, the tough just keep going. 

I walked up the road, seeing DNA and SlackRack camping by the road, but I was heading for the Hostel.  I arrived and headed up to the garage that is the hostel.  Joe, the owner was there and he pointed me to the barn up the hill where I could hang my hammock out of the weather.  

Outside the hostel, was a barrel that had trekking pole parts in it and right away I found the very piece I needed to fix my pole.  I liberated it and went to set up.  The barn was perfect, with large posts the perfect distance apart where I was able to put up my hammock.  There were outlets and a roof over our head.  Two other hikers stayed up there with me.  They were Cruise Control and Tent Sense.  

I went down to the Hostel to hang out a bit and there were quite a few hikers there.  Jake the Dog had decided to get off trail and him and a couple other hikers called an Uber and went to a hotel.  They left a lot of food behind.  We figured that the climb down from the Tooth was what made Jake decide to get off.  It was just too much for him.  

Joe lets the hikers use his vehicles and me, Scissors, Papa Bear and Box Turtle all went to The Home Place for dinner.  This place is amazing.  It is basically a house looking place. You sit at a table and they keep bringing you food until you say no more.  Four hungry hikers can eat a lot of food.  The place seemed really busy, but we were seated immediately.  I guess they are used to the smelly hikers coming in.  No one seemed phased by our presence.  

A Home Place cooked meal, Yum

On the way back we stopped at a nearby gas station/convenience store and did a small resupply.  I would be in Daleville in a couple days, so I didn't need a lot.  I grabbed a shower in the makeshift bathroom and headed up to my hammock, feeling good and ready to continue on with the Push.

Setup in a barn

Next

Stay tuned as I finish this Push.  The next day I would enter trail that LoGear and I have already hiked, but it would cover the iconic McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, the other two parts of the VA Triple Crown.  


Peace,
EarthTone and LoGear