Too hot for this Vermonter. Sunny today, and should be all week, but the temp was in the 80s with very little wind and no clouds. I've decided that heat is simply Kryptonite to this Mountain Man. Lucky for me, this pasty-white Superhero (Hi Sarah!) at least packed his sunscreen. Nice walk today, and spent some time just soaking my feet in a small cool stream that the trail crossed over.
Appalachian Trail 2004
Daily dispatches and photos from the Appalachian Trail, a 2194-mile footpath running from Georgia to Maine through 14 states along the East Coast.
Wise
Stunning scenery today. Long easy climb up to the bald area on Whitetop Mt. where Camel and I teamed up for most of the day. Incredible landscape that looked more like open highlands in Wyoming or Colorado--great expansive grassy areas today strewn with rocks. Perfect breeze also to cut the heat and sun a little bit.
Trimpi
Now here's a state that has got it down. Virginia gets an A+ (as my sister Gretchie would say) for beautiful trail, easy terrain, nice shelters, and privies at every last one of them. Very comfortable day for walking through the last bit of the highlands and on through rolling hills all the way to the shelter.
Partnership
Among all the days on the trail so far, this one was pretty unique. No great views or scenery, just a nice short walk surrounded by more and more signs of spring's awakening.
US 11
Date: 4/22/04 Starting Location: Partnership ShelterDestination: US 11Miles: 11.6Total Miles: 543.9
Knot Maul Branch
Some more pastoral fields today--so green in the low-lying valleys that at times, I stopped to imagine that this might be what Ireland looks like. Walked through the rain for the afternoon and decided to stop here for a not short but not long day to relax, do some reading, and give my rain gear a chance to dry out a bit. Nice to be here enjoying a sunny evening now.
Jenkins
Beautiful ridge and grassy top on Chestnut Knob, but it was a long climb to get there. Neat shelter on the summit with steel cables to hold the roof on in severe wind--makes you wonder what the wind is like up there sometimes. I guess it's a good thing this shelter is fully enclosed!
Jenny Knob
Not much to report today. Just a long and rather boring 20-miler along waterless ridgeline--oh yes, again in hot, humid weather. Enjoyed rock-hopping a bit this morning as the trail crossed a creek about 15 times in a couple of miles. Luckily, I didn't fall in at any point.
VA 606
You'd think that sometimes you have to lose your head before you start to see things in focus. Well, for me, that day was yesterday. In hot sunshine, with a body that just doesn't seem to work right in the heat, I couldn't seem to muster the mental strength to overcome the day--something I'm rarely if ever able to forgive myself for. But today, it pours, and I'm back in focus.
Pearisburg
With cooler weather in the 50s and cloudy skies, the temperature had definitely turned my direction and miles were ripe for the picking. So, today was a perfect day to bang out some miles and get into my next town stop.
Pearisburg Zero Day
Decided to take a full zero today to rest and ice my shin splint rather than run my town errands and get back on the trail. Seems to be a bit better today.
Mile 640
Slept in and got a late start from the motel at around noon today after packing up my ever-growing food bag. Just cruised along taking my time since I decided to watch my shin splint and not go very far. So far, it hasn't acted up since the day coming into Pearisburg.
War Spur
More of the same today, doing what I've begun calling "The Virginia Thing," which is basically trail that climbs up 1,000-2,000 feet and then rides a flat ridgetop before making a steep descent of 1,000-2,000 feet. Repeat a few hundred times and that's my impression of a good deal of the trail in Virginia.
Niday
The first day of May shall henceforth be known as "Mystery Day" since today was full of them. For starters, the ridgelines were all clouded in so that the vistas of the Virginia countryside below were a mystery. Second, I saw a beautiful red wildflower whose identity still remains a mystery.
VA 624
Lots of PUDs today, but several cool things to see including my first sighting of a Pink Lady's Slipper flower, the Audie Murphy Memorial site (USA's most decorated WWII veteran), and the dramatic Dragon's Tooth rock ridge.
Lambert's Meadow
After a night of great company, it was time to see perhaps Virginia's most well-known section of trail. Beautiful cool weather as I teamed up with Skyline and Sundance, Fitz, and Slips for an afternoon journey over the famous jutting stone ledge of McAfee Knob and along Tinker Cliffs--both with tremendous views of the green valley countryside below.
Fullhardt Knob
Many meaningless PUDs this morning, but time passed quickly walking with Skyline and Sundance as we told each other riddles on our walk into Daleville, VA for a resupply--a process that I've quickly come to despise having to do.
Cove Mt.
Well, the weather was absolutely perfect hiking weather today and the terrain was easy to boot. Hiked the day with Skyline and Sundance as we passed the first of our many future crossings with the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Thunder Hill
Getting warmer, getting sweatier, getting oh so smellier. Well, feet survived yesterday's 20-miler with my new hiking sandals and they felt pretty good today. Shin splint was a bit better behaved too, though much of the day was spent doing long stretches of ascent and that doesn't seem to aggravate it as much.
US 501
Beautiful night to be in a tent last night. No rain coming, so I left the rain fly off to be more comfortable. Every time I woke up, I opened my eyes to see a giant bright moon and a star-filled night sky. It was enough to keep me up a few times just to watch.
US 501 Zero Day
My mom and dad are here! Got a hitch from the campground into town this morning and waited at the laundromat for them to arrive. Spent a very short day getting groceries, eating lunch and dinner, running to the outfitter, and getting my mom's pack ready for her week-long adventure with me on the trail. How many moms choose to vacation by hiking the AT for a week, not to mention starting out on Mother's Day?
