Fall AT section hike, day #18

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016
Start: Wapiti Shelter
End: Cross Ave/VA 634 - Pearisburg
Miles: 17.9 (+0.5 for side trails; ~2.0 road walking around town)

When I woke up this morning at 6:45am, it was ~40 degrees. I did my morning routine, and also gave Ray my fuel cannister since his died this morning. In thanks, he made me some tea. It was a welcome bit of warm in my belly before I headed out. I was out on trail by 7:45am.

I climbed up to a view (3896') from Wapiti Shelter (2603'). From there, I climbed past the radio tower (4027'), then down to Sugar Run Gap (3395'). I then climbed to another view (3910'), then down past Docs Knob Shelter (3541') to a spring (3150'). From there, I climbed up to a view (3693') and then Angels Rest (3550'); then went down, down, down to Cross Ave/VA 634 (2019') and Pearisburg.

I managed to make Cross Ave by 4pm, and walked to the post office over a mile away by 4:20pm, with only 10 minutes to spare before they closed. They were very friendly and helped me ship my trekking poles, water treatment chemicals, and tent poles/stakes home. After that, I walked over to Angel's Rest hiker haven; I was surprised to find no one there. I took a shower, changed clothes, left a note and $4, and then headed out to the Food Lion and the AYCE Chinese buffet. I stopped off at Food Lion for a few drinks (sweet tea, powerade, and a mango smoothie). I drank the tea and the smoothie and saved the powerade for later. I may have overdone the buffet but I did only manage to have 2 platefuls. Now I shall bum around the plaza until my ride gets here in an hour.

Fall AT section hike, day #17

Monday, October 10th, 2016 (Indigenous Peoples' Day)
Start: US 52/0 Days Inn
End: Wapiti Shelter
Miles: 26.4

I started out from US 52 around 7:45am. After the guy at the hostel persistently offered to slackpack me to VA 606, I took him up in the offer and changed my plans a bit. So I slackpacked the ~18 miles to VA 606, arriving by 2pm. I got my pack and was back on trail by 2:30pm.

Today's elevation was relatively gentle, all things considered. I passed by VA 612, Helveys Mill shelter, VA 611, Brushy Mountain (3101'), Jenny Knob shelter, VA 608/Lickskillet Hollow (where I saw signs for another new hostel), Kimberling Creek, VA 606, side trail to Dismal Falls, Dismal Creek, and then Wapiti shelter. I made the shelter by 5:15pm. I'm sharing the shelter with Casey and Ray, two hikers doing a ~60 mile section.

Tomorrow, I'll have a 1,300' climb first thing in the morning and then I'll be mostly around 3500'-3800' for the rest of the day until I begin to descend to Pearisburg. I'll only have 17.9 miles to do tomorrow and then I'll enjoy the ministrations of the AYCE Chinese buffet!

Fall AT section hike, day #16

Sunday, October 9th 2016
Start: Chestnut Knob Shelter
End: US 52/0 Days Inn
Miles: 22.0

During the night, the rain stopped but the wind kept howling by in excess of 30 MPH and the temperature was ~40 degrees without windchill factoring in. I managed to ignore any bathroom needs until around 5:30am. I then huddled in my sleeping bag until around 6:45am when I got up for good. For the first time ever on this trip, I wore my hat, gloves, and jacket out of the shelter when I started out around 7:45am. I needed them for the first hour or so, until the sun started to warm things up.

I made good time and hit my halfway point around 11:45am. I then managed to make my final destination for the day by 4pm. Today's high was around 58-62 and very windy so I didn't really want to stop moving for long. Tomorrow should be warmer.

I hiked down from Chestnut Knob Shelter (4393'), down to Walker Gap (3520'), up Garden Mountain (3869'), across VA 623 (3867'), down to Jenkins Shelter (2400'), past Laurel Creek/VA 615 (2450'), up to Trail Boss Trail intersection (3099'), down to powerlines (2721'), and then up the US 52 (3088').

Originally, I was planning on hiking 18 miles tomorrow and then slackpacking back to Pearisburg the day after, a 26 mile hike. However, the fellow here at the hostel offered to slackpack me tomorrow to the final road crossing before the trail enters the woods for a long while. From there, I'll hike out into the woods and either tent or stay at the next shelter. It will let me split some of those miles, making the last day's miles more manageable.

