Greetings from Glasgow, VA!
Hey guys-- it feels as though it's been forever since my last post and MUCH has happened since. Let me bring you up to speed.
I got out of Bland, Virginia shortly after my last post-- I figured out my water bottle problem, just don't tighten the filter so much and the thing works like a charm. I got out of Bland and The Kid never came in, I suppose he didn't need anything for resupply so he motored on. His name is Danny by the way but we'll still call him The Kid.
I had a hell of a climb out of Bland following the way up-- it doesn't look like much but 500 feet can be difficult. The way up I remember complaining about downed trees on the trail-- there were two pines down and I had to go up and around them... I remember thinking "seriously?" I hope I don't have to go around more trees like this. Oh god if that had only panned out, I was in for a rude awakening... downed trees make me shutter now. I made it up and was soon at Helveys Mill Shelter-- nobody was there, so I wandered down the steep hill to get water. Thank god there was water, it had been so hot and the climb up made me want another liter of water. I LOVE my filter for the ease of getting water and not having to wait, god bless the thing. I got back up to the shelter to sit down and found two folks come along-- a guy and a girl in their 20's. The girl was very much like Zoey Deschanel-- talkative and sweet-- the guy kept to himself. We talked for a bit, then two guys came along with bushy beards and we all got to talking for a bit. It was the most thru-hikers I had seen in a long time. Zoey and Mr. Not-talkative boyfriend were heading on to the next shelter so I said I'd join them, they said they'd meet up with me on the way and I was ecstatic, they seemed fun to hang around.
That's been the last I saw of them. lol.
I hit a long stretch of ups and downs-- the heat was nasty and the bugs were terrible so I appreciated my bug net all the more. I made it to a spot, called my mom and left a voicemail, got stung by a sweat bee, cursed in the middle of the voicemail and had to redo it. On the way after, I heard something in the brush to my right and lo and behold a bear came within 100 feet of me on the trail-- I saw two more shapes moving behind it so I started to bang my trekking poles to get them moving-- they were not afraid of me in the least bit. Eventually I walked off and talked to myself, soon talked on the phone to keep them away and know where I was-- it worked, I didn't see them again.
The day got worse though, after I started to go downhill to Virginia 611, I saw my first skunk on the trail. It didn't take any notice of me but it did make me look off to the left-- I suddenly realized it was very hazy, the sun was disappearing quicker than I had imagined and the air felt moist. I realized I wouldn't hit another 3 miles to the next shelter so I camped at VA611 where a guy left bottled water for us (the sources have been terribly dry, as I've mentioned).
I got my last tent stake into the ground when the wind picked up-- I've seen all types of wind being in South Dakota and Pennsylvania and Nebraska and I've always felt the wind is worse in the midwest. I was terribly wrong. The wind started to pick up badly, I'm not talking just bad but it eventually got to 70mph. I lay in my tent and prayed the stakes would hold and I soon found myself calling my sister and asking about the weather-- I was in a spot where they said for strong winds, people should move to their basements, etc. and that's when I started to panic. I heard trees and limbs start to come down, leaves and small limbs were hitting my tent (how it never got a hole, I'll never know) and loud THWACKS as big things hit the ground. I cried, talked to my sister for the longest time, then Jess to tell her goodbye just in case and that I loved her, got back on the phone with my sister and later my brother and by then the storm had diminshed. It was an hour of hell-- I didn't know if my tent would go airborne or if I'd even see the next day-- tree limbs could come down, I hadn't really checked the campsite out or prepared because I thought the weather would be fine. It barely sprinkled, lightning cracked a few times but that was it. After I cried and panicked and the storm subsided, I waited for my mom to get done with work so I could call. After that, I read a little and fell to sleep.
I woke up the next morning to what the storm had done. In my site as a downed limb several inches thick and near the gravel road I camped to, there was a limb that came down and put a crack in the VA611 sign. I surveyed the damage and saw bigger trees down the way. I was in awe of what could have happened to me. I left a little note for the guy who left the water
"I camped at this spot last night. Thought I was going to die. Thanks for the water."
and then I headed out.
It was bad, the whole day I made quite a bit of ground as much of it was flat but it was BAD. Water sources were all dry, it got hot again and the trees were deftly terrifying to deal with. I must have walked over 100 trees that day on my way to Trent's Grocery-- there was a sickening smell that lasted for days, something like wheatgrass juice mixed with hickory nuts. I'd have to go around the big trees that fell, get over some others, under a few-- trees were snapped in half, it just looked like a tornado had gone through.
The extent was even worse once I pressed on. I got to Kimberling Creek with a suspension bridge and relaxed by the stream. I was off to Trent's Grocery which was SUPPOSED to be my next resupply but it was closed from an electrical problem from the storm. Half mile walk there, a half mile back. I sat by the water for a while and met a woman and her daughter who told me the storm was all over the state-- she gave me a beer and I gulped it down rather quickly. I just couldn't believe the weather and I was honestly still a little in shock from the storm.