Punchbowl
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! Said goodbye to dad this morning, and mom and I started off on our week-long hike together. The weather was again quite hot for hiking, especially when my mom's first taste of the trail was a 2200-foot climb over the first 5 miles or so. It was tough, but she did great pulling into the shelter after a long bit of uphill on her first day out.
Brown Mt. Creek
Well, Mom made it through her first day just fine, so we kept on chugging along today. Started a bit late this morning, but I knew the trail would be a lot easier today--mostly downhill and flat with a couple of gentle climbs mixed in. Stretched the day out with a couple of nice long stops by a few of the stream crossings today, taking our time to relax, have a snack, and soak our feet in the cold water.
North Forks of Piney River
The second big long climb of Mom's trip, and she really did awesome today. Lots of flowers and green spring growth to see today, including my first sighting of a Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Also learned about Jewelweed today from Dead Man Walking and Love Bug--a plant with dull serrated leaves like a Beech tree leave, whose stem can be used as an antidote for Poison Ivy.
The Priest
Decided to take it easy today after yesterday's longer day to ease Mom's blisters while I ducked into Montebello to get our 3-day resupply. Ended up running into Nails and Scarf getting a ride back up to the trail from Lois, owner of the Dutch Haus B&B in town.
Maupin Field
The toughest day of Mom's entire week out with me, and she did great--blisters and all. Thanks to some Core-ban and extra Compeed from Burning Boots and J-Bird, Mom was able to pad her heel blisters a lot better for today's 3000' descent, immediately followed by a 3000' ascent.
Paul C. Wolfe
She made it! Mom's last long/tough day today before getting off the trail tomorrow, and she finished it out strong to a round of applause from Burning Boots and J-Bird, who were waiting to greet us at the shelter. Only an easy 5 miles remains on Mom's trek, and even despite her blisters she made it through all of it with flying colors. When it's all done tomorrow, she will have come 77.0 miles, an incredible feat for someone who's never hiked such a continuous stretch.
Rockfish Gap
Just a last few miles today as the great adventure with my Mom has come to an end. Rolled into Rockfish Gap just a few minutes before Dad showed up to whisk us away to the hotel. Another day cluttered with grocery shopping, laundry, a much-needed haircut, and very little time to relax and chat with Mom and Dad. It's been a great hike with Mom all week.
Blackrock
Woke up this morning, had a great breakfast in the hotel, packed up, made myself a new Pepsi-can stove and hopped in the car for Mom and Dad to drive me back to the trail. Sad to say goodbye to them again after spending such little time together, but happy to be back on the trail for my first day in Shenandoah National Park.
Hightop
Did some nice miles today, and avoided the rain yet again despite hearing thunder off and on throughout the late morning and afternoon. Caught up with Footloose, Lovebug, and Dead Man Walking at the shelter, which was a nice way to spend the evening after a day that didn't have any views, new wildflowers, or wildlife other than a couple of deer who were very unafraid of me.
Lewis Spring
What an exciting day! Just when I thought the park was getting kind of boring, I start off my day with a morning sighting of a black bear running across the trail up in front of me! Next came a very cool sighting of the rare Yellow Lady's Slipper flower hiding in a hillside of trillium. That's not all.
Pass Mt.
nteresting night last night. A few hours after the thunderstorms passed, the power came back on at Big Meadows Lodge so Footloose and I went down to the taproom to enjoy some always delicious beer while listening to some live bluegrass/folk music. Tons of fun to hear music for a change and sing along with everyone to some familiar songs.
Compton Gap Trail
My last day in Shenandoah, and it ended with no bear sightings, one last Mountain Blackberry milkshake at Elkwallow, and an entire day of walking in cloud mist. Pushed on to stay the night at Terrapin Station Hostel, which has only been open since last year.
Jim and Molly Denton
Only doing a few miles today to help rest my shin and feet, so I slept in a little bit and resupplied in town before hitting the trail around 1pm. The air mattress in the bunkroom was so comfortable last night. I’d been having some trouble sleeping at the shelters recently (I think it’s time for a new Z-rest), and it was nice to finally sleep so well.
Rod Hollow
Not much great fun stuff to report today folks. Hot, humid day listening to the seemingly ever-present white-noise droning of the 17-year cicadas all afternoon. Another night in the shelter with the usual suspects. Tomorrow to a hostel, and then to Harpers Ferry and the 1000-mile mark.
Blackburn
Hot day = tough day. Temps close to 90 today and very humid, just in time for us to tackle the “Rollercoaster”—a series of about 10 sharp PUDs over a stretch of roughly 14 miles. In short, the Rollercoaster can be described as steep up, steep down, repeat.
Harper's Ferry
Little tired this morning after yesterday’s long hot day through the Rollercoaster, but it feels great to move on to Harper’s Ferry. For the first time, I really feel as though I’ve gotten somewhere seeing the big Shenandoah River for the first time and later in the day crossing the Potomac River.
Crampton Gap
Slept in, ate breakfast down the street, and ended up staying with Footloose at the hostel until 1:30 in the afternoon lounging a bit, helping the owners put in some air conditioning units, and trying to gather motivation for the upcoming 2nd half of the trip. Left in the afternoon heat after a nice pint of Ben and Jerry's--our payment for helping out--and headed out for a short day.
Ensign Cowall
A really nice stretch of trail today got my spirits back up, though my backpack continues to fight me for a comfortable hike, more now with my incredible shrinking waist! I caught a welcome shower on the trail at the Dahlgren backpacker shower facility before heading up the trail to check out the Washington Monument.
Tumbling Run
This day did not get off to a good start. Just Aussie and I in the shelter last night, so we started walking together in the morning until suddenly I smashed my big toe into a small stump hidden beneath weeds right alongside the trail. It was the first real casualty since hiking in sandals for 300+ miles…