Fall AT section hike, day #15

Saturday, October 8, 2016
Start: VA 610/Appalachian Dreamer hostel
End: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles: 14.0

So last night, the 3 guys who came in late stayed up late. They were banging around until midnight. They also didn't turn out the peripheral lights when they went to bed. So I got up at midnight after tossing and turning since 10pm to turn off the lights and finally get some solid sleep. I woke up around 6am and was out of bed by 6:30am with breakfast served at 7am. Lumbermack gave us a scrumptious breakfast and he had me back to the trail by 8am at my request. I was hoping to avoid as much of the rain as I could. It continued to rain yesterday and all through the night. It was drizzling this morning and raining off and on all day (mostly on).

For an explicitly religious hostel, there was no proselytizing; he just prayed before we shared dinner together and had tracts lying around. He also required me to provide him with photo ID, of which he made a copy. I had to sign a Hold Harmless agreement as well as sign a document stating I'd follow all the rules he laid out. Unsurprisingly, it was very legalistic. Otherwise, it was like any other excellent hostel. I'd stay there again; the food was excellent and the facilities, very nice.

So my original plan was to stay at Chestnut Knob Shelter tonight though I did overshoot my tenting destination last night so I could go to the hostel. I got here by 2pm. However, the next shelter is over 10 miles away and it's still raining. It's supposed to stop soon and be quite nice for the next week. So I made the decision to chill here for the rest of the day, rather than push daylight to the next shelter in the rain and wet. Also, if I pushed to the next shelter, it would put my miles out of sync with the two hostels I'm hoping to stay at on Sunday and Monday nights.

The next three days to Pearisburg look relatively light in terms of elevation gain and I'd just as soon do them in nice weather so I can enjoy them. The only thing I'm not looking forward to - I saw a crew of what I presume to be Boy Scouts headed for this shelter. I desperately hope they decide to camp out somewhere not here because there won't be space for them here. And in my experience, Boy Scouts stay up late, get up early, and walk around like herds of moose while flinging their garbage everywhere. All of my expose has been on the Appalachian Trail and they've disrupted my sleep enough for me to have a very poor regard for them.

Today, I started from VA 610 (2700'), went down to VA 42 (2536'), climbed Brushy Mountain (3200'), went down to Lynn Camp Creek (2400'), climbed Lynn Camp Mountain (3035'), went down to Lick Creek (2268'), and then started climbing. I went up Chestnut Ridge (3780'), passed by the pond (3896') (where I managed to soak my shoes getting water), and then on up to Chestnut Knob Shelter (4393').

Fall AT section hike, day #14

Friday, October 7, 2016
Start: Partnership shelter
End: VA 610/Appalachian Dreamer hostel
Miles: 21.7

This morning, I started out from Partnership shelter by 7:30am. It started raining yesterday night; I heard the rain start to pitter-patter on the roof sometime around midnight. It continued to rain off and on all day long. It was also more cool, around 60-65 degrees, so if I didn't keep moving, I got cold fast.

Today I passed by Chatfield shelter; the next northbound shelter is 19.3. Originally, I was going to tent out but due to the rain and an precipitously placed flyer in Partnership shelter, I ended up at a hostel tonight.

The trail went straight through Atkins, which included a gas station, two restaurants, and a seedy motel. I stopped at the gas station and the Mexican restaurant for my lunch break; I was there for ~45 minutes. Before I left, I called up the Appalachian Dreamer hostel and let them know I expected to be at VA 610 by 5:30pm. As it turns out, I was there at 4:30pm and so was he; he figured it wouldn't take me as long as I was anticipating. The hostel is explicitly Christian, though so far, the fellow is less openly religious than other folks I've met. Since it's raining, the hostel went from just me to being full (6 beds) in a matter of 4 hours. I have a feeling it's going to be a late night, since 3 hikers just arrived.

Today I climbed Glade Mountain (4113'), Gullion/little brushy Mountain (3300'), and Walker Mountain (3432'). Much of today was flat-ish, which was nice. Unfortunately, that flat was mainly in open fields with long grass which all work to make sure you get as soaked as possible.

It's set to rain tomorrow morning and then possible showers until 2pm or so. And then it should dry out and be nice after that!