I made a big uphill and got to Dismal Falls but I didn't take the side trail-- .6 is too damn long to go, so I kept on and on and I soon realized nothing that was listed to be there in the guidebook was there. I came to a gravel road crossing and made a decision-- the tuna I had been carrying since the NOC wasn't going anywhere and I had just nearly died, why the hell not eat some tuna before I die? I ate the lemon pepper tuna and it was fantastic-- it tasted just like the tyson chicken I had before Damascus. I felt pretty good and pressed on but still wasn't sure where I was. I had to make camp once I heard thunder and saw dark clouds moving in but I still had no idea where I was.
The storm that came in that night started off windy but then it tapered to light rain and then it was done. I woke up the next morning and realized I was a full mile ahead of where I thought I was and was actually at Wapiti shelter. I met two folks who were section hiking and they told me I should meet up with a girl who had a little weener-dog with her, that she'd make good company. I thought that would be great. I was expecting a really sweet, fun and kind girl.
I stopped at Wood's Hole Hostel and met a guy named Chris who had stayed there last night-- he gave me some trail mix and ramen because I mentioned I was low on food-- I was so thankful, the trail mix was the best I'd had on trail. who would have thought gummy bears would be so damn tasty in trail mix?
I met her at Doc's Knob shelter-- she was a Texas girl who had a thick southern accent but she was ok company. I dried my tent out by a powerline and soon she was ahead of me, headed for pearisburg. It was to be a long day but I kept going and decided I'd go to Pearisburg instead of sleeping by Angel's Rest. Man was I glad I did that (storm later that night). I got to Angel's rest and found a wind chime floating from one of the trees-- there was a beautiful view and a feeling I was standing on the edge of the world. The walk down to Pearisburg was lengthy but not rocky, so I didn't mind it. Chris and his gang caught up with me and we got into town together-- an old guy by a hotel asked us if we needed a ride so the five of us hikers (+1 driver) squeezed into a car meant for 5 and it felt rather clownish. I was squeezed in and on my hip, facing away towards the door. All I could think of when I was sitting there was the line from Fight Club: "a question of etiquette, should I give you the ass or the crotch?"
We went to Lucky Star Chinese in town and resupplied-- the chinese was good, my resupply wasn't as I bought mostly candy for that night. Chris was mentioning splitting a hotel room with someone, no one was interested but me so I offered and we split one. It was nice to have a shower and a bed to sleep in and it was good I was inside for the storm that night-- it whalloped rain and wind and lightning incredibly but the heat never let up. Chris's gang (aside from one guy who stayed at a church hostel that night) all stayed in the hotel with us, they never paid but I was ok with it but they were up super late and got out at 4 in the morning to hike on. I couldn't sleep because the air conditioning kept going and my legs were chafing from the heat and sweat... I was miserable and didn't sleep much.
The next day I went to Wal-mart and got decent underwear for once, went to McDonald's for chicken nuggets but it was too early so the woman at the counter (who had hippo-face-- she looked like she hated her job, her life, and me especially) gave me an apple pie. I devoured that, got back to the hotel to talk to Chris and I was out by 11 or so. It was a VERY hard climb up from Pearisburg, it was the rockiest thing I've dealt with but Rice Field Shelter and the surrounding area were breathtaking. I looked ahead to see where Firefox was and she was merely a month up-- I thought to myself "I can catch her" and thus, I had a motivation to push on some more. I know it will take weeks but I can maybe catch up to SOMEONE.
I fought through some bad fields filled with bugs and ticks. I had one on my leg grasped on so I flicked it off, it drew blood but I figured there wasn't much I could do. No signs of lyme disease yet but that's not the last I had of ticks. I found a camp site on a hillside of a ridge-- the sun was setting orange so I set up early and read A Storm Of Swords for a good hour or two. It didn't get dark that night until 10:00 and the sunset was gorgeous... the sunrise was also beautiful at 5:30.
That was it for the bad hllsides, I came upon the area to go to "The Captain's" and saw my first snake since getting back on the trail. Took a bad spill later crossing a creek and bumped my right hip HARD on a rock. My day was just not going well. I came up towards Wind Rock and saw a massive black bear about 300 feet away. I yelled "hey bear" and he looked at me and ran off in the other direction. When they're far away, they're less scary. Wind Rock was beautiful but it soon started to rain-- I didn't even pull out my rain jacket, it was too hot. I soaked in the rain and then it was over. I camped after a 20.5-mile day at War Spur shelter and saw tree damage as a limb had come crashing down on the roof. I have a picture that would be great here but alas I can't upload it at the library. I read a creepy register entry that was a joke about finding a body under the shelter but I still felt creeped out at the end. I went to sleep watching the lightning-- it never rained but it was quite a light and thunder show that night.
