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
No comments:
Post a Comment