Fall AT section hike, day #13

Thursday, October 6th, 2016
Start: Hurricane Mountain shelter
End: Partnership shelter
Miles: 19.0 (+1.5 miles walking to and from the visitor center)

I was up by 6:45am and on trail by 7:30am. I passed by Dickey Gap, Bobby's Trail,  Trimpi shelter, VA 672, VA 670, and VA 601. Today's miles went by pretty quickly. I was to the shelter by 2:45pm. I made the wise decision to just stay put and relax.

I had really nice conversations with sections hikers from Michigan - Kristine and Durham, who is Kristine's aunt. They're out for a month of hiking on the AT. Since you can order Italian from the visitor center, I got a butt ton of pasta with Alfredo sauce, garlic knots, and a side salad,  while Kristine and Durham split a large pizza. I also got a calzone but couldn't fit it in; thankfully a SOBO thru-hiker, Bionic from Plainville, CT, came to the shelter later and I gave it to him.

I'm bedded down in the loft and ready for bed a bit later than usual (8:30), since I was having a lovely time chatting with Bionic and Kristine. Tomorrow, I'm planning on a 21.5 mile day so I can end at the Appalachian Dreamer hostel, a hostel I saw posted here at the shelter. It's supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon and Saturday. It'll be nice to end my hike tomorrow at a warm hostel with laundry as an option.

Current plan: Appalachian Dreamer hostel tomorrow (Fri), fully enclosed shelter on Saturday, Zero Days hostel on Sunday, hostel shuttle to Angel's Rest in Pearisburg on Monday, with a slackpack back to Pearisburg on Tuesday.

Fall AT section hike, day #12

Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Start: Whitetop Mountain Rd
End: Hurricane Mountain shelter
Miles: 22.6

This morning, I was up at 6am and met my shuttle driver at 7am in Damascus. I was on trail by 7:45am at Whitetop Mountain Rd  (5087').

Today was ponies! Interestingly, I only saw wild ponies before I entered the Grayson Highlands. In the Highlands, I saw longhorn steer but no ponies. According to signage, the ponies were introduced to keep the bald areas clear (I think for cattle). Each year, they're rounded up, provided medical checks and treatment, and occasionally sold to control herd size.

I climbed Brier Ridge (5215'), Mt Rogers side trail (5430'), Thomas Knob Shelter (5413'), Fatman squeeze (5358'), entered the Grayson Highlands, Wise shelter (4409'), exited the Grayson Highlands, Stone Mountain (4820'), The Scales livestock corral (4648'), Pine mountain trail (4950'), Old Orchard shelter (4066'), Fox creek/VA 603 (3480'), Chestnut flats (4240'), and down to Hurricane Mountain shelter (3788').

Today's miles were a bit long but I arrived at the shelter by 5:30pm. I'm sharing the shelter with another hiker, Chaser, who is a flip flop thru-hiker. Tonight should get down to ~50 degrees and it's windy. I'll bed down warm and won't want to get up in the morning, I imagine. I have 19 miles to hike tomorrow to get to the Partnership shelter, one of the few AT shelters where you can order a pizza!

Chaser recommended a new hostel between Marion and Pearisburg. I might check it out. It's currently set to rain (30-40% chance) on Friday and Saturday. I was supposed to camp out those nights but might need to shift my plans around a bit, depending on weather. I'm also currently planning on getting a shuttle to Angels Rest hostel and slackpacking into Pearisburg for my last day or so on the trail.

Fall AT section hike, day #11

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016
Start: Whitetop Mountain Rd
End: Damascus, VA
Miles: 22.1

This morning, I got a ride with three fellows off to start a NOBO section hike from Whitetop Mountain Rd (5087'). They didn't leave the hostel until 8am or so, but it was a free shuttle so I was happy. I started hiking at 9am and arrived back in town by 4:15pm.

Over the course of the day, I passed by Lost Mountain and Saunders shelters. I passed by Buzzard Rock (5080'), VA 601 (3526'), US 58 (3160'), VA 728 (2781'), Beartree Gap trail (3050'), Taylors Valley trail (2407'), US 58 again (2200'), Iron Mountain trail (2913'), and then down to Damascus.

Towards the end of my hike, my remaining pole from the original set broke in the same way as the other one did yesterday. I went by Mt Rogers Outfitters and talked to Lumpy. I gave him back the single pole he gave me and bought a set of cheap-ish new ones (and he gave me 10% off). I also arranged for a shuttle to Whitetop Mountain Rd tomorrow morning, since the hostel told me before I left for the day that they weren't sure when they could take me since they had a long shuttle already scheduled. I went to another outfitter to get Bodyglide since Mt Rogers Outfitters was out. I also stopped by the dollar store to get two cheap knee braces that will provide a light compression and keep them warm, as they're getting a bit creaky, especially on the downhill.

I managed to get back to the hostel in time to get the 5pm shuttle to the grocery store. I decided to cook up a big meal for myself - I got avocado, 5-grain mix, kale, onion, mushrooms, and tempeh strips. Also, manzanilla olives. I ate most of what I made and packed up the rest for tomorrow's breakfast.

Fall AT section hike, day #10

Monday, October 3, 2016
Start: TN 91
End: Damascus, VA
Miles: 21.2

This morning over breakfast, I met two fellows (Mark and Stephen who are father and son) who were going to TN 91 at 7am as well though they'd arranged it through a local outfitter rather than the hostel. I asked if I could accompany them. They said yes and in the end, since they weren't charged extra, let me go along for free. So I ended up not needing to pay for either of my rides between TN 91 and Damascus. I also just got offered a free ride to Whitetop Mountain Rd tomorrow. It'll be a bit later start than I normally would (8am departure, ~9am arrival) but I still anticipate I'll get to town by 5pm. And it's free, so I'll take it!

Today, I started out from TN 91 with Mark and Stephen. We kept pace with each other and hiked together for quite a bit of the day. I passed by Double Springs and Abingdon Gap shelters. I climbed past Locust Knob, Low Gap, Double Spring Gap, McQueens Knob, McQueens Gap, and the TN-VA border. I/we made spectacular time; after being dropped off at 7:30am, I was into town by 2:45pm.

During today's hike, one of my poles broke. While I like the light weight of the Black Diamond Z trekking poles, this is the third set to break on me. I'm not a big person; I don't use my poles in a particularly rough way. I called Black Diamond and they said they could replace them but only through their warranty department, which takes a few days just to process before they ship. So I went to the local outfitters, Mt Rogers Outfitters, where I'd made an acquaintance of a fellow who works there named Lumpy. He and I had chatted yesterday and he was nice; he was also this morning's shuttle driver. He showed me the poles they sold ($60 was the cheapest set); he then went in the back to see if they had any used single poles lying around. And he brought out a banged up REI adjustable pole and gave it to me for free, just like that. Trail magic is lovely. :)

At the first shelter, I chatted with some SOBO thru-hikers. Turns out, they'd stayed at the Broken Fiddle, a new hostel in Damascus that has connections with Boots Off Hostel. And they traveled with Kevin, the hostels' garden nome that travels between them.

VA hike #2, day 11

Tuesday, April 5th, 2016
Start: Bailey Gap Shelter
End: Cross Ave/VA 634 - Pearisburg
Miles: 23.4

Last night, when I got up to go to the bathroom, it was snowing. I was okay until about 2-3am, when the temperature dropped considerably. I spent the next 4 hours huddled at the bottom of my sleeping bag, shivering. My water bottles were frozen in the morning. When it's so cold your hands go numb after a few minutes, it makes packing up take a lot longer. I started out from Bailey Gap Shelter (3510') around 7:30-ish.

I descended to The Captain's place (2410'), where a past thru-hiker rigged up a rope pulley system over a creek to get hikers over to his property, where there's wifi, camping, and free soda. I went across for a soda and some wifi. The Captain's temperature gauge said it was 22 degrees in the shade around 8:30am.

I passed by Pine Swamp Branch Shelter (2532'), up past Allegheny trail (3726'), down to Dickenson Gap (3300'), past Rice Field Shelter (3375'), down to Landfill Rd (1597'), and a last burst of climbing to end at Cross Ave/VA 634 (2019').

I was able to catch a hitch the short 0.8 miles into town, rather than walk. I arrived at the Plaza motel around 6pm. A trail friend of mine, Towanda (NOBO 2015), came to visit with me. We went to the AYCE Chinese buffet for dinner and it was delicious!

Tomorrow, Towanda will drop me at a bus in Bluefield, WV on her way back home and I'll head back to my car in Charlottesville, and from there, home.