The next day I hit a stretch that I was told would be hard-- someone said that between War Spur Shelter and Laurel creek shelter there were over 100 trees down. There weren't half that many but as I got to Rocky Gap, there were 7 trees in a row down that I had to go down in the valley to get by. These trees take valuable time out of one's day, for sure. After that I hit an area I call tick valley-- it was hot and as I passed a bunch of fence stiles and cow pastures, someone strolled by to let me know to watch for ticks. I must have pulled 14+ off of me as I went along, checking every 20 feet or so. I saw trail magic for soft drinks in a cooler, they were gone but for the cans. I climbed up to Sarver Hollow shelter but decided I'd press on to Niday. I never made it, camped along the ridge and tented for a beautiful 4th of July sunset. The next day I had a tough uphill to the Audie Murphy Mounument-- he was the most decorated American soldier of World War 2. I left a bible a guy gave me 10 minutes prior at the monument and said "thank you" to the monument. I met two trail workers who talked about closing the trail from the trees but nothing has ever come of the trail closing. At a footbridge before Dragon's tooth I met up with two folks who were section hiking and another who was flip flopping for a southbound hike. The SOBO and I talked much and he mentioned that I could join him for his flip flop up in main in three weeks if I wanted to-- I told him I'd consider. I pressed on to Dragon's tooth and tried to cowboy camp up there. It didn't work out. Ants got into my sleeping bag and a cricket was on my headnet so I set up my tent... poorly... and somehow lost a tent stake up there on dragon's tooth. I climbed down (a hard climb at that, one where there were rungs of a ladder in the rock) and made it to a gas station a short distance down the road at VA 625. There I did a brief resupply and had a BLT for breakfast.
The next day gave me McAfee Knob-- I got a beautiful picture at the top and ate wild blackberries on the way up. I stood in the rain for at least 10 minutes just picking from the bush, content as could be. The lonliness I had been feeling completely left me once I go to the view at McAfee Knob's top. I had gone so long without seeing a NOBO thru-hiker and with most behind or ahead, I felt alone. Not anymore, I felt strong in who I was again-- that was the point I got my mental trail legs back. The physical ones, well, let's just say I'm still getting blisters.
I slept at the Pig farm campsite, had to drink disgusting water and had to press 17 miles through 107* heat. I made it into Daleville and just drank and drank water and soft drinks at Wendy's. I zeroed in Daleville to get a tent stake on Monday and got back on trail soon after. Met a guy who came from the Rainbow Tribe gathering in Tennesee and he told me he had a stress fracture on trail too and was still dealing with it, he said the best advice would be to get the cushiest shoe possible and I told him he should rest his seeing as it wasn't fully healed yet. He was a nice enough guy. We pressed to the next shelter and it started to rain, like downpour rain for once. I didn't even put on my rain jacket, just soaked in the rain as I went. It got cooler quickly and I won't say I was chilled but I was comfortable. The next shelter was full, dozens of NOBO's were there but they came from the rainbow gathering. I pressed on and made it to a weird, unmarked, stony hillside. I climbed to the top and found a little stone that said
If tears could be a stairway and memories a lane I would walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.
It was a strange occurrence. I sat as the rain slowly died off and had realized I was thinking of my dad right before finding the stone. I took a sharpie, fond a small stone and wrote his name on it and laid it on the tiny memorial stone.
I pressed on soon after and saw dozens of frogs hopping about in the rain-- I picked a few up to hold in my hands and then sat them back down. Soon after I came upon two box turtles about .1 miles apart. They were lovely-- I put them off to the side of the trail so that they didn't get smooshed.
I camped at Blachorse Gap near the Blue Ridge Parkway and it rained that night and almost all through the next day. It died off by Cove Mountain Shelter so I sat to read a while and let my tent dry. With that done, I pressed to Bryant Ridge shelter and slept in the actual shelter-- the first one I've slept in since I got back on trail. I had to ignore some signs that there were rattlensnakes under the shelter and had to ignore my phobia of spiders-- two more hikers came along to sleep there and were up late. they hammocked within the shelter and I left before they woke up. It was a tough climb yesterday to get out of the valley I slept in and it took me most of the day just to get to Apple Orchard Mountain. I soon came down, saw The Guillotine (I expected it to be some hard part like Jacob's ladder, it wasn't) and went all of the way to Marble Spring campsite. I lay in my tent at 6:30 without signal and saw a deer very close to my site. It wasn't afraid, no matter what noise I made so I watched it for a good while. As it got dark I suddenly heard a noise like a dog panting. I was scared shitless of coyotes as I heard a group howling by Dragon's tooth when I slept up there. I peeked out of my tent and saw it wasn't a coyote but a massive black bear running full force across my campsite. I panicked and it changed direction and went towards the stream. I don't know what I would have done if it trampled me. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep that night but I fell back to resting, totally exhuasted.
Today I did an easy downhill to the James River bridge-- the longest foot-use only bridge on the AT. I crossed, didn't jump and caught a ride in with a truck-driver who hiked the AT twice. He was very kind. Got to Glasgow, dollar general and then to the library. I have to get to Buena Vista by 4:30 pm tomorrow for a mail drop or else wait there until Monday for it. I'm not waiting until Monday but I have to push a MAJOR uphill to get there for tomorrow. As much as I can do today means less tomorrow. Wish me luck! :D Got a few days until Waynesboro and the Shanandoah's!
