My Trails

6/3/12 – 707 miles
The section of trail along the ridge near Catawba, VA, contains some of the most beautiful views on the AT. Maybe the most famous and surely the most photographed of all locations is McAfee Knob, a ledge protrusion high above the countryside surrounding Roanoak, VA.

The hike today included many ridge walks. Even though the ridges are kind of level, they are often composed of strewn boulders, complicating your footing and creating an obstacle course to climb through. It’s hard to make good time through some of these sections.

I did see my first bear today. It was in a highly traveled tourist section on Cove Mountin, just below Dragons Tooth stone monolith. I was walking beside some Laurel bushes when a yearling bear sprang out and came up the trail ten feet from me. I yelled “whoa”, he turned around and ran back into the woods. I never thought that in such a popular place any bears would be within twenty miles.

I camped with Blue Sky, Comma-Kaze, Sicelian Gypsy, and Mono. Just before dark, we went back up to McAfee Knob to watch the sunset. It was awesome.

It was a great day which included a stop at the Homeplace restaurant for an all you can eat meal. It was the best food I’ve had so far. I was with Kleenex and Comma-Kaze -two girls – so we got a ride easily.

6/3/12 667 mile

The trail passed through several pastures, always involving the scramble over fence stiles on each end. The stiles are made from 2×4 lumber in an A shape, often placed at odd angles to the fence, sometimes constructed from lumber weathered and shaky, and always a challenge to negotiate with a backpack. The stiles save hikers from opening and closing gates and prevent careless hikers from leaving gates open.

I met up with Kleenex at the Keiffer Oak, the largest oak tree on the AT in the south, and we captured pictures of each other standing next to it’s massive trunk.

I let Kleenex go on ahead while I washed out my shirt in a stream and took a break for a snack. Later that afternoon the trail climbed 1500 feet up Brush Mountain to the Audie Murphy Monument, the most decorated soldier of WWII. The mountain was up so high that for once I had cell service so I called Jenny to wish her Happy Birthday one day in advance.

I finally arrived at Pickle Branch Shelter, 22.5 miles for the day, a new record.

6/1/12 – 667 miles
Sometimes during the day I would meet up with Kleenex and hike with her for a while, but sometimes people need space and time alone. This was one of those days. When you get used to walking alone for weeks at a time, the pressure of conversation and compromise of hiking style can sometimes be trying. I realized that she needed some space for a while and I walked on ahead.

It was quite a long climb up to Laurel Creek Shelter and the weather deteriated throughout the afternoon. I met a day hikers a couple of miles from the shelter who told me there was a tornado warning issued for the area. I decided to say in the shelter that night rather than risk a falling tree in my tent. The rain started as soon as I retrieved water and climbed into the shelter. Kleenex arrived shortly after and no more issues with the weather bothered us that night.

/29/12 – 630 miles/29/12 – 630 miles
It was 16 miles to Pearisburg, VA, my next resupply and rest stop. My first thought was to walk about 12 miles, find a campsite, and position myself for an early arrival into town the next day. The more I thought about it, it made more sense to walk all the way and take a full day to recover and rest after a week of high mileage days. Another hiker I met at the shelter suggested sharing a room to save on the expense. It turned out to be the best stroke of luck in weeks.

We had some climb at the beginning of our hike but much of the way was level or downhill and we made good time into town. Not long after we booked a room at the Plaza Motel, the sky opened up with torrential rain. If I were still on the trail it would have been very uncomfortable to say the least.

The person I’m staying with has the trail name Kleenex. She is one of the few solo hiking females on the trail and it has been a pleasure to meet and talk with her. In other circumstances sharing a room in this fashion might draw criticism or judgment from some, even though our ages are a generation apart. But in the hiker community, we all seem to become like family. Our relationships are strictly friendship oriented based on a common goal to hike to Maine. I can’t describe it any other way.

When we move on tomorrow her pace is faster than mine and she will hike on ahead of me. I have to admit that it has been wonderful to have someone to talk with after this long stretch of few hikers and I will miss that. Once again, I’m reminded of hiking with Karen when I meet one of the independent, outgoing, happy, young women that hike the AT.

5/28/12 – 613 miles
Today was another hot one. It’s a good thing the trail is mostly in the woods, to be out in sun hiking would be unbearable. There were long stretches without any streams or springs so we have to be careful to carry extra water. I met a family hiking last night that had run out and were still miles from the next source. I offered some of mine but they wouldn’t take it.

I’m beginning to see more hikers. There are about ten people at the shelter where I’m camped, a lot different and enjoyable than being all alone.