Over the course of 11 days of hiking, I completed 227.1 miles!

VA hike #2, day 10

Monday, April 4th, 2016
Start: Sarver Hollow Shelter
End: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles: 21.0 (+0.4 for shelter side trail)

I got up at 7am, which was a bit later than I intended but I'd had a poor night's sleep the night before. I was on trail by 7:45am. 

I passed by Bruises Knob (3417'), saw the Keffer Oak [largest oak tree on AT in the south at over 18' around and 300+ years old] (2322'), and then passed over Sinking Creek/VA 42 (2097'). I went past Laurel Creek Shelter (2798'), climbed Kelly Knob (3730'), went down to VA 632 (2080'), passed by War Spur Shelter (2361'), then climbed up to Lone Pine Peak (4026'). I passed by VA 613 (3950') and arrived at Bailey Gap Shelter at 6pm.

Originally, I'd intended to go to the next shelter which is 3.9 miles away but today was much slower going than I anticipated. My left knee is still giving me trouble, making downhill portions very painful. My right heel hasn't gotten much better from the chaffing and it bled during this morning's climb up from the shelter back to the trail.

I'm looking forward to arriving in Pearisburg tomorrow evening and meeting up with Towanda. I'm currently planning to spend tomorrow evening and Wednesday morning in town; then when Towanda heads out at lunch time, I'll hike to Woods Hole hostel, which is around 10 miles out of town.

For whatever reason, today was hard to stay focused and happy. There were thunderstorms towards the end of the day, which made a rocky section much more difficult, since they were all slippery. I'm trying to focus on the fact that I'll be done with this hike by Sunday and the terrain only gets easier from here.

VA hike #2, day 9

Sunday, April 3rd, 2016
Start: VA 624/Newport Rd
End: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles: 22.8 (+0.3 from hostel, +0.4 for shelter side trail)

I had an abominable night of sleep at the hostel; the lights weren't turned off until 11pm and then a hiker was up until 1:30am with his white light headlamp pointed directly at my face. The rooster started crowing at 5:30am. It was a hell of a long night and I hit the trail sleep deprived and rather aggravated.

I climbed up Cove Mountain (3020') which included the Dragons Tooth, past Pickle Branch Shelter (1951'), over Trout Creek (1548'), past the Audie Murphy monument (3100'), over Craig Creek Rd (1547'), past Niday Shelter (1988'), crossing over the Eastern Continental Divide (3368'), and finally ended at Sarver Hollow Shelter. The side trail to the shelter made me sad; it's 0.4 straight down the mountainside so I'll have to climb up it tomorrow morning.

Today took way longer than anticipated; I felt a lot more tired than usual. I've started considering doing less total miles than originally planned but we'll see how I feel over the next few days. My left kneecap is still giving me trouble; it started as primary a problem when going downhill but it's started hurting most of the time now. The brace doesn't seem to help much.

VA hike #2, day 8

Saturday, April 2nd, 2016
Start: US 220/Daleville
End: VA 624/Newport Rd (4 Pines Hostel)
Miles: 25.7 (+0.4 for water, +0.3 for hostel)

I got up at 6am, packed up, and grabbed breakfast at the motel, hitting the trail by 7am.

I climbed Hay Rock (1955'), passed by Lamberts Meadow campsite and Shelter (2000'), went through Scorched Earth Gap (2600'), climbed the Tinker Cliffs (3000') with views of McAfee Knob, went down to Brickeys Gap (2194'), passed by Campbell Shelter (2636') and Pig Farm campsite (2682'), climbed up to McAfee Knob (3197') where some day hikers kindly took pictures of me, passed by Catawba Mountain Shelter (2203') and Johns Spring Shelter (1957'), and down to VA 311 (1990'). I then went through a trail section with a lot of 200-500 ft shifts in elevation, arriving at VA 785 (1790'), followed by VA 624 (1810'). Between VA 785 and VA 624 there was a climb of ~500 ft.

I arrived at VA 624 around 6:15pm, getting to 4 Pines Hostel by 6:30pm. At 7pm, after a quick shower, they brought me to Homeplace Restaurant, a local AYCE family-style, southern cooking restaurant. The restaurant is only open limited hours and only Thur-Sun so the line is out the door. I'm still waiting on a table; they close at 8pm. I assume that's when they stop taking people to the list, not when they actually close.

The crew here seems a little odd; it's owned by Joe but Eddie lives there and does the grunt works. Eddie seems to have an intellectual disability. The hostel is a separate garage with a host of old couches, lazyboys, pool lounge chairs, and 2 real beds, all in one large open room. There are meat hooks for deer hanging from the ceiling and automotive/construction tools clutter the walls and cabinets. There's soda in the fridge and supplies to make eggs and pancakes in the morning, should hikers want to do so. There's a single private bathroom with a shower. Laundry is done down the hill at the main house, though it seems like one should arrive earlier than I did to access this benefit. The men here are dirty, loud, and think swearing horribly at each other is a sign of affection. Hiking is the only circumstance under which I would ever occupy such a space and as it is, I'm a bit nervous being here. However, it's set to get cold tonight (low 30s) and I'd rather be under a 4-sided shelter tonight so it works for me.

VA hike #2, day 5

Tuesday, March 29th, 2016
Start: Punchbowl Shelter
End: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles: 25.1 (+0.2 for shelter side trail)

I got up at 6am and was out on the trail by 6:45am.

I climbed Punchbowl Mountain (2850') and Bluff Mountain (3372'), past Big Rocky Row (2992'), past Johns Hollow Shelter (1021'), over James River Footbridge (the trail's longest foot-use-only bridge) (678'), past Matts Creek Shelter (848'), climbed Highcock Knob (3064'), down to Petites Gap (2369'), and up to Thunder Hill Shelter (3917').

I was warned by AT Wheeler that Thunder Hill Shelter didn't have any water so I shlepped water from 3 miles away and that was a good plan. The shelter's water source (an old, shallow, open well) has barely an inch of muddy water.

When I arrived at the shelter, four local boys doing a three day section hike were there. They moved to camp up the hill so they wouldn't disturb me. Later, when the stove I had glitched out and wouldn't cook my dinner, they kindly let me borrow one of their stoves.

As I was cooking dinner and the sun was going down, Bearbait, a NOBO thru-hiker from GA who started February 1st, arrived at the shelter. I let him have half a liter of my water when it became evident he had almost no water left.

Tomorrow, I head into town to stay at a motel so I can split my miles better, rather than relying exclusively on shelters.

VA hike #2, day 7

Thursday, March 31st, 2016
Start: Bearswallow Gap/VA 43
End: US 220/Daleville
Miles: 21.6 (+0.2 for shelter side trail, +0.8 for in-town walking)

I got up at 6:15am, after waking every 15-30 minutes since 5am, and was out the door by 6:45am. I walked down to the the nearby Shell station and got breakfast. While I was eating it and considering how to best go about soliciting a ride, the young fellow who'd checked me in and gotten me my pizza arrived and offered me a ride to the trail. I gratefully accepted; I was back on trail at Bearswallow Gap (2228') by 7:15am.

I passed over the Blue Ridge Parkway many times, passed by Bobblets Gap Shelter (2086'), past Harveys Knob Overlook  (2527'), past Wilson Creek Shelter (1854') and Wilson's Creek (1549'), past Salt Pond Rd (2248'), and then up to Fullhardt Knob Shelter (2632'). From there, it was all downhill to Daleville's US 220 (1253').

On my hike, I stopped and chatted with Nightingale, a NOBO section hiker who's a nurse at a local primary school (currently on vacation). We had lovely conversations about children, schools, teen pregnancy, and sex ed.

Overall, my body is doing well. I did develop blisters on my heels yesterday, as my feet have swelled and shoes that used to fit no longer do. I used a spare pair of thinner socks today and that seemed to help prevent chafing. Additionally, my left knee has begun to hurt on downhill portions of trail, so I'm going to see about getting a knee brace/ace bandage here in town.

With today, it's been 7 days straight of hiking up some pretty big mountains. It's supposed to rain most of tomorrow; so I think I'll take tomorrow as a zero day and let my body heal! Also, it should give me time to figure out the issue with my friend's stove.

VA hike #2, day 6

Wednesday, March 30th, 2016
Start: Thunder Hill Shelter
End: Bearswallow Gap/VA 43
Miles: 20.6

After a cold night, I got up this morning around 7am, hitting the trail by 7:30am.

