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