I climbed by the Guillotine (4005'), over Apple Orchard Mountain (4225'), past Black Rock Overlook (3450'), past Cornelius Creek Shelter (3114'), up Floyd Mountain (3560'), past Bryant Ridge Shelter (1277'), up Fork Mountain (2042'), down to Jennings Creek/VA 614 (951'), past Cove Mountain Shelter (1942'), up Cove Mountain (2720'), and down to Bearswallow Gap/VA 43 (2228').

While I was debating going into Buchanan to stay at the Wattstull Inn or just continuing on to the next shelter, a man pulled over and offered me a ride. So I took the ride to the inn. The folks at the inn kindly ordered me a pizza and picked it up, since no one delivers to the inn.

Tomorrow morning, I'll need to hitch back to the trail but then it's ~20 miles into Daleville, where I'm planning on taking a zero day! Woohoo!

VA #2 hike, day 4

Monday, March 28th, 2016
Start: Hog Camp Gap/3 Springs Hostel
End: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles: 17.6 (+0.2 to shelter)

I took a slow start this morning, having breakfast with our hostel hosts and my friend before heading back to the trail by 8:30am.

I climbed up Bald Knob (4059'), passed by Brown Mountain Creek Shelter (1358'), went over Pedlar River Bridge (952'), climbed Rice Mountain (2166'), and ended my day at Punchbowl Shelter (2487'). I arrived around 5pm.

Tonight, I'm sharing the shelter with AT Wheeler, a retired, flip-flopping thru hiker from Michigan/Florida.

VA hike #2, day 3

Sunday, March 27th, 2016
Start: The Priest Shelter
End: Three Springs Hostel
Miles: 14.3

Today, we woke up at 7am and hit the trail by 7:30am. The weather today was thick fog, windy, and misty rain. It seemed like we were walking through clouds all day.

We climbed up to Spy Rock (3781'), through Porters Field (3517'), past Seeley-Woodworth Shelter  (3806'), past Piney River north fork (3482'), over Tar Jacket Ridge (3847'), and down to Hog Camp Gap (3485'). We arrived around 5pm.

Today's miles took a long time; it took much longer than expected because my friend's knee had swollen up yesterday, didn't get better overnight, and started giving them very serious trouble today. It became bad enough they decided they needed to stop hiking and leave the trail.

So we looked through the guidebook and found Three Springs Hostel. We called them from Tar Jacket Ridge and they said they weren't yet open for the season but they could provide shuttle service to the nearest Greyhound bus station in Lynchburg. When we arrived at Hog Camp Gap, it was still raining and we realized we'd need to split up our gear. So we called the hostel and explained the situation. They very kindly and graciously agreed to put us up for the night, shuttle me back to the trail in the morning, and shuttle my friend to Lynchburg in the afternoon. The hostel is beautiful, the food is great, and the hosts are very kind and friendly.

Tomorrow, I'll head out with my rearranged gear (sans tent) back on trail by 8am. I anticipate making Daleville by Thursday afternoon. My friend is going to ship me a 1-person tent for me to pick up there. Until then, I'll be reliant on shelters which will make my mileage a bit odd. But I'm happy to be continuing onward!

VA #2 hike, day 2

Saturday, March 26th, 2016
Start: Maupin Field Shelter
End: The Priest Shelter
Miles: 13.8

This morning, we got up at 6:30am and headed out by 7:45am. It was extremely cold (~30-35 degrees) and it made it harder to break down our tent and pack up.

We climbed up Three Ridges Mountain  (3959'), past Harpers Creek Shelter (1892'), over VA-56 and the Tye River suspension bridge (970'), and then up, up, up the Priest (4063'), and finally down a bit to The Priest Shelter (3885'). We both arrived by 6:30pm.

Tomorrow is looking like a much easier day with less elevation changes. We're hoping to make the ~22 miles to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter.

VA #2 hike, day 1

Friday, March 25th, 2016
Start: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA
End: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles: 20.8

My friend and I were dropped off to Rockfish Gap by a friend at 7:15am. We hiked all day, arriving at Maupin field Shelter at 6:30pm. We hiked past Paul C Wolfe Shelter and over Humpback Mountain (3628') and Cedar Cliffs (2800').

My friend had a rough day; the climb up Humpback was long and persisted over 6 miles. Tomorrow holds a climb up the Priest; given today's mileage, we may need to change our current mileage plan but we